  The barracuda is an evil looking, menacing, pike-like fish. They have a protruding lower jaw that sports very ugly dagger-like teeth and they portray a fish ready to pounce. They are fast; having been clocked up to 25 miles per hour. Being a disarmingly inquisitive fish, they will follow a boat, or lie in wait just watching for the slightest splash or shiny flash at which to strike. The barracuda has been caught on live bait, spoons, bucktails, and tube lures to name a few. You never know what a barracuda will hit; even your finger if you dangle your hand in the water long enough. Small barracuda will band together in small schools. The large grand-daddies feed alone or sometimes in pairs, and usually hit other types of fish. If you spot any, back off and out of their territory range. Then, cast your best bait selection beyond them and reel the bait into their chosen territory. If lucky, you will have a hard hit, fast runs, and a few aerial leaps, with lots of endurance on the part of the barracuda. When studying the barracuda as it lies near the surface in the 
vicinity of a marker or underwater structure, you cannot out stare this fish.
You will find it has much more patience than you have. In fact, it's hard to
determine if you or the fish is trying to hypnotize the other. Once caught,
it's barracuda fever from then on and your thoughts will be, "I've
gotta get another one." You now become the stalker, and this denizen, the prey.There are many writers who debate the belief that eating the barracudas could cause ciguatera poisoning. One doctor stated, "There is a possible incidence of 1 in 20,000 barracuda which may possess harmful quantities." Others say, "Don't ever eat them and gamble with your well being." This fish has thick scales, covered with a heavy coating of slime. It is best to use gloves to handle the fish and use pliers to remove the hook when it becomes necessary. The only evidence of a barracuda attack seems to filter in from the West Indies waters, where divers fear the large ones. They say divers have been attacked and sometimes the fish have placed themselves in a circular position around a diver. They are probably thinking: 
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