Fun Day

[Captain Rich]

Lot of action today, Jersey Matt came out to play, 3 for 3 on Sails, King Mackerel and Barracuda.

[Adrenalinerush]

Nice triple cap!

[spc06]

sailfish? Baracuda? Spanish mackerel? In NJ? :-) Thanks for the pix!!!

[Captain Rich]

sailfish? Baracuda? Spanish mackerel? In NJ? :-) Thanks for the pix!!!

Global Warming....

[Ol Pedro]

Capt., why did you keep the barracuda? I thought that you couldn't eat them.

[Captain Rich]

1. We eat the smaller ones, white meat, not oily at all. Breaded and fried it's wonderful. Back in the day when people didn't eat meat on Fridays, the restaurants down here would all offer Fish Fries, it was all Barracuda. When I was fishing Cozumel and Cancun and ordered fish soup, it was always Barracuda. The larger ones have a risk of accumulating ciguatera, but we don't see that here on the coast, more over in the Bahamas and further south.
2. If we get one and we are not eating it, they make wonderful bottom baits, the skin is tough and it stays on the hook. Inshore for snapper baits, deep dropping for tiles, or strips for swordfish.

[Ol Pedro]

Rich, I have eaten more than my share of Pacific Barracuda in California. We would steak them and grill them with lime and garlic butter. When I lived on Key West in the 60's and fished out of Daytona Beach in the 70's the Great Barracuda were considered poisonous jig stealers. I thought that you were going to use it for Shark or Goliath bait.

[porgylber]

A few years back, I went out on a charter in the Bahamas. The waters were swarming with barracuda. Every fish brought up was being bitten in half. Think of a dogfish, times 10. The boat would move to a different spot, they would show up 2 minutes later.

I asked about eating them. I was told that the locals like them, but ciguatera is no joke. It apparently causes all of your hair to fall out, among other things.

We were about to call it a day, when my wife hooked up with a giant wahoo. She managed to land it...and insisted on a wall mount. To this day, she gives me crap about being the best angler in the house.

[Captain Rich]

Rich, I have eaten more than my share of Pacific Barracuda in California. We would steak them and grill them with lime and garlic butter. When I lived on Key West in the 60's and fished out of Daytona Beach in the 70's the Great Barracuda were considered poisonous jig stealers. I thought that you were going to use it for Shark or Goliath bait.

They definitely make great bait for all kinds of fish. For sharks, either barracuda or a fresh bonita.

[Captain Rich]

A few years back, I went out on a charter in the Bahamas. The waters were swarming with barracuda. Every fish brought up was being bitten in half. Think of a dogfish, times 10. The boat would move to a different spot, they would show up 2 minutes later.

I asked about eating them. I was told that the locals like them, but ciguatera is no joke. It apparently causes all of your hair to fall out, among other things.

We were about to call it a day, when my wife hooked up with a giant wahoo. She managed to land it...and insisted on a wall mount. To this day, she gives me crap about being the best angler in the house.


I have to agree with her

[porgylber]

I have to agree with her

Lol. I’ve spent plenty of money and time over the past 40 plus years....and she always manages to pull in the largest fish. She must be born under a lucky star.

[Captain Rich]

Lol. I’ve spent plenty of money and time over the past 40 plus years....and she always manages to pull in the largest fish. She must be born under a lucky star.

I see it all the time on my boat, novice women outfishing their experienced husbands...doesn't even surprise me anymore... it's kind of like karma, you talk about fishing, the wife is going to catch them ! I always give the wives the best bait, they smell better !