2/21-23 - Miami SWordfishing

[backman]

Did a 3 day charter with L&H Sportfishing out of Key Biscayne with a couple friends.

We did a day/night sword trip on Sunday; Monday downgraded to sailfishing for 2 hr's in gale force winds and Tuesday was an all day sword trip.

In the 3 days we caught a ton of bait; 2 oil fish, 1 40 # mahi and 2 kingfish but I walked away satisfied; having learned a ton to convert into action.

We had 5 bites on deep drops in 1600' of water, and in the 12 hr's out there probably made 8 or 9 drops. Deep dropping isn't fun. Your using a commercial electric reel on a Penn 130 with a 10 pound lead stick for weight and 2 100' leader/bait combinations. Getting the baits down 1600' takes 8 minutes in 1600' and the boat is then constantly stemming the current to keep the line vertical and baits down. The strike zone is the bottom 200' so line is constantly being let out.

A bite is a bounce of the rod tip; then you hit a button on a insulated cable and up comes the rig. The elevator to the top takes 20 minutes with nothing on; if the reel stalls, you might have a swordfish or as I found you might have a denizen of the deep such as an oil fish. Hand reeling up for a pro is 45 minutes; the implication was clear that a sport such as I might be at it a lot longer. Thus the electric reel!

There is lots of discussion about a strike 1600' down and the decision to hit the button or wait is critical and also impossible. Turns out a good hookup ratio is 50% for them; 0 for 5 as we were is unusual, but not uncommon.

Jimmy David the captain was one of the pioneers of this fishery and was doing it for a while before it became popular adn well known. He told of trip after trip losing fish and gear before starting to first get bites, then get fish. Hang up a rig and its a 500$ gear loss.

Sunday night we moved in to 1200' at dusk and started to put out a 5 bait spread. The approach to set out a well spaced and broad quarter mile long, 400' deep spread was worth the price of the trip alone as was some of the rigging tricks. There will be no more night time spread messes on my boat as a result!

Highlight/low light was a strike on the long/shallow bait just after we got all 5 out. This bait was 120' down and 200 yards out. The rod went off well; the angler belted in, went to strike and the fish just kept on going, not really acting like it was hooked. The reel was an 80 with perhaps 1000 yards of line on it. the angler never touched the handle with the spool going half way down at a steady pace. At half he went past strike and the fish exploded taking off at an accelerating pace; angler pinned and helpless. Drag to full for the last 100 yards, line straight down to the 1500' bottom in a 3 knot current, boat backing hard at 10 knotss, water splashing over the transom as the captain tried to stay on the fish and at least give the angler a chance.

One of the mates locked the spool up with the knot showing and broke the fish off at the braid/mono splice. I've seen an 80 go to bare spool on a giant as has the angler. The captain who is a 30 year vet has never seen that before in as he says 1000 nights out there. What was it - who knows, but it was a show.

We also had another long bait, a 16" blue runner cut in half by what was a big sword based on the size of the bill mark. That was on for perhaps 2 minutes then came off.

Sailfishing in 34-39 knot winds and 6-8' seas ( Fowly Rocks buoy report, not my guestimate) was interesting. The captain pointed the big hatteras into the sea; bumped the boat constantly to stem the seas and the mate ran a 7 rod spread; 2 kites with 3 baits on each and a deep biat on 8 oz. weight. Just fishing in those conditions was insane; setting and tending a 7 rod spread was unreal.

Again, the lessons learned were more important than the fish caught; simply getting 2 kings in those conditions was an experience.

I won't be deep dropping for swords up north; the equipment requirement is too much for my small boat; I did however learn how to fish effectively 3-400' down which might just help light up some of my canyon nights this summer.

If your in to learning I heartily recommend a trip like this; booking a 3 day window with a big boat and going big/long for swords whenever the weather window lets you.

[oldmud]

Thanks Larry, sounds like you had a ball. Learning is fun when you think you can put some of that info. to use in a different fisheries.

[Sea Draggin]

Thanks for the great review of your trip.

Very enjoyable read. 3 straight days of fishing/combined with shorts and t shirts seems like unachieveable dream right now.

[amarshall]

One of the mates locked the spool up with the knot showing and broke the fish off at the braid/mono splice. I've seen an 80 go to bare spool on a giant as has the angler. The captain who is a 30 year vet has never seen that before in as he says 1000 nights out there. What was it - who knows, but it was a show.

Any ideas on what it might have been? Big shark...???

[backman]

no clue. The mate who also longlined said "Octomarker", ie 800# core swordfish or a grander.

He also told a story of a mud dart - a 5 or 600 pound blue marlin that sank a mile and a half of long line gear and came up dead with a mouth full of mud.

Jimmy, the captain said "NFC" - didn't act like a shark, swam like a fork tailed fish, but he's caught thousands of swords and never seen one act like that. I should note he also talked of once in a while seeing giants go through the stream during their migration.

Person on the rod said "monster mako".

I personally think it was a sea monster.

[seaworm1]

That must have been a pretty intense last two minutes. seeing 1/3rd of the spool. then 1/4, then.........

Its the ones that we dont land that keep us coming back.

[Col. Kurtz]

Kraken?

Nice read Larry, thanks.

I personally think it was a sea monster.

[chumtini]

"mud dart", that's a new one. Great read Larry. Here's one from last Aug you might like.

http://www.chumtini.com/media/Videos/BISWORD2.wmv

[JD5652]

Definitely a great report....I'm in agreement with the sea monster guess.....Thanks!

[red herring]

c'mon, it is obvious that you guys hooked a nuclear submarine! Good think you didn't piss it off, cuz I hear they got a mean bite.