Guinean Barracuda (Sphyraena afra)

Arguably the largest barracuda species in the world this is another species endemic to western Africa. They grow in excess of 45kgs (and 2m long) and during the dry season are regularly caught in the 20–35kg range. Numbers of large, gravid females spend the dry season months in the upper lagoon, while in the lower lagoon and surf there are barracuda year round. The easiest way to target ‘cuda is by trolling big plugs or large rigged fish baits such as mullet. In the surf and lower lagoon they are particularly prone to hitting surface lures, often jumping more than a meter clear of the surface on the strike.