Atlantic Cutlassfish fishing in Florida

The Atlantic cutlassfish, usually called ribbonfish, is a long, silver, eel-shaped predator that shows up around Florida piers, inlets and passes mostly in the cooler months, especially on the Atlantic side. Few anglers target them for the table, but they are prized as king mackerel bait and they will hit almost anything shiny under the pier lights after dark. Look for them hanging in the lit water off the end of a pier or in deeper passes on calm nights. A small silver spoon or a jighead with a strip of cut bait, worked slowly through the light, catches them; a live shrimp under a slip float works too. Use 15 to 20 lb line with a short length of light wire or heavy mono because their teeth slice through leaders. Handle them with care: the fang-like teeth are needle sharp, so grip behind the head with a rag or use pliers and never put fingers near the mouth. Keep one frozen whole if you fish for kingfish, and check current FWC rules before keeping any.