Sword 101

[Deep C]

By request I have decided to go ahead and spill my guts on the basics of swording. This is not the deep seated intricate dedicated sword fereaks bible. Rather its a brief summary of how "I" do it. I make no claim to be better than some of the sharpies down here but I keep up with thempretty well. I have discovered that sticking to basics has served me best as chasing wild techniques and tricks has left me with nothing to show for it...

In order to go swording you need a few things. A boat that can get to them. a place to go to, and bait. No bait has produced more consistently for me than a nice fat squid... So lets explore how to take that slab of calamari and turn it into sword chow...
First make your rig. Keep it simple applies here as I simply crimp a hook to a leader with some chafing gear, add a length of soda straw for a spacer and either a small float or weight to keep the rig from just pulling on through... I use about 10-12 feet of 250 sufix mono clear leader. The one place I do get a touch fancy is the hook. It gets a Linger-pitman 11/0... The straw is measured out against the propsed bait leaving enough room for float or weight.

Next we need to get creative oun how to run that up so the leader comes directly out of the tip of the squid. Well I found a section of #10-12 wire foled in half to be about 18" long works just dandy.

This gets inserted right in the very tip of the squid and run down theinside of the mantle til its just past the head...

Once through take the unfinished end of the leader andrun a few inches through the end of the bent wire.

Draw the wire back through the squid carying the leader back through with it...

Now pull the leader through and the rig into the mantle. Take the hook and run it through the head. You don need or want to get a lot of meat on it. I try to just hook enough head to hold it. This keeps the hook exposed where it can more easily set in the swords mouth when he commits to eatin it.

I take the next step to avoid soft eating swordies from just pulling the squid down and leaving you with a calamari baseball. I run a rigging needle with about a foot of wax line through the tip pof the squid behind the leader. Then I do a cris crossing wrap around the leader back and forth for a bit over an inch of nice tightly pulled crossovers. I finish it with a sing half hitch, pull tight, and trim. Once thats tone I crimp the unfinished leader end .


Now we got the bait being the hard part done. With that we add a light stic using a rubber band and prepare your weights (12, 16, 24 oz ) with bands...

[Deep C]

The hard part is done. Now lets go fishing... Run on off shore til you hit at least 1100-1300 feet of water... Me I prefer 1500. Figure out what influence current and wind will have on the drift by doing a test drift and reading you gps. Re set to angle and get the most good ground coverage you can.

Structure is not the end all but there does seem to be some value to it especially where it causes upwelling and forces bait higher in the column.

I set out a bait about 40 feet before attaching a weight. The firs one to go in will be set with 16 oz of lead and about 1/4-1/3 of a 50w spool. Use good tackle.
I often will break out the tiagras for this as they are tough and wont give up the ghost on the very tough swordies...


I set that one out first then set it in the out rigger clip which has been laid out on the up wind side of the boat.

The next one that gets done is the 24oz which goes the same distance out but the weight carries it deeper. I run that on a bent butt off the corner to keep it seperate. The 12 oz bait gets set out about 200' from the boat and I set that rod up in the down wind rigger .
A fourth flat line will be set out with no weight maybe 50-60 feet from the boat...

[Deep C]

Once the spread is set (about 20 minutes before suunset) down here at least be ready for action. Have felt baits doinked on the way down while setting on a regular enough basis to almost expect it.
Swords have the funkiest bite of any big fish I know of. Some times they just tap the bait like a toy. Sometimes they will grab one and move around so slow you dont know they have picked it up. Other times yet that may just mash the crap out of it and set the reels to smoking. Since most bites though are subtle I set the reels with clicker on and just enough drag to keep them from free rolling out.
Watching the tip is a help. Sometimes even that soft bite will cause a slow bend or the tapper may telegraph the signal back up to let you know one is there. Some times they drop the bait. I frequently will reel a bait up and let it back out almost as a slow jig.
I can't tell you how many times they have snuck up on me. I'll be looking out into the night and see the glow of a lightstick just swimming around out there... It kills me with embarassment but this is swording and all is fair if you get one.
When they do take it I give maybe be a couple seconds of no pressure then push the drag up to 12-14lbs of strike. Wind until I come up to that drag level and swat them three good strokes. The stretch in that much line usually is pretty forgiving and wont tear the hooks out. I do not recommend more than say 18 max pounds on swords as they g=have soft mouths. Their runs can drop your jaw with the speed and strength they can develop and more than 18 has pulled just too many hooks for my liking.
Fights can vary. I have had them swim easily to the boat then hit the after burners. I have had them hit the afterburners for 3/4 spool four or five times on one fish. I have had them dog and just stale mate for hours. Even a 50 lb sword can convince you you just stung a 200 lb bluefin.
In this shot you see our nagler using a bent butt from a chair. As comfortable and easy as this is, it can be a problem. Swords do a lotof straight up and down and standing up really gives you more room to stay off the edge of the boat.


I highly recopmmend that the angler get into a pace rather than burn himself out. If you try to "Beat" a sword you will lose... Period end, they are stronger than you or I. Not one to lock ego with because they will win.

Steady is the game... Steady pressure from the rods glass and your ass will take advantage of the fish's mistakes. Eventually that glow stick comes back into sight and its time to get ready. Flyers or darts are a must have on the bigger badder ones but for those to 125class they get a 5" aftco straight to the head. One shot, lift and GET THAT BILL IN HAND. Do not let it go. Keep the motion fluid and take him to the deck one shot. I do a knee drop around their gills and press that bill of death flat to the deck. A hand or towel over the eye will help keep them a bit calm. The knee drop turns to a sit on for several minutes. I discount their intelligence quite often with a good old fashioned skull slittin with my d-cell Brinkman flashlight.

[Andaman Andy]

Great info & pics

[Bite Me]

Thanks Deep. You couldn't make sound easier......... I know better, just have to figure out how to get this computer on board for referal. What size squids? Do you clear the lines on the fight. Do these things fight up and down, on top.
What can you tell us about their range. I know they get em well north of us and obviously well south. Any chance they wander close enough to the Carolina coats for an overnighter? Dangling lit up squids would seem to attract all kinds of critters.

[oldmud]

Thanks for the info. Deep. Very interesting reading. I don't swordfish up here but am always glad to hear other techniques. Maybe use some for Tuna !!. thanks for sharing.

Don

[Deep C]

Thanks Deep. You couldn't make sound easier......... I know better, just have to figure out how to get this computer on board for referal. What size squids? Do you clear the lines on the fight. Do these things fight up and down, on top.
What can you tell us about their range. I know they get em well north of us and obviously well south. Any chance they wander close enough to the Carolina coats for an overnighter? Dangling lit up squids would seem to attract all kinds of critters.

I'm not sure how I missed the question but I'll do what I can to answer...

My favorite squids are 11-14" but will go down to 9" for a in close "pitch" type bait, or up to a jumbo 18" slob if I get in a mood. It seems though most of the big ones get molested by the pups we have so many of...
I guage the fish by the run as to size. Then I see which way its moving. If I can leave the spread out I like to do that. Multiples are fairly common here. Otherwise its a pain but I reel up all the others and fight from a clear pit.
As for the fight? No two are the same. Often the bite gets barely noticed if at all. Suddenly there is a light stick swimming around in the dark and you know its game on. Other times they slam the bait and dump half or more of a spool.
Some jump but most just shoot for the deep and slug it out up and down.

I have little info and no experience with carolina swords but I'm sure they must frequent the edges of the stream. Structure in 1000+ feet would be my best suggestion at giving them a try. I'm sure with the talent we have on the board some one could chime in...