This 400-pound swordfish was caught in the daytime off Florida in 1800 feet of water.Ī few trips swordfishing out of Miami have convinced me that this theory about swordfish movements in the water column is valid. Swordfish follow squid migrations deep in the daytime and rise higher in the water at night. The swordfish follow the squid to the sea floor and only return to the surface to warm themselves. During the daytime, the squid head right for the bottom seeking depths of 1600 to 1800 feet in the Gulf Stream. The swordfish follow the squid as they move up in the water column and spread out onto the shelf. They feed primarily on squid, which during the night scatter throughout the water column. Richard Stanczyk discovered less than a decade ago that during the daytime, swordfish, at least off southern Florida, spend most of their time in deep water. While each one’s technique varies somewhat, the fundamentals are similar.įirst we will discuss depth. Boyle, and a host of other top fishermen. I have had the pleasure to pick the brains of many famous swordfishermen, including the likes of Linda Greenlaw, the long-line captain, Dean Panos, Ray Rosher, R.J. The more of these components you can put together, the greater your chances are at a bite. Keep in mind, however, that “structure” does not just refer to physical structure, but also includes temperature breaks and gradients, current direction and speed as well as depth. I have become a swordfish specialist by devoting my nights offshore to hooking these purple-colored billfish, and it has paid off with more than a dozen swords boated in my Hydra-Sports center console, TunanuT, over the past six seasons. For the captains that specialize in targeting these fish, a good night usually involves one bite, and they expect to land a swordfish every three or four trips. To do this takes patience, planning and persistence. A few captains, however, exclusively target swords at nighttime in the canyons, passing up the chance for any other species. To “target” swords, many captains are content to set a squid bait deep while chunking for tuna, and some of them do happen across a swordfish once in a while. Overfishing took care of that – but conservation efforts have allowed the broadbill population to rebound, enough to make it worthwhile to target the species while overnighting in the canyons.
#PERSON GETS CAUGHT IN A WATER DRIFT FULL#
Years ago, spotting swordfish on the surface, warming up in the sun’s rays to help digest their belly full of squid, was common. Prized for their fighting ability and delicious steaks, swordfish remain an enigma to most offshore fishermen. Swimming deep in the offshore waters of the Northeast is a fish that relatively few anglers have had the pleasure of tangling with. A broadbill swordfish, like this one caught by the author and estimated at close to 300 pounds, is a true trophy of the Canyons.
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