Fish Species that we Love - Barracuda

I thought that it would be a good time to take a look at the species that we regularly catch here in Palau. First cab off the rank is the Barracuda

My best 'cuda to date caught on a Yozuri Surface Bull (120g)

 When I first came to Palau and fished primarily for GTs, I saw the Barracuda as a nuisance and great way to get my lures smashed or stolen. These days I appreciate them more for the sport they provide (especially the big ones) and the locals LOVE to eat them, so if there is someone we know having an important ceremony or family party, we donate them. Most times though, we release them if they aren't injured.

Most Barracudas are released as this one by Iwasakisan is. This one caught on a floating slider

 The classic way of catching the bigger 'cudas here is by trolling, they are often caught when trolling for Spanish Mackerel or Wahoo. For us though almost all are caught during topwater fishing in shallow reef areas on poppers or surface sliders.

Another beautiful 'cuda caught in 1.5m of water on a 125mm surface popper

There are two species regularly caught, the ones pictured are the larger of the two and are generally caught between 15 and 30 pounds with the occasional larger ones. To sum up my thoughts on the Barracuda; big, smelly, toothy and good fun!

Target Species?

My ultimate target when fishing is Giant Trevally/GT/Ulua/Orruk. There is a lot of buzz about this fish and thousand of tourists come here each year to catch them. I practice strict catch and release when fishing for GTs. They are a real natural asset of the islands and should be respected and preserved.
For more general fishing my favorite target is the Blue Finned Trevally. They are plentiful here, provide great sport and are excellent eating, especially as sashimi/sushi/carpaccio. BFT readily attack most lure types and are caught up to 8kg locally.
Another target fish that took my a while to get used to is Red Bass. In most parts of the world they are not eaten but here in Palau, they are a revered table fish. Red Bass are violent predators with line breaking power. I recently had a Red Bass break my 60lb (PE #6) line in open water with its powerful first run. They are dirty fighters and will take your lure straight behind the nearest rock or coral bommie. I never really had much respect for this fish until I caught them in shallow (<5m) water. Let me tell you, they are POWERFUL! A great sport fish normally encountered in the 5-10kg range but 15kg plus fish are out there if you can stop them!
Then there are the "others", the fish that we dont really plan to catch but make our day more interesting when they come along. These fish include, coral trout, barracuda, nannigai, various emporors, coral cod, mackeral, Dog Tooth Tuna and various trevally species.