Can anyone remember, or does anybody know the last time a broadbill was caught out of SE NC in the winter, Nov.-Mar.? Of course assuming it was caught in the Stream but short of the one that was caught a year or so, during the summer out of Wrightsville, does anyone know of any others caught during the winter months from MHC to Southport?
The longliners load up on them offshore in the winter. Many from up north, but they load out of Homers since Kashiko is there for tuna season. They tell me they mostly fish way to the south, as far down as Charleston, but rarely/never fish above Cape Lookout.
I HAVE CRAWLED IN THE HOLDING BOX OF THE DAKOTA LONGLINE BOAT FROM NY WHEN THEY ARRIVE IN MHC.....
UNBELIEVABLE BIG YFT TUNA, WAHOO ...BIG MAHI AND SWORDS WAS WHAT I FOUND ON ICE...12 SWORDS BY MY COUNT .....THEY GAVE ME A 30 LB CHUNK OF SWORD LOIN LEFT OVER FROM CREW RATIONS
THEY TOLD ME THEIR HEADING COMING HOME WAS NW 348 ( MY FRIEND HAD THE WHEEL ON THE RIDE HOME)...TO THE INLET...78 MILES STRAIGHT OUT FROM BEAUFORT INLET AND THIS WAS THE SECOND WEEK OF FEBRUARY 2 YEARS AGO....WATER TEMP WAS 72
THAT PUTS THEM PASSING STRAIGHT OVER THE BIGROCK ON THEIR COURSE HOME
TWO DAYS LATER I MADE THE ATTEMPT TO GET THERE IN MY RIG (34' ATLANTIC AT THE TIME) AND MADE IT ONLY 52 MILES OUT AND THE WATER TEMP KEPT DROPPING....DOWN TO 64....SO I TURNED AROUND AND CAME BACK TO THE HOTTEST TEMP I FOUND WHICH WAS 68 IN 158 FATHOMS....I CAUGHT 38 LB CLASS YFT AND A RAT BLUE MARLIN
I KNOW THIS REPORT OF MINE IS OVER 2 YRS OLD BUT THERE IS NO DOUBT IF ONE DOES THIS USING A CURRENT SST CHART .....THIS WILL PAY OFF
I HAVE EVEN CAUGHT A TRAIN LOAD OF GAFFER MAHI IN THE MIDDLE OF JANUARY IN A CENTER CONSOLE A FEW YEARS BACK WITH SFC MEMBER "EMTAE"....68-71 DEGREE EDGE ON THE BIGROCK....THE MAHIS WERE IN THE 68 DEGREE SIDE WHICH WAS NATURALLY THE ROUGH WATER SIDE OF THE EDGE..... WE GOT OUR ASS HANDED TO US FISHING THE COLD SIDE BUT IT WAS WORTH IT
I guess what I'm getting at is if we made the run to the edge within the next few months and set up for swords at night, the typical way, if we'd be pissin' into the wind or we'd have a legitimate shot at hanging one. As soon as giant season ends I think we'll give it a shot. Box, I'll let you know when we're getting ready and open an invite to you. Thanks for the info. I have no doubt that if the water temp is there and we set up properly we should have a chance at one. I just have a hard time believing that they're not out there, I think it's just more that no one targets them out of SE NC like in the Canyons up north or out of S Florida. Anyone else have any insight?
Charleston Bump--or somewhere in that vicinity. I have been told by more than one commercial boat that when the water is right at the Bump, there's no better place in the ocean to catch a swordie.
I have no doudt that you'll find what your looking for. Big issue is weather, I've made more than a few trips to the stream in my boat in the winter and like Marty said the fish are there but it can be alittle nautical. Looking foward to heading out there myself and digging in just need the window. Ken
Its not always a jackpot out there! i've been out there and done well and i've also been out there and stroked it for days at a time, and its f#ckin rough when you get the wind against the tide and then you'll have to deal with the tide and out there it rips! 2kts is the norm! Have fun and pick your days I know you couldn't pay me to be on a sportboat if the weather gets bad.
Box they catch them on the bottom in about 2000' up here and down in Fla The temps are about 33 degrees at that depth during the day Look at the Bills they get rounded over by routing in the mud for tilefish Look for some structure in about that depth and you will find them in water over 55 surface They get them in the Hudson in the winter as well How do I know My grandfather and his brothers made a living at it more than acouple weeks ago
Most of the longliners up here off of VA usually put their sets out on the cold water to avoid the tunas and sharks when they are looking for swords. got one in the day two weeks ago off the norfolk canyon. we had just a little over a kt of current. the water was 58-59 deg. i will fish it colder too and have hooked them in the low 50's here into march. please let us know how you do. i have some buddies down that way that i am trying to talk into some daytime trips this winter. i'll post when and if i get to go out.
casey
I would like to try the daytime thing in NC. Just a theory but them swordies in Fla love that 1800 ft + depth. They love the bottom in the daylight. I did it in the keys and those fish are down there.
At night, you gotta cover the water column.
Weather never seems as bad with the sun shining. Be careful. Go gettem, day or night
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....DOWN TO 64....SO I TURNED AROUND AND CAME BACK TO THE HOTTEST TEMP I FOUND WHICH WAS 68 IN 158 FATHOMS....I CAUGHT 38 LB CLASS YFT AND A RAT BLUE MARLIN
..... WE GOT OUR ASS HANDED TO US FISHING THE COLD SIDE BUT IT WAS WORTH IT
They are there?
