Baracuda's

[jcb]

Hey MsgMills,

I was about 100 miles east of you, on St. George Island FL. - I fished two days, about 2-3 hours each day.

Day one: fished with shrimp on the bottom, same as you, from a sand bar. With a big 3/4 oz. egg sinker I could cast into pretty deep water. First cast I caught a 20" mackerel. Jumped out of the water about 5 feet immediately upon being hooked, what a blast. I was hopeful I'd catch more of them but...

Sea catfish after sea catfish. I probably caught 20 anywhere from 8 inches to 2.5 pounds.

Day two: waded out to my little honey hole again, caught a catfish on my first cast, let him go, and looked down to see my bait bag had come loose from my waist. (Yes, I know I might as well hang a sign on me that says ALL YOU CAN EAT SHARK BUFFET HERE).

I waded onshore, went up to the rental house we were in and cut up an uncooked pork chop into cubes. Discovered sea cats like pork chops too. Caught 5-6 before one finned me so bad I quit. I discovered that sea catfish have some serious venom in their spines. My finger swelled up so bad I had to take my wedding band off and it hurt 10 times worse than the jellyfish sting I had earlier in the week.

One thing I also learned: clean your rod/reel well--REALLY well--after surf fishing. It still doesn't feel right, going to take it apart tonight.

[trent colvin]

Fished several years in Florida with a local guide, he would rub the fin wound on the belly of the offending fish. He said the slime would make the injury less sore and not swell as much... (Course he had 5 beers in him by the time we met in the mornings, so that might have helped too.) I have tried it on salt water cats and it does helps some, but not as much as it helps of freshwater cats...

[stevec]

I had a family member who decided to wear her ankle bracelet into the water she found out the hard way the barracuda love shiney things with legs attached....chased her all the way out of the water

[dmase]

A true story from the Bahamma's of a woman killed while swimming close to shore by a Barracuda. I seems she was wearing a large silver necklace.
She was hit in the neck with such a ferocious attack it ripped out her neck and juggler. She was dead in a matter of a couple minutes.
I like to catch them.

[Rowdy]

The last time we were at PCB we parasailed and about 200 yards out the water was black with stingray's!!
Rowdy