Where are you going? I gather heddon super spooks are ok and anything with a red head... Think you may need a supply as i gather they play hard

 

Howbe all.
I'll be hoping to get into these while on hols later in the year, & i've been picking the brains of our cousins over the water.
They tell me BIG lures, with chartreuse being the preferred colour, & by big, they mean lures of about 7." +
I've been scouring the internet for suitable lures, but although i'm finding a few of this length, they are not "through wired" & all i can seem to find is the wooden versions from the States, like the Creek Chub poppers etc, but not many jerkbait lures as we normally use here (but bigger).
I've looked at Mommotti 180mm's, Weslab Macua 165's & Yokozuma Montero 200mm's, but it seems that none are "through wired."
I imagine with the length of these lures, the Barracuda might just snap them to bits ?
Anyone got any ideas/suggestions ?
I'll be taking metal spinners with me, but i'd love to land one on a lure tbh.

Drop Fishyrob a message, he`s in Fuerteventura as we speak catching plenty Barracuda..

He posts everyday while out there on facebook..https://www.facebook.com/robin.howard.7334

 

Barracuda will nail pretty much anything.
Cannot recall whether I used through wired, but they were just normal Rapala type diving lures?
They love needlefish lures, so maybe a pencil type? Xorus Sphynx Saba/unagi chigyo?
And vibrating. Zonk?
And a shallow and medium diver, preferably suspending.
A Halco Twisty type Dexter metal.

They attack like pike, so cast to structure and pull past steadily inviting ambush. At different depths, often deeper.
Or simulate wounded - ripped vibrating lure, or surface.

Good luck

 

I have only caught a few barracuda but my understanding is you want a lure that works with a fast retrieve and is shiny. I have had more big barracuda just following my lure than I have had take the lure. I'm going back to the Caribbean in early June so I look forward to watching this thread.

 

Howbe all.
I'll be hoping to get into these while on hols later in the year, & i've been picking the brains of our cousins over the water.
They tell me BIG lures, with chartreuse being the preferred colour, & by big, they mean lures of about 7." +
I've been scouring the internet for suitable lures, but although i'm finding a few of this length, they are not "through wired" & all i can seem to find is the wooden versions from the States, like the Creek Chub poppers etc, but not many jerkbait lures as we normally use here (but bigger).
I've looked at Mommotti 180mm's, Weslab Macua 165's & Yokozuma Montero 200mm's, but it seems that none are "through wired."
I imagine with the length of these lures, the Barracuda might just snap them to bits ?
Anyone got any ideas/suggestions ?
I'll be taking metal spinners with me, but i'd love to land one on a lure tbh.

I've caught quite a few in my time and personally I wouldn't waste money on plastic lures. The ones that really catch are the needle fish lures made from surgical tubing with a swivel at one end, a wire trace core and a treble at the other. Most fishing tackle shops in the Florida Keys sell them.

You just whack them out, well beyond any cuda you can see, then hold the rod up high and reel like hell. A cuda will come along way for a lure fished thus.

 

Yep, agree with ChrisE and his recommendation on Tube lures fast across the surface.

 

The best I've found are anything pink or yellowy green. My personal favourites would be a storm deep thunder in pink and yellow or a rapala cd18 or cd22 in green mackerel.
Both these less are through wired and I've had barracuda to 40lb on both of these. In fact I've spent the last couple of days picking teeth out of a cd22 and sanding it down and recoating ready for my next trip

 

Awesome response fella's, thanks.......but dont stop !! Input.... I need input (guess the film ).
Sorry, i didnt mention, but i'm off to Aruba (north of Venezuela) for the first two weeks of October.
Out on the boats, i've been told to expect Sailfish, Tuna & Mahi Mahi (Dorado)....in my dreams.
After reading all your comments, my head hurts !! I'm thinking "why do i need to buy loads of new lures, & then fork out changing all the hooks on them ??
I fancy making some tube lures, i know u've mentioned them, but can anyone give me an idea of :::
What diameter tubing is needed ?
How long ?
What size hook ?
B/S of wire ?
& i watched a Greek guy on Utube making a popper, it looks easy (i'll **** it up no doubt), but i fancy having a go at making one or two ?
Anyway, i put together a few lures i'll probably be taking with me, i bet they'll all work, but i'm just not happy with the colours.
These are a few poppers (my bigger ones).

& a few random lures. I've got Feed Shallows Zonks, etc, but i keep asking myself "why should i take these" ?

 

Storm deep thunders will have good enough hooks. If you need some larger poppers them go for tsunamis. Cheap and bulletproof. Williamson jet poppers as well. No eyes and hardly any colour but always the first popper out of the box

 

 

Rippers they are called....

 

try live baiting under a float

and or halco twisties

 

and a wire tipet or 80ib mono

 

keep it simple and strong .good advice from Chrise and JasonH..
pencle baits will catch most any thing over there.

u can leave that selection in the second pick with me..

 

http://www.amazon.com/Hookup-20-001-Barracuda-Green-Finish/dp/B001445LN2

Here's an Amazon listing for the lures.

In terms of making them, you'll be looking for tubing about 3/8" thick, the sort that catapults are made of. Cut it into 6" lengths then thread the wire trace through, personally I'd use 100lb, then crimp the swival and a 2/0 treble. Oh, I forgot you want to put a ball or barrel weight threaded behind the swival in front of the tube, with an ounce weight you can whack the lure out a fair old way. I've caught fish on plain (rubber coloured) tubes as well as chartreuse and pink.

Personally, I believe that it is much more about keeping the lure moving really fast across the surface to make a good wake rather than colour. Cudas are unbeleivably quick in intercepting a lure, so you can't reel too fast.

Best of luck with your trip.

 

I've never used the tubes so can't comment on them but they look like they should work. Barracuda will hit most things though and they seem to take the greatest pleasure in annihilating your most expensive poppers

Item number 221711080825 on Ebay has 2 CD-18s in Green Mackerel and Blue Mackerel currently at £15 incl postage, they're the ones with the metal diving vanes as well so easier to fine tune if they get hit hard

 

Just to wet your appetite fish fumbler hope the link work's It's from a post I put up On Greece

hi barry if the link dont work i'll post where it is
http://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/threads/top-top-water-video.3279164/

 

Mahi are, I think, my favourite fish. Eating and catching. Just wonderful on lighter gear. And, nothing prepares you for the colour of them straight out the water. God's gift to anglers.

Re. Barracuda - mentioned this on HG's blog, but will repeat here, as I found ghoulishly fascinating.
First time I went to Mauritius, stayed in hotel in SW corner. Week before a girl had gone swimming from the beach after dinner and was very nearly decapitated by a barracuda. She literally clung on to life and her head by a shred. She had been wearing earrings.
If you get a chance to see a live bait after it has been hit by a big one you will get an idea the state she must have been in.

Lesson you can take from that is to be very, very, very careful around their front ends!

 

Will be careful to take my prince albert out whe are in CUBA next week then... Sun and a bit of fishing (not taking much. One rod one reel a few lures, hooks bubble fliats and the wife...

 

They love poppers, fished hard and fast, Yozuri Hydro's, Red heads, they are killing machines and as Lips
Lipslicker said treat them with respect even the little ones have some serious hardware !

Even better fun on a fly rod however in 2ft of water, very underrated sporting fish, they are unbelievably quick, see them 20ft behind your fly then it's like they disappear and the next thing you know the reels screaming, line is going out in front of you but the fish is going airborn 50yards to the side of you ?

 

European yellow mouths... Only one lure you really need. Never fished for Greater Barracuda, which is what you will have out there, but I suspect they wont turn their nose up at the SG Sandeel either....

 

Thanks lads, plenty of food for thought here now.
Who'd believe they got Barracuda in greece, along with Amberjack, etc !!
I'm on a mission to make a few tube lures atm, & i've ordered a thinner diameter tubing to run through the middle of them, its luminous, just thought i'd give it a go.
I'm just wondering about the egg sinker inserts, & how heavy i should make them.
I imagine 1-1.5 oz will be plenty ?
Stunning pics there fella's, those teeth are something else !!
I bet its an awesome scrap on a fly rod though, i've got two, but never got round to learning how to use them yet.
One's a 10# & the other's a 5-7#.
Pity, they've got Bonefish there as well, & theyre supposed to be incredible on the fly.
Snook is another fish they have there, big ones to apparently, but i havent looked to much into that yet.
Fair play to your missus fishyrob, she looks pretty relaxed holding that, my missus wouldnt even think to do that, even if i begged her !!!
Got to sort out the fishing line as well.
I've got 30lb braid, now i need 50lb (for the boat), & probs 10lb mono, maybe i cold pick up a Bonefish, Ladyfish or a Mojarra, oh, & some fluoro leader.
There's loads i want to take, but its know i'm going to get a rude awakening when it comes to weighing the cases, but i'm going to get on to them about taking my rods as "sports gear" & ram what lures, etc in the tube with them.
I was thinking to take an 8ft rod tube with me again, but its a bit of a pain tbh.
Can anyone recommend somewhere to get replacement trebles for my lures, i havent looked yet.
Thanks again guy's, your awesome, sorry i havent replied to you all, but you've all been a big help, & no doubt i will at some point.
Oh, i almost forgot....
fishyrob, could you tell me what weight jigheads you used on those sandeels please m8, & while i've been chatting with a few Americans about what they like to use, theyre raving about 9" sluggo's at the mo, similar to the sandeels no doubt.

 

yellow mouth or ,as i know them ''pick handle cuta'' smelly buggers.

 

Seems bizarre to target the things! Have always thought of them as stinky lure stealing by catch. Though I did get one good one which gave a decent scrap. Absolutely destroyed the skirt on a brand new trolling lure though :-( but you can see why when you see the teeth.

They don't seem to be fussy on lures. I often get them on large GT poppers and sticks. But in my experience they seem most keen on anything that's small enough for them to be able to engulf and bite you off. Particularly if it's expensive!

 

Getting a deep hooked back treble out is no laughing matter, that is for sure.

 

If you're stuck I can supply you with everything you need to make up the tube lures