Damn Good Barracuda Fishing Charters

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Barracuda Fishing Charters

Damn Good
Certified Damn Good Guides offer 10/10 trips. Guides earn this badge through quality reviews, quick and responsive communication, and low cancellation rates.
Fishing in Destin
Fishing in Destin
Fishing in Destin

Deep Sea Fishing in Port Orange

Offshore Port Orange

100% (10)
24 ft 1 - 12 People From $500
Damn Good
Certified Damn Good Guides offer 10/10 trips. Guides earn this badge through quality reviews, quick and responsive communication, and low cancellation rates.
Fishing in Destin
Fishing in Destin
Fishing in Destin

Deep Sea, Nearshore, Jetty in Key West

Key West Offshore - '27 CC

100% (34)
27 ft 1 - 12 People From $700
Fishing in Destin
Fishing in Destin
Fishing in Destin

Inshore, Nearshore, Flats in Naples

4 Hour Naples Inshore/Nearshore

75% (4)
23 ft 1 - 4 People From $500
Fishing in Destin
Fishing in Destin
Fishing in Destin

Inshore, Flats Fishing in Layton

Florida Keys Skinny Water

100% (3)
16 ft 1 - 2 People From $500
Fishing in Destin
Fishing in Destin
Fishing in Destin

Deep Sea Fishing in Jupiter

Offshore Fishing Jupiter

NEW
27 ft 1 - 4 People From $650
Fishing in Destin
Fishing in Destin
Fishing in Destin

Inshore, Nearshore, Flats in Key West

The Florida Keys Inshore Experience

100% (2)
24 ft 1 - 4 People From $700
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Everything to Know About Booking a barracuda fishing charter

What are the best barracuda fishing charters?

Why should I book a barracuda fishing charter with Captain Experiences?

Our Damn Good Guides currently offer 322 barracuda trips, and the most popular trips are Stock Island Flats and Backwater guided by Tyler, Key Largo Adventure guided by Andrew, and Bank and Bight Backcountry guided by Jon-Paul.

Our guides are rated a 4.92 out of 5 based on 4450 verified reviews on Captain Experiences.

All guides on Captain Experiences are vetted by our team. You can access their reviews, click through trip photos, read bios to get to know them, and preview trip details like species, techniques, group sizes, boat specs and more.

Looking for kid friendly barracuda guides / fishing lessons? Check out our beginner and family friendly barracuda guides.

What types of barracuda fishing charters are common?

Deep Sea fishing is the most popular type of fishing for barracuda as well as nearshore fishing, inshore fishing, and flats fishing.

The most common fishing techniques are bottom fishing, trolling, and light tackle fishing but live bait fishing and heavy tackle fishing are popular as well.

How much do barracuda fishing charters cost?

Prices for barracuda can range anywhere from about $700 to $3,300, but the average price for a half day trip for barracuda is $1,202. The average price for a full day trip for barracuda is $2,060.

Is booking a fishing guide worth the money?

Hiring a guide provides a number of benefits and many choose to book a fishing guide for a combination of experience, local knowledge, convenience, and cost-effectiveness.

Working with experienced fishing guides who know the best local spots and techniques can dramatically increase your odds of a great day. Having someone who is on the water every day and knows the area like the back of their hand is going to give you the best chances of success.

Booking a guide is also more cost effective, especially if you only get out a handful of times per year. When you consider all of the costs you would incur on your own such as the price of a boat, maintenance, insurance, gas, high-quality gear and tackle, repairs, and more, you’ll find that DIY is sometimes not worth the expense.

Even if you’ve got a great setup already in your home waters, booking a guide also provides a great opportunity to experience new techniques, new locations, or even a chance at a new target species to knock off the bucket list.

What month is best for barracuda fishing?

The most popular season for barracuda fishing is spring, and most anglers book their trips 10 days in advance.

Do I need a fishing license for barracuda and what are the bag limits for barracuda?

See here for more information on barracuda fishing licenses, barracuda bag limits, and fishing season regulations for barracuda. When in doubt, your fishing guide will always know the right barracuda rules and regulations.

What is a Barracuda?

The barracuda is one of the more recognizable fish out there and one of those fish that immediately brings a sparkle to a kid’s eye. They are known as one of the gnarliest most fearsome looking predator fish out there and their general attitude and demeanor only serve to reinforce these opinions.

A barracuda is a predatory, saltwater fish with ray fins, a pointed snout, and huge fangs usually sticking out of their underbite. While their long, tubular body can sometimes be confused with a mackerel or wahoo, a barracuda has much larger teeth, a different tail, ray fins (fins that are webbed held together by bony spikes), and if you look closely much larger scales. Barracuda are also known to exude a unique slime from their bodies that supposedly helps them glide through the water, but in reality just mucks up your boat.

There are a number of species of barracuda but the two main types of barracuda you will find in the US depend on where you’re fishing. The Pacific barracuda is the smaller of the two and as the name suggests will be caught frequently in Southern California or Baja. The great barracuda is the larger, meaner cousin of the two and is found on the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, and is a big ambush hunter. These Atlantic barracuda can actually be dangerous sometimes, as they will mistake any movement or shiny objects for prey and lunge at them teeth-first at 35 mph.

How big do Barracuda get?

Different barracuda species can vary greatly in size, but they have the potential to become quite large. The great barracuda can range up to 65 inches long and up to 100 pounds in extreme cases. Pacific barracuda meanwhile grow to a more reasonable 3 feet and 10 pounds. Males and females are generally around the same size and not easily distinguishable. Great barracuda can live up to 14 years in the wild, and because of their size and speed do not have many predators.

What's the biggest Barracuda ever caught?

The largest barracuda caught on record is a massive 102 pound and 4 ounce fish caught in Barra du Kwanza in Angola by Thomas Gibson. The fish was a Guinean barracuda. The current all-tackle record great barracuda is 87 pounds 3 oz, and the pacific barracuda record is 9 lb 8 oz.

Where is the best place to catch Barracuda?


Barracudas are primarily a pure saltwater fish, although they have been known to swim in brackish waters from time to time (including the great barracuda especially as juvenile fish). It is a warm-water and tropical fish found in oceans worldwide, although depending on the location you may catch one or another of a number of barracuda species.

Barracuda typically reside near the surface of the water near reefs or sea grasses, although they can be found in the open ocean as well. If you are working some other fish and there are barracuda nearby, they will often become the scourge of your day and trying to steal your catch.

Great barracuda can be found anywhere from Massachusetts to Brazil and everywhere in between. Pacific barracuda are most common off Southern California and Baja California. 


When should I catch Barracuda?

Spring and summer are best for catching pacific barracuda, although they can be caught year-round as the season is always open. There is a 28 inch minimum in the US and a bag limit of 10. Great barracuda can be fished year-round as well and their season is generally best from September to October. South Florida will have the biggest fish around, and there is no size limit although there are bag limits depending on where you are.

How do I catch Barracuda?

Great barracuda are generally solitary hunters while pacific barracuda are known to school. This means that obviously your strategy will vary quite a bit, but generally you just need to keep in mind their sharp teeth and willingness to feed throughout the water column and to jump on feeding opportunities quickly.

Pacific barracuda can be found in massive schools an acre large chasing bait as a group. Once you get on them, it’s hard not to get a bite. You can fish surface jigs or throw anchovies or sardines; generally you wouldn’t throw anything plastic because it will get torn up form their teeth. When they are feeding, they won’t be picky.

Great barracuda require a slightly heavier tackle just based on the size difference of the fish, but they don’t really take much specialized tackle other than a wire leader - similar to pacific barracuda they will eat most things presented to them. They will usually come explore anything that comes in their territory so they will often find you. The best thing is generally a shiny lure retrieved somewhat erratically. Great barracuda prefer a faster retrieve than pacific.

Are Barracuda good to eat? What are the best Barracuda recipes?

Barracuda are not known as a species that is great to eat and they are caught for sport rather than dinner in many parts of the world. If you do plan to eat them, its advised to eat smaller fish and to eat them fairly fresh, as barracuda are known to sometimes have ciguatera.

Recent Reviews

  • ★★★★★
    Alex took us out with a 10 year old. He was excellent with all of us. Put us on some fish and had an awesome time. Definitely will go back if we are in Destin again.

    Karson K. | May 1, 2025

    Trip: Destin Bottom Fishing and Trolling!

  • ★★★★★
    I had a great day in the Lower Keys with Capt. Robert. It was my first time salt-water fly fishing. He gave me lots of good advice. The fishing was excellent — and his knowledge of the area and technique is extensive. As a lady fisher, I appreciate some guidance on how to and Robert gave enough without over doing it. We landed five bonefish on a half day’s trip — and several were big! All gave a good fight. I missed several permit by being not fast on the draw but really stoked to have had a shot. Loved it!! I am already planning my next trip.

    Pamela P. | April 29, 2025

    Trip: Big Pine Key Action

  • ★★★★★
    Captain Zack and Adam did a great job. They put us on fish quickly and were Johnny on the spot with everything we needed. Would definitely use them again.

    John M. | April 27, 2025

    Trip: Clearwater Fishing Thriller!

  • ★★★★★
    Geat captain Austin is very professional and friendly, thanks highly recommend him. He's very knowledgeable about fishing.

    Maurice B. | April 20, 2025

    Trip: Bradenton Offshore Sportfishing

  • ★★★★★
    What a fantastic day out on the water!!! My family came in from out of town looking to go on a deeper fishing trip. Greg came highly recommended both by the booking agent as well as previous reviews. Our hopes of having fun and catching some big fish were exceeded both by the amount and size of fish that were caught as well as the variety. Greg really showed his knowledge and experience by his ability to put us “on the fish”! Robbie, the captain’s right hand man, was so awesome as well! He kept all the lines baited and really taught us how to not lose the fish while reeling them in. The entire day was a blast and an unforgettable adventure!!! Thank you again Greg and Robbie from the Shannon Clan!

    Michael S. | April 17, 2025

    Trip: St. Pete Offshore Experience

  • ★★★★★
    Chris was amazing, from beginning to end. Very personable, professional and knowledgeable. We hope to use him again very soon!!!

    Scott C. | April 14, 2025

    Trip: Tampa Bay Fishing Classic

  • ★★★★★
    Great guide caught lots of fish when others weren’t catching as many.

    Julie F. | April 9, 2025

    Trip: Bradenton Offshore Sportfishing

  • ★★★★★
    I guess the best thing I can say is when we come back, if we’re fishing on the Gulf, we’re going with Kyle. His First Mate Ben did a great job helping us out as well. Thanks Kyle

    Karekin C. | April 8, 2025

    Trip: Destin Trolling & Bottom Fishing

  • ★★★★★
    Eric is a great guide. Really knows his guiding craft well. Put us on fish in difficult weather conditions. Exceeded our expectations for the day. Highly recommend him, you won't be disappointed.

    Stephen K. | April 3, 2025

    Trip: Back Country Bonanza

  • ★★★★★
    We had an amazing time with Captain Jason. He was able to adapt location and gear to make sure we caught fish (in our case mangrove snapper and snook) . Great conversation and company which was as important to us as the fish we caught. We are both at beginner level and Jason made us feel well taken care of. He cleaned the fish and recommended a great local restaurant which cooked our catch very well. We would take a trip with Jason again for sure.

    Steven S. | April 3, 2025

    Trip: Epic Biscayne Bay Trip

  • ★★★★★
    Fantastic time with Eric. He is a great guide and put us on fish from the get go. Looking forward to fishing with him again. Highly recommend Capt. Eric.

    Stephen K. | April 1, 2025

    Trip: Back Country Bonanza

  • ★★★★★
    Great tour guide. Very knowledgeable and made sure we had a blast. Thank you..

    Darrell F. | March 28, 2025

    Trip: St. Pete Offshore Experience

  • ★★★★★
    We had a great time with billy. He took the time to show us a few things, and tell us about the keys. He is a very cool guy and I would recommend booking with him. I plan on doing this again and if I do, I will be trying to get billy again. We had a blast and caught a handful of fish. He knew where to go and what bait to use. I cant say enough of the great time and what a great guy he is,I could not thank him enough.

    Gregory C. | March 27, 2025

    Trip: Key West Wreck Fishing

  • ★★★★★
    Had an excellent morning catching multi-species of fish. First time ocean fishing with my four sons during spring break. 4 hour trip start to finish yielded a total of 40ish fish. Highly recommended. Capt Cory cleaned our catches right at the dock.

    Matthew S. | March 26, 2025

    Trip: FWB Quick Run

  • ★★★★★
    Very professional and knowledgeable!

    Slate F. | March 26, 2025

    Trip: Summerland Key Flats Action

  • ★★★★★
    Was a great trip. Great guides. My son had never fly fished they took a lot of time & patience with him & myself.

    Brett B. | March 26, 2025

    Trip: Fly Fishing Cancun

  • ★★★★★
    Really good time. Even tho the fishing was a little slow, captain didn’t give up really did his best to put me on fish and it ended up paying off with a few good ones at the end. Also had a few big ones break off. But hey that’s fishing.

    Riley R. | March 25, 2025

    Trip: Key West "Flex" Sportfishing

  • ★★★★★
    Great trip! Lots of excitement and caught a sailfish!

    Bill B. | March 23, 2025

    Trip: Unforgettable Day Offshore

  • ★★★★★
    Great knowledge of the area! Despite windy, cold front conditions he worked hard to get us on the fish. We had an awesome time, caught plenty of fish, and he was super fun to fish with. First mate Rob made sure we were taken care of.

    Andy T. | March 21, 2025

    Trip: Key Largo Adventure

  • ★★★★★
    Great Trip! Put us right on the fish and kept it entertaining for the entire morning!

    Judson D. | March 21, 2025

    Trip: Back Country Bonanza

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