Southern California Swordfish! Possible?

Gino The Bass · Mar-31-2009, 07:45 PM

I have heard that swordfish can be caught off Southern California Coast. I already know many ideas on where to fish for them. And how to catch them.

I'm wondering if targeting these species is worth the time? And is thier anyone here who acually goes looking for them here in Southern Cal.?

Stanley · Mar-31-2009, 07:47 PM

2 years ago, 9 miles off La Jolla Canyon. Look for the scouter planes.

BTW: I get my swordfish from Stater Bros.

el capo · Mar-31-2009, 07:58 PM

Depends on how much it means to you to catch one.It is the ultimate but not until you lose at least 5 or 6,after that purple fever will drive you crazy and to the poor house at the same time.

ConSeaMate · Mar-31-2009, 08:14 PM

I've tried a couple times......those things are BIG!.........

**MikeyLikesIt** · Mar-31-2009, 08:25 PM

I have read several times in the popular mags that yes, right here off San Diego, you can catch one......or seven. Special gear and unorthodox methods.

Im not even interested.........you have to be wet, cold, and tired.

Shaka760 · Mar-31-2009, 08:39 PM

It can be very fun to try and bait a "sleeper" but 98% of the time will be in vain, the other 2%, well's hang on and be prepared for heartbreak!!!

af dreamer · Mar-31-2009, 08:46 PM

I have fished the marlin a swordys for 30 plus years,have been lucky enough to put 3 on the boat,lost way too many and casted on more than I can count.I remember one year when we baited more than 20 fish without a bite.They are the ultimate fish on our coast IMHO,Tom

el capo · Mar-31-2009, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by af dreamer

I have fished the marlin a swordys for 30 plus years,have been lucky enough to put 3 on the boat,lost way too many and casted on more than I can count.I remember one year when we baited more than 20 fish without a bite.They are the ultimate fish on our coast IMHO,Tom

Same percentage here,same results as well.

Rubberhook2 · Mar-31-2009, 08:59 PM

Yes, it can be done. I use to target marlin alot when I was a member of the Dana Angling Club when I was younger and we fished alot of the tournaments. You spend enough time in the binos looking for tailing marlin you are bound to run into a two finner. We would lob live macks to them and when they lit up that irradescent purple at the sight of the bait it was game on.

One particular summer the fish were really with it and I hooked 6 to land one 174lb fish. I got that fish on 50lb in 30 minutes because it really never knew it was hooked and came back up finning after ther hookset. As I pulled the fish would just shake it's head back and forth and keep swimming. We pulled up on it and stuck it with two 6 inch flying gaffs and all hell broke loose. Thankfully we had got a tail rope on it as it ripped out both gaffs when it lit up next to the boat.

This fish was caught on the 267 spot 7 miles off of Dana Point and I was 15 years old at the time. After we weighed the fish, as it was being transferred back to our swimstep the 1/4 inch line that the folks at the weighin dock used to loop the tail parted as the fish was over the water and the fish sank in the harbor right in front of the Harbor Patrol office and was gone. After three divers searched for the swordie for an hour to no avail a commercial swordfisherman came down with his harpoon and stuck the fish, from the dock, on the second throw to recover the fish but that is a whole different story.

Here is a pic of my first and only locally caught swordfish. You can see where the gaff ripped out of it's shoulder.

Yeah, it can be done under the right circumstances...

af dreamer · Mar-31-2009, 09:10 PM

1978?

**Jason** · Mar-31-2009, 09:11 PM

Pacific Coast Sportfishing had a seminar on Swordfishing off our coast. Have not tried yet. But have seen 3, baited 2, hooked 1. Landed zero. Right off the 182 5 years ago.

FD has Todd Mansur (ex commercial swordie fisherman) from Team Okuma and the vessel The Boardroom with us this year. We will be reporting best times, current and SST for swordfishing based off of Mansur's knowldege and info.
Because it's such a hard fishery to tap in to with rod/reel I will make sure to put some up on this forum for all to see.

BiggestT · Mar-31-2009, 09:31 PM

IMO your best odds will be trolling specially rigged squids at night off the downrigger, 3 knots at 60' to 70'. Use this method in an area known to be holding a quantity of swords during the day based on stick boat success as you can't cover much water at 3 knots.

Second choice would be rigged lures on the surface at 7 knots using Transformers behind El Capo lures:

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When on the surface, you need the speed to reduce unwanted makos chompin on the lures. When on the downrigger, you need to be below 40' to reduce unwanted makos chompin on the rigged squid. Just speaking from experience. No swordfish yet, but believe I'm getting closer.