Long Range Swordfish?

offshore6 · Nov-04-2009, 01:57 PM

Anyone ever heard of Swordfish being caught on a long-range trip? Two years ago, I tried the "Florida Method" of fishing at night, with a cyalume stick, if deep water (we were anchored in 600 fet but on the edge of the drop at the Lower Banks) and the humbolt squid would not let me soak a bait longer than a few minutes. I would be interested in knowing if swords are a possibility.

I'll be back down there in January.

Thanks and Tight Lines!

JJONES660 · Nov-04-2009, 02:15 PM

yes it is possible but rare...we tryed a few times to actually catch the giant squids under the light and then drop them real real deep when at sea anchor...caught a nice bluefin one time but no luck on the swordies...I was one of the few crew who actually totally digged playing under the lights at night instead of getting much needed rest...guess it was such a great adventure why miss out?

...

My one advice though would be to make sure at least one crew member is up at watch if you attempt it in case your ass gets yanked in

Rubberhook2 · Nov-04-2009, 02:32 PM

It has been done. Dennis Braid several years ago got a 300+ pounder at night on the Excel. From the way it was explained to me by the crew, a crewman actually hooked the fish on his own rod and Dennis walked up and, um, kind of demanded the rod.

JJONES660 · Nov-04-2009, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rubberhook2

It has been done. Dennis Braid several years ago got a 300+ pounder at night on the Excel. From the way it was explained to me by the crew, a crewman actually hooked the fish on his own rod and Dennis walked up and, um, kind of demanded the rod.

...that sucks...Bet his back was a bit soarer than the crew guys the next day...

...Ive personally only seen one sword hooked. when I was young a spotter plane let us know there was one a few hundred yards from my boat and he had no stickboats even close to making it so he guided us in and it hit a marlin jig...wierd i must say to have one up in the jigs but nevertheless the guy running our boat that day believed in feather lite drags for some crazy reason..maybe to try and drop a fresh mack back on a short bite...anyways the swordie proceded to explode a 50w into a backlash and sword goodbye...still wonder how big that thing was...

slydawg · Nov-04-2009, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rubberhook2

It has been done. Dennis Braid several years ago got a 300+ pounder at night on the Excel. From the way it was explained to me by the crew, a crewman actually hooked the fish on his own rod and Dennis walked up and, um, kind of demanded the rod.

He has GRABBED more than 1 rod hooked to a swordy..... I know of 2. Talk to Pat Cavanaugh.

Donkey.

Outthouse · Nov-04-2009, 03:24 PM

I saw one last year on the Exel. It was quietly sunning itself on the surface late one afternoon on dead flat calm seas. We also dropped squid one night late but no takers.

eightmd · Nov-04-2009, 05:32 PM

I thought all the long range boats said they will not take bill fish. I was wondering if this applied to swords also (since they are much better for the table than any other bill fish). Would they bring them home, despite that "no bill fish" rule/guideline?

Rubberhook2 · Nov-04-2009, 05:47 PM

One of the long range boats I fish actually carried a lilly iron and dart to harpoon them. The deal was which ever crewman spotted the finning sword got to throw.

On the way up from Cabo after dropping passengers off the crew spotted a tanker of a sword finning high and dry on the lower banks. I watched from the deck outside the wheelhouse as the crewman climbed atop the bow rail and readied the harpoon as we approached. The fish spooked and the shot was missed, but I watched a lit up sword in the 400+ class come down the starboard side of the boat.

JJONES660 · Nov-04-2009, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eightmd

I thought all the long range boats said they will not take bill fish. I was wondering if this applied to swords also (since they are much better for the table than any other bill fish). Would they bring them home, despite that "no bill fish" rule/guideline?

every boat has there own rules...usually for a sword an exception could be made...most definately dont want to bring sea carp aboard

back in the day my dad brought home 4 stripers on the qualifier. I know we had a no mako policy on the spirit in 99'...guess the thought of a 200lb shark rampaging irked the skipper a bit

cycader · Nov-04-2009, 06:33 PM

I hooked a swordfish in 1996 on a 3 day aboard SeaAdventure. We were outmatched, I was fishing shark at night with a senator 6/0 60lb line when I hooked the fish on a skippy slab with a smiley face cut into it. Sword came to the boat like a blue shark, in 10 minutes time. The image is clear in my head, sword came out of the water and then the eye. We all screamed gaff. Fish turned dove and turned into a total bad ass, kicked our asses for 5 hours. If we had a flying gaff we would have killed it 2 different times as we had stuck it with 2 gaffs and one ripped out and the other broke. We were totally unprepared for the fish.

tighthead_lock · Nov-04-2009, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rubberhook2

One of the long range boats I fish actually carried a lilly iron and dart to harpoon them. The deal was which ever crewman spotted the finning sword got to throw.

On the way up from Cabo after dropping passengers off the crew spotted a tanker of a sword finning high and dry on the lower banks. I watched from the deck outside the wheelhouse as the crewman climbed atop the bow rail and readied the harpoon as we approached. The fish spooked and the shot was missed, but I watched a lit up sword in the 400+ class come down the starboard side of the boat.

Sounds familiar, I've seen that operation do almost the same thing except it was june and just outside of the coronados on the way down the line for a 7 day.

marlyn · Nov-04-2009, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cycader

I hooked a swordfish in 1996 on a 3 day aboard SeaAdventure. We were outmatched, I was fishing shark at night with a senator 6/0 60lb line when I hooked the fish on a skippy slab with a smiley face cut into it. Sword came to the boat like a blue shark, in 10 minutes time. The image is clear in my head, sword came out of the water and then the eye. We all screamed gaff. Fish turned dove and turned into a total bad ass, kicked our asses for 5 hours. If we had a flying gaff we would have killed it 2 different times as we had stuck it with 2 gaffs and one ripped out and the other broke. We were totally unprepared for the fish.

Ahh,the famous swordfish stinkeye...