Discover The Largest Barracuda Ever Caught In Florida

Barracudas are sometimes called tigers of the sea because of their razor-sharp teeth. Barracudas are considered apex predators, as they are at the top of the food chain in their marine ecosystems and have few natural predators. Over 20 separate species of barracudas are widely distributed throughout tropical and subtropical oceans across the globe. Two species of barracuda are present in the waters surrounding Florida: the Southern Sennet (Sphyraena picudilla) and the great barracuda (S. barracuda), which is the largest barracuda species. Continue reading to discover the largest barracuda ever caught in Florida and who reeled it in.

The Largest Barracuda Ever Caught In Florida

The largest barracuda ever caught in Florida was a great barracuda.

Captain Nick LaBadie holds the record for the longest great barracuda in Florida. LaBadie caught the record-breaking 59-inch fish while fly-fishing. He was fishing off Key West, Florida, on January 31, 2025, and used a needlefish fly to hook the fish.

Harold K. Goodstone holds the record for the heaviest great barracuda caught in Florida. Goodstone caught his record-making fish on January 29, 1949, near Islamorada, in the Florida Keys. There’s not much information about how he caught it or what tackle he used, but it was a rod-bending fight, as the fish weighed a whopping 67 pounds!

The official world record for the largest barracuda is 85 pounds (38.6 kg), caught off Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean in 2002, according to Guinness World Records.

What do Barracudas Eat?

Though they differ in appearance, one trait all species of barracuda share is their voracious appetites.

Barracudas are opportunistic carnivores that eat a variety of fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods. They are voracious predators that hunt using speed and ambush tactics, capable of eating prey as large as themselves by using their powerful jaws and sharp teeth to bite them in half. Their exact diet varies based on size, with smaller barracudas eating smaller prey like anchovies and larger ones consuming species like groupers and snappers.

Female barracuda can live for up to 14 years, while males top out at 11 years. The oldest barracuda on record is a female great barracuda that was estimated to be 18 years old.

Appearance

Barracudas have long, slender, torpedo-shaped bodies with a pointed head, powerful jaws, and numerous sharp, fang-like teeth. Their color is generally silvery or grayish-blue on top, fading to white on the belly. They often have dark spots or bars along their sides. Other key features include two separate dorsal fins, a forked tail fin, and fins that are set low on their sides. 

Their teeth are a defining characteristic. They are large, fang-shaped, and arranged in rows in their upper and lower jaws. Barracudas use their teeth to immobilize and consume their prey. They are polyodonts, meaning they continuously replace their teeth throughout their lives.

Where To Find Barracuda In Florida

Juvenile predatory barracuda hunt small baitfish such as snapper, grunts, mullet, and bream in shallow water flats near seagrass beds, mangroves, and coral reefs. Larger adults hunt in the open ocean down to 135 feet.

Barracuda usually hunt alone, but when prey is plentiful, they will congregate and cause a commotion.

They are clever fish, taking hooked fish from a line. Adult barracuda will also herd a school of baitfish, guarding them until they’re ready to eat again.

Great barracudas are plentiful around Florida. They are found in the waters around Miami, Miami Beach, Biscayne Bay, Everglades National Park, and the Florida Keys. These spots regularly have great barracuda that measure between one and three feet.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has imposed regulations on harvesting barracuda, so most barracuda hunting boat trips consider them a catch-and-release species.

Barracuda between 15 and 36 inches fork length may be harvested, with only one fish greater than 36 inches allowed per person or vessel per day. Barracuda under 15 inches must be released.

The limits apply to six Southern Florida counties:

• Collier
• Monroe
• Miami-Dade
• Broward
• Palm Beach  
• Martin

The limits are in place because the number of barracuda around Florida is decreasing. However, globally, the great barracuda’s conservation status is listed as least concern according to the IUCN, because its populations are stable and it has a wide geographic range.