Baracuda's can be toxic??

Heard that Baracuda's can be toxic because of ciguatera.  Do we have ciguatera in our waters?   See link below.

http://www.filipinouk.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=1105

My understanding is that the Barracudas in warm tropical reef waters are the ones affected, and that colder water cudas should be all good.....better double check/research though to make sure!!!

Sincerely,

Jim

No ciguatera toxicity for Pacific barracuda (the kind you guys caught).  Eat up

i've always wanted to catch one of those. Do they put up a pretty good fight?

Baracuda's are such a blast to catch. Lightning fast and they hit hard. Best on top water. Zara Spooks are the way to go. I was in Cancun and fished the mangroves swamp's must have caught 60 of them plus Snook, Snappers, Bonefish lots of others, even a Puffer fish. We used a guide Carlos Vega. Great trip. If you find your self in Cancun its a must do.

i've always wanted to catch one of those. Do they put up a pretty good fight?

I got mine so shallow that it didn't take me long to bring it up.  It didn't have much pulling power like a salmon.  Still, it was fun because it likes to trash around on the way up.

No ciguatera toxicity for Pacific barracuda (the kind you guys caught).  Eat up

Thanks for the info.  We ate it up and it was great!  Of course, I was the one that taste it first just in case.  Got to catch me some more.  Is there a limit on cudas?

No known cig in cold water--supposedly limited to the tropics within a 30 degree band around the equator.

That stuff is very bad news, the symptoms can last a long time.

Barracuda definitley carry it in the areas known for having it.

Before the test came out guys used to feed a piece of fish to a cat.

how far north do those cudas go? you guys down south catch them close to shore? i'm in humboldt

I don't think cudas are commonly found much North of Santa Barbara, but I wouldn't hesitate to eat California fish if I was hungry. The larger Great Barracuda found in more tropical waters like Belize may be a problem. I understand there's a definitive test for Ciguatera one can administer, but the sport fishermen seem to release them, just to be safe. They're edible, but you can generally find better table fish than Barries.

Good luck