# barracuda attack



## BigSlick (Jun 13, 2010)

Anybody have a scary story about a barracuda? Yesterday I was at the oriskany and my sis had a Bonita hooked and it broke off on the motor. The bobo was terrified of a cuda and was circling the boat so I tried to just free gaff him since he was staying so close. When I dipped down to stick him the cuda launched out of the water missing the Bonita and bit the gaff about six inches down from my hand. I feel very lucky. I still remember as a kid watching an episode of rescue 911 where a cuda jumped out of the water and sliced someones jugular while they were fishing.


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## Linkovich (Oct 24, 2007)

BigSlick said:


> I still remember as a kid watching an episode of rescue 911 where a cuda jumped out of the water and sliced someones jugular while they were fishing.


I remember that episode. Think about it every time I see one of those creepy things. Fortunately I've never had any bad runs ins with one, but when I used to dive a bunch I hated seeing them underwater. They just sit there and stare at you.


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## Telum Pisces (Sep 27, 2007)

I have had one launch right at me while I was holding my spearshaft with an AJ on the shaft. It bit the AJ in half right in front of me and proceeded to chomp down on that half right in front of me. I about browned my wetsuit.


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## Burnt Drag (Jun 3, 2008)

Years ago when powerheads were kosher, I snorkled over a huge school of cuda on a big wreck out to the south... I'd hit one in the head and it would fall like you shot down an airplane.


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## marmidor (Mar 15, 2008)

BigSlick said:


> Anybody have a scary story about a barracuda? Yesterday I was at the oriskany and my sis had a Bonita hooked and it broke off on the motor. The bobo was terrified of a cuda and was circling the boat so I tried to just free gaff him since he was staying so close. When I dipped down to stick him the cuda launched out of the water missing the Bonita and bit the gaff about six inches down from my hand. I feel very lucky. I still remember as a kid watching an episode of rescue 911 where a cuda jumped out of the water and sliced someones jugular while they were fishing.


You are EXTREMELY lucky. It only takes a quick flick of their tail and you are in big trouble. PFF member Snatch It had a BIG cuda take a juvy snapper practically right out of his hands while fishing on my boat. Also had a bobo cut in half right as we were reaching down to get him. They are tough critters. I may start using a net more to land small fish. Stay safe!


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## Kenton (Nov 16, 2007)

I hear about people "cooling down" by jumping in the water when 30+ miles out. Seeing Cuda under the boat all the time has kept me from doing this yet....i like my digits.


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## jaster (Oct 7, 2007)

I saw that 911 episode 20 yrs ago, lol scary stuff. I try to stay in the boat, hands and all!


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## jplvr (Mar 7, 2011)

Not anywhere close to an attack, but we were diving the Alabama Spearfishing Rodeo. I spied a sheepshead to shoot on the ascent, and left him on the spear. Met up with my buddies at 30' or so. One of them pointed behind me and I turned just in time to see a 50# or bigger cuda easing over/off my right shoulder. The back on that thing seemed 6" wide. Cuda was on the list, and we certainly would've placed, but my balls weren't big enough to sink a shaft in that sucker. My dive buddy wasn't interested in it either... not until the end of the day when we had nothing worthy of weighing anyway. He said he wanted to go back to that particular rig to look for him, but we didn't.


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## titan77 (May 13, 2012)

Ive ran in to them diving and there dang sure not scared of a human


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## BentStraight (Dec 27, 2008)

Several years ago on a snorkeling vacation to the Keys we stayed a few day at Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and someone told us to check out all the barracuda that congregate under the swim dock in the roped off swimming area and family beach. Sure enough, we were amazed to see 50-60 large barracuda suspended under the large floating swim dock while a dozen or more kiddies jumped and splashed off of the very same dock totally oblivious to the cudas resting in the shade below there feet! A ranger that we asked about it said it had always been that way as long as anyone could remember! 
Go figure, if you're ever at Pennekamp, check it out!


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## johnboatjosh (May 19, 2008)

Saw one yesterday while fishing off Destin. He launched himself out of the water twice while chasing bobo's or something. Looked like he was traveling 100 mph when going through the air. LOL. Those things give me the creeps.


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## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

Burnt Drag said:


> Years ago when powerheads were kosher, I snorkled over a huge school of cuda on a big wreck out to the south... I'd hit one in the head and it would fall like you shot down an airplane.


Yep...Used the 45ACP power heads all the time. Great for large Amberjack and Grouper.


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## sureicanfish (Sep 30, 2007)

Snorkeling once in Roatan outside a beautiful reef, looked up and 20 feet away at my 11oclock was 5 footer, staring at me. I tried to be as calm as possible as I flailed and flopped back over the reef lol. Never will forget that evil, toothy stare down


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## welldoya (Oct 5, 2007)

Several years ago I was fighting about a 20 lb king and suddenly he became real easy to reel in. When I got him to the back of the boat there was only half of a fish. Then a big barracuda came up right behind him. My buddy gaffed the 'cuda and brought him on board.


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## drumin80 (Dec 2, 2009)

I was doing my safety stop coming up from the Avocet about a year back and things were fine, buddy had fish and we were just hanging out and i turned around and there was a HUGE cuda about 2ft from my mask just looking at me with those massive teeth for about a minute...Lucky he just looked and then swam off but my heart was beating just a little faster..mean lookin critters.


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## 85okhai (Mar 15, 2010)

those things sure are mean had one a few years ago that ate my king while i was reeling him in. my cousin hooked a king and as he was pulling it in closer so i could gaff it there was a cuda following behind chomping down on the king, as the cuda got closer instead of gaffing the king i went ahead and gaffed the cuda and slung him over the side of the boat, good thing where i hit him with the gaff it knocked him out or else i wouldve been in the water or lost the gaff


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## Clay-Doh (Oct 2, 2007)

Cudas aren't that bad unless you touch threre private parts. Ha ha. (Stole that from FelixH)
That's a picture from the New York Times back in 2008 of me with one of the pesky suckers Here's the link

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/08/18/science/earth/081908-Ship_6.html

DKdiver had a 2 reporters from the New York Times book a charter to do a piece on the Oriskany, and he had me come along to go down with them and make sure they didn't get themselves hurt (which they tried too). 

I thought that particular picture came out awesome with the cuda. But that wasn't scary.

I don't have time right now to type the whole story, I will later, but when I shot this cuda 5 years ago with a new blue water 4-banded Riffe I just got and wanted to try out...









Well, that was the scariest, and longest 2 minutes of my life underwater. It was my first day diving with my new homemade Chunky Love Helmet-Cam, before Go-Pros, and all the equipment you can buy now. It was rediculously big and took poor video, but I think around here I originated the hemet cam! :thumbup: You can see that monstocity on top of my head in the NYT picture, and a couple other of the pics of me in the article









I got the incedent on video. I'll share it later if I can find it. 

Moral of the story, jab at, chase, and act aggresive with sharks. It freaks em out and 95% of the time they split. But with cudas, any of that behavior is like swatting at a bee. They'll just charge you and act more stupid. I just crowd them out with my gun, and sloooowly push them back if there too cose to my fish


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