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Barracuda World Record: Angler Eats Fish, Loses Chance At Record

By Dustin Wicksell
Published on: 05:05 PST, Apr 26, 2015

An unknowing angler may have caught a world record barracuda recently, yet the unfortunate fish was prepared and served as a meal before the proper measurements could be taken.

Dennis Tilden reeled in the massive barracuda while fishing at the Crocodile Bay Resort on the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica, according to Grind TV. Coordinating the activities of fellow anglers who were attending the resort for a Boston Whaler tournament, Tilden nevertheless found time to get out on the water himself and connected with a giant Mexican barracuda, which weighed 32 pounds. As he brought the fish aboard, the boat’s captain remarked that he had never seen a Mexican barracuda so large. After the fish was briefly weighed, its head was removed and given to the captain to take home for soup, while Tilden kept the rest.

Later, after the fish had been filleted and the resort’s chef was busy preparing it as a ceviche, Tilden remembered the captain’s comment, according to Crocodile Bay’s blog. A quick check of the International Game Fish Association record book found the largest Mexican barracuda ever caught listed as a 28-pound, six-ounce specimen reeled in off Panama in 2010. At 32 pounds, Tilden’s barracuda easily beat the record, but a proper, certified weight had not been obtained. Measurements and other necessary details had also not been collected, negating any chance Tilden had of claiming the world record with his unusually large fish.

According to Todd Staley, fishing director for the resort, Tilden’s decision to prepare the fish so quickly had much to do with the fact that few barracuda can be safely eaten.

“You may be thinking to yourself that this is a dangerous proposition since some Atlantic barracuda are known to contain high levels of the toxin ciguatera they ingest when consuming certain coral reef animals. Pacific barracuda however is considered safe for consumption so Dennis decided this record breaking fish should be eaten immediately instead of filling out all of the paperwork.”

Last year, a barracuda attack nearly claimed the life of a Florida teen. As the Inquisitr previously reported, researchers compared the barracuda to a shark, noting that they can be equally dangerous when brought aboard a boat.

Tilden had little choice but to chalk his missed world record up as a learning experience, yet he topped his barracuda catch with the release of a 350 lb. blue marlin the following day.

[Image via Crocodile Bay Resort]

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