[JMetaxas]

I've heard it suggested that we should be able to catch daytime Swords just like they do in FLA.

Do any of you know anyone who has tried it? If not, what are your thoughts?

 

[06405]

Down south people average over 3 swords a night and up in the NE charter boats that fish every day weather is permitting they will average 3 swords a season in the canyons. But up in the NE canyons many people do not put there time into sword fishing the average person will put out 1 sword rod out at night. But if you strictly target swords up here i would think that the catch ratio will increase significantly. As for daytime sword fishing you can defiantly be successful at it if you put your time and patients into it. If you figure out the patterns of the fish and where they are feeding during the day time you will succeed. My guest is they will be where the tuna are feeding usually along the flats where the bait is bunched up.

I will be putting much time into fishing for them during the day and at night in 08 any body wants to give it a shoot let me know.

Hey you don't know until you give it a shoot.


Blake Conlin
tightlinzzzzzzz

 

[asiegel]

I'm going to guess that in the day they are out further, in 300+ fathoms. We got two nice ones last year at night, one came on a double header, both times we were on the cold side in 1500 feet of water. Blake, you need a spell checker

 

[06405]

asiegel

sorry for that i was typing a little fast i could fix the word for you if you really have a problem with it????? shot

This post edited by 06405 11:17 PM 02/03/2008

 

[lowlands]

I've seen them sunning themselves on the surface during the day, but couldn't get them to take a bait. They would invariably just sound and disappear.

 

[Bigtuna225]

Thats where the pitch bait mackerel comes in. Get that meat out there. I think that there is differently a day time fishery. I was talking to a squid boat captian that said he ruined two nets this year to swords getting dragged in the nets during the day time. they are there, but the location needs to be identified further. The Florida guys know where they are, due to tagging, something we don't know.

 

[carlynewlondon]

That could make for an interesting early season trip. Daytime tiles and swords, night time swrords and sharks.

Wonder what the minimum water temps would be to make a trip like that sucsessful. Could we target below temps we would consider going for tuna?

 

[MakoMike]

You guys do realize that back in the day, when swordies were plentiful around here, no one could catch them during the day, even though they tried. Most of the fish taken during the day, even back then, fell for the lilly iron. Even in FL, it depends where you are fishing, lots of places don't catch them during the day but do well on them at night.

 

[Marc77]

In Florida, they catch swordfish during the day by drifting squid baits on the bottom in the Gulf Stream current. They drift in deep water that is about 1500' deep. It is the same area where they drift at night. At night, they drift their baits from the surface to about 350' down (same depth that we catch them at night). During the day, the fish are on the bottom. They do not catch them in the upper levels of the water column during the day.

The problem with this type of deep drifting is that it is difficult to keep the baits 1500' down close to the bottom. For this daytime drifting, they all use thin braid line and most of them use electric reels.

The nice thing about daytime swordfishing is that a larger percentage of the fish caught are bigger fish. Many of the largest fish they catch are caught during the day. The theory is that large swordfish are predominantly bottom feeders and will eat a properly presented bait during the day. There is no light 1500' feet down and it probably does not make any difference at what time you fish there. At night, the smaller swordfish follow the food chain up the water column.

The question is whether the swordfish that we catch in our canyons at night in 500' to 600' of water are on the bottom during the day in the same area or whether they move out over the edge and swim on the bottom of the deep water?

 

[JMetaxas]

I recently visited a bait and tackle shop in Lighthouse Pt, FLA called Custom Rod and Reel. This place was a Swordfishing mecca with tons of gear, like electric reels, all kinds of deep drop weight, various UW lights, etc etc..

I spoke to the owner, Tom Greene, who seemed to be one of the most knowledgeable guys on the planet about this type of fishing. He believes the Swords down in FLA are the same as those up by us.

As Marc mentioned, they hang deep during the day in water 1500+ feet and feed on bottom bait, like squid, crustaceans, etc etc... The ones they do catch are generally very large.

With braided line, electric reels and deep drop weights, this type of fishing has become fairly common. In fact he just invented a device that attaches to an electric drill that hooks up to your large Penn or Shimano 80W so you can check your bait very quickly. Cranking it by hand seems nearly impossible after a few times.

 

[FishWisher]

FL day swordfishing is not sport fishing by any stretch of imagination. A friend of mine sent me a couple of pictures from his last trip two days ago. The fish they boated taped out at 560+lb. They did four drops in 1800' and hooked up within 5 minutes of hitting the bottom every time. The second fish was much, much larger than the one they killed, it broke the 200lb wind on. The other two fish were in the same class, and both managed to pull the hook, which is not surprising, considering that the gear used is a braid filled Penn 130 with Lindgren-Pittman electric drive, unlimited bent butt rod, and 40lb of drag with full spool of line. As my buddy put it - "it's really not my thing". He feels that most of those big fish stay on the bottom pretty much the whole time, and don't rise up in the water column to follow the squid at night. There is no good way to reach out and touch them with conventional gear, and it's not just the depth - they also have 4kn of current running there.

This post edited by FishWisher 09:54 AM 02/05/2008

 

[645882]

Northeast swordfish tend to sun themselves on the surface, unlike florida (although it isnt uncommon there too). Hence why there is a harpoon fishery up here.

Im interested as well to see if it would be worth the effort anyways.

 

[asiegel]

This is starting to sound a lot like shark trolling. It should work, but nobody wants to burn up a day at the canyons trying to find out.

 

[NanbayFluker]

I think you guys have come up with an excellent idea, but just a little too late. The long lining being reopened in Florida may ruin the idea. Good luck to all who try it though.

 

[gmann]

FishWisher wrote:
FL day swordfishing is not sport fishing by any stretch of imagination. A friend of mine sent me a couple of pictures from his last trip two days ago. The fish they boated taped out at 560+lb. They did four drops in 1800' and hooked up within 5 minutes of hitting the bottom every time. The second fish was much, much larger than the one they killed, it broke the 200lb wind on. The other two fish were in the same class, and both managed to pull the hook, which is not surprising, considering that the gear used is a braid filled Penn 130 with Lindgren-Pittman electric drive, unlimited bent butt rod, and 40lb of drag with full spool of line. As my buddy put it - "it's really not my thing". He feels that most of those big fish stay on the bottom pretty much the whole time, and don't rise up in the water column to follow the squid at night. There is no good way to reach out and touch them with conventional gear, and it's not just the depth - they also have 4kn of current running there.

Not entirely true, there are plenty of captains that will give you the choice of dropping conventional or electric. I fish for swords down there about 4 times a year and the guy I go with is one of the best in the biz. Dean Panos. He has several over 500 with a 615 as well. He gives you the choice drop manual or electric. You are right about the fish, They are catching them at the 2,000 mark and generally get bit as soon as the reach bottom. You need to use a big dead bait that is properly rigged with a breakaway weight in the 10-15 lb range depending on the current. They are using 80w's with braid and a stiff rod with a a fast tip.

I just got back two months ago and I did the night trip as I couldn't get a day trip booked. I scored a 160 on the first set and also had another on but he broke free while i was fighting mine

 

[Bruno1]

Do swords migrate to the southern canyons or are they resident canyon fish. When your talking 1000'+ I don't think the water temps really ever change. I remember doing a dive on the USS Bass off Block and if memory serves me right that was 160' dive. The surface temps were 70ish in Aug. but the bottom temp was only low to no more than mid 40's.

 

[asiegel]

Don't quote me on this, but I think they need a warm upper layer of water to come up to for breaks. That is why they are seen sunning themselves in the daytime. But one look at those huge eyes tells you that they are deep feeders. Similar habits to the bigeye.

I think I may try deep dropping for them at night, based on what I'm reading about daytime fishing the big ones may be feeding down deeper 24-7.

Melton sells a tool that attaches to a drill for winding up fast on a regular reel.