Barracudas and more

After a morning of red-hot patch reef action my anglers asked me if there was any chance of using some light tackle to catch Barracuda. I said there was but first we needed to catch some live Ballyhoo which are choice baits. The bait was harder to catch than the Cudas. Castnet would not work so we hairhooked each ballyhoo till we had a few dozen.

Fox Sport Fishing Trek rods were bowed up
all afternoon on Barracudas

I rigged Permit Trek and Bonefish Trek rods up for Don Burchell and Arthur Kargen. After the first fish we switched to the Bonefish Trek and Diablo 350 combo. The boys loved how light the rods are and the long rod butts. The drags were sizzling for the next 2 hours as we released at least a dozen of the toothy critters and missed a bunch more. Big action. Lots of spectacular leaps as well. After running out of ballyhoo I put a live blue runner on for bait. Don caught a really big cuda pushing 30 lbs.

double of Barracuda on the light tackle

Arthur Kargen and Don Burchell
caught Barracuda up to 25lbs

Arthur Kargen loved using the
Bonefish Trek Diablo 350 combo Cuda fishing

he wants a piece of me

Arthur with a ultra light tackle Cero Mackerel

Don Mack exclaimed  these Barracudas
fight way harder than freshwater Pike and Musky

Don Mack loved using light tackle
Bonefish Trek rods and Diablo spinning reels

On the way in on a hunch we drifted over a patch reef rigged up with jig heads and live shrimp. We saw tails sticking out of the water and soon a whole school of Permit started cruising by. Arthur made a cast and hooked one and after a 15 minute battle landed his first ever Permit. We were able to relocate the school and Don landed his first ever Permit as well. Quite the sight to see a school of more than a hundred Permits swimming by in slick calm conditions.

Arthur had always wanted to catch a Permit and made the perfect cast

Don Burchell with his first Permit.
He caught it on a Bonefish Trek rod and Diablo 350 spin reel

The next day Arthur was back with another friend Don Mack. He asked if we could do the same as yesterday. It was a calm morning but the wind freshened during the day. Plenty of action on the patch reefs with Mutton Snapper Hogfish and Porgies and small Sharks. Ballyhoo were easier today. And the Barracuda action was outstanding once again. Don Mack could not get over how hard they fought. He has caught loads of freshwater Pike and Muskellunge and said the cudas are a lot stronger fight. We used the 4 piece Bonefish Trek travel rods fitted with Diablo 350 spinning reels for all of our fishing.

Spanish Hogfish on the patch reefs today

Don actually watched this Red Grouper eat his bait.
The 4 piece Bonefish Trek rod & Diablo spinning reel is a tough combo

Later we went and had a look for the Permit school but not a one was to be found. 

Captain Skip Nielsen