The author and his friend Mike with some hefty Pacific Barracuda in San Quintin, Mexico. The one on the left is about as big as I have seen them get.
Pacific Barracuda
Sphyraena argentea
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Pacific Barracuda Description
Not to be confused with its larger and toothier cousin the Great Barracuda, the Pacific Barracuda is found in Southern California and Baja Mexico. They have smaller teeth and don’t get nearly as big; an 8lber is a pretty nice one. There are some other pockets of them (I caught a couple in the Galapagos) but So Cal and Baja are the only places I know to really target them.
Pacific Barracuda are a schooling fish and it can be an awesome sight to watch an acre of these fish come to the surface to chase bait. During these times you can get a bite on every cast. One nice thing about them is that they are accessible to anyone in the Southern California area whether or not they have a boat. You can just hop on a half-day party boat for a modest fee and if the fish are biting you can catch quite a few in just a few hours. It's important to check the internet reports for the different sportfishing landings to make sure the fish are around before booking a trip. Once in a while they are even caught from piers and rock jetties.
Pacific Barracuda put up a decent fight but can be landed on relatively light tackle since they don’t usually try to wrap you up in rocks or kelp or anything. Fishing them on a bass rod can be a blast. Be careful of their teeth when you handle them and try to avoid grabbing them as they are very slimy.
Pacific Barracuda Pound for Pound Fight Rating - 4 out of 10 on the Saltwater Scale
Pacific Barracuda are relative lightweights in terms of fight for a saltwater fish. They are slender and not exceptionally strong. They also don't jump or make a run for cover. They are best fought on light tackle. They would rate highly for a freshwater fish in terms of fight, but not saltwater.
Pacific Barracuda Culinary Rating - Low
Pacific Barracuda taste ok if you cook and eat them right away, but they do not keep well at all. If you freeze them, the flesh becomes very mushy.
Pacific Barracuda Tackle
I would recommend a light conventional saltwater combo, maybe rated 10-30lbs. If you are going to fish surface jigs you should use longer rods of at least 8’ to get longer casts. If you are fishing bait I would recommend a 7’ rod with a soft tip for casting lighter baits like anchovies and small sardines. A basic saltwater baitcasting reel like a Shimano Curado should work fine. Medium spinning tackle is fine as well and usually better for casting light baits. If you are fishing on a party boat you might want to upgrade your tackle a bit to get them in quicker and decrease the chances of tangling others' lines.
Pacific Barracuda Techniques
Barracuda are readily caught with both baits and lures. When they are actively feeding they will eat most things you throw in front of them.
Pacific Barracuda Lures
Probably the most popular lures for the Pacific Barracuda are iron jigs such as those made by Salas, Kicker, or Raider. You cast them as far as you can and retrieve them at a medium pace so that they “kick” back and forth. You should use a slower retrieve than what you would use for Yellowtail. When you get a bite keep reeling until the line comes tight and set the hook. If you aren’t getting hit on the surface you can use a heavier jig and let it sink down a bit before beginning the retrieve.
Krocodile spoons work extremely well for Pacific Barracuda. They swim very erratically when retrieved slowly and the ‘cuda love them.
Pacific Barracuda readily eat Rapala-type plugs when trolled but I’m not a big fan of trolling. They also eat plastic swimbaits but tear them up pretty quickly so stick with the metal lures unless your family owns a tackle company.
Pacific Barracuda Baits
Anchovies and sardines are probably the most commonly used baits. The best way to go is either a large anchovy or a small sardine. Given the choice, go with the large anchovy. Fish them either weightless or with a small sliding sinker if needed. If there are a lot of birds around try hooking them near the anal fin so that they swim deeper and have less of a chance of getting eaten by a bird.
Where to get the big Pacific Barracuda
These fish are migratory and when they migrate to Southern California you can catch some big ones in the spring and summer. When I have fished in San Quintin, Mexico I have noticed the average size is very large.
Other Resources
The above barely scratches the surface on how to catch Pacific Barracuda. The resources below will provide a wealth of information:
www.mexfish.com has some species profiles including the Great Barracuda.
Ronnie Kovach's Saltwater Fishing in California is also a good resource
Sphyraena argentea
HOME
Other Species
Pacific Barracuda Description
Not to be confused with its larger and toothier cousin the Great Barracuda, the Pacific Barracuda is found in Southern California and Baja Mexico. They have smaller teeth and don’t get nearly as big; an 8lber is a pretty nice one. There are some other pockets of them (I caught a couple in the Galapagos) but So Cal and Baja are the only places I know to really target them.
Pacific Barracuda are a schooling fish and it can be an awesome sight to watch an acre of these fish come to the surface to chase bait. During these times you can get a bite on every cast. One nice thing about them is that they are accessible to anyone in the Southern California area whether or not they have a boat. You can just hop on a half-day party boat for a modest fee and if the fish are biting you can catch quite a few in just a few hours. It's important to check the internet reports for the different sportfishing landings to make sure the fish are around before booking a trip. Once in a while they are even caught from piers and rock jetties.
Pacific Barracuda put up a decent fight but can be landed on relatively light tackle since they don’t usually try to wrap you up in rocks or kelp or anything. Fishing them on a bass rod can be a blast. Be careful of their teeth when you handle them and try to avoid grabbing them as they are very slimy.
Pacific Barracuda Pound for Pound Fight Rating - 4 out of 10 on the Saltwater Scale
Pacific Barracuda are relative lightweights in terms of fight for a saltwater fish. They are slender and not exceptionally strong. They also don't jump or make a run for cover. They are best fought on light tackle. They would rate highly for a freshwater fish in terms of fight, but not saltwater.
Pacific Barracuda Culinary Rating - Low
Pacific Barracuda taste ok if you cook and eat them right away, but they do not keep well at all. If you freeze them, the flesh becomes very mushy.
Pacific Barracuda Tackle
I would recommend a light conventional saltwater combo, maybe rated 10-30lbs. If you are going to fish surface jigs you should use longer rods of at least 8’ to get longer casts. If you are fishing bait I would recommend a 7’ rod with a soft tip for casting lighter baits like anchovies and small sardines. A basic saltwater baitcasting reel like a Shimano Curado should work fine. Medium spinning tackle is fine as well and usually better for casting light baits. If you are fishing on a party boat you might want to upgrade your tackle a bit to get them in quicker and decrease the chances of tangling others' lines.
Pacific Barracuda Techniques
Barracuda are readily caught with both baits and lures. When they are actively feeding they will eat most things you throw in front of them.
Pacific Barracuda Lures
Probably the most popular lures for the Pacific Barracuda are iron jigs such as those made by Salas, Kicker, or Raider. You cast them as far as you can and retrieve them at a medium pace so that they “kick” back and forth. You should use a slower retrieve than what you would use for Yellowtail. When you get a bite keep reeling until the line comes tight and set the hook. If you aren’t getting hit on the surface you can use a heavier jig and let it sink down a bit before beginning the retrieve.
Krocodile spoons work extremely well for Pacific Barracuda. They swim very erratically when retrieved slowly and the ‘cuda love them.
Pacific Barracuda readily eat Rapala-type plugs when trolled but I’m not a big fan of trolling. They also eat plastic swimbaits but tear them up pretty quickly so stick with the metal lures unless your family owns a tackle company.
Pacific Barracuda Baits
Anchovies and sardines are probably the most commonly used baits. The best way to go is either a large anchovy or a small sardine. Given the choice, go with the large anchovy. Fish them either weightless or with a small sliding sinker if needed. If there are a lot of birds around try hooking them near the anal fin so that they swim deeper and have less of a chance of getting eaten by a bird.
Where to get the big Pacific Barracuda
These fish are migratory and when they migrate to Southern California you can catch some big ones in the spring and summer. When I have fished in San Quintin, Mexico I have noticed the average size is very large.
Other Resources
The above barely scratches the surface on how to catch Pacific Barracuda. The resources below will provide a wealth of information:
www.mexfish.com has some species profiles including the Great Barracuda.
Ronnie Kovach's Saltwater Fishing in California is also a good resource
Pacific Barracuda caught on a Krocadile spoon in Baja Mexico
A "jackpot" barracuda caught on a surface iron jig out of San Pedro, California
A nice mixed catch of Pacific Barracuda and White Seabass caught casting Krocadile spoons in San Quintin, Mexico. Most of the Barracuda caught that day were released, but not these ones.