Swords - Water or Structure?

[Fish Dad]

We don't always have a gulf stream eddie over structure up here out of Virginia. So if one had to make a choice between sword fishing at night would you choose structure....i.e., canyon/shelf or would you push out to the very deep, say 500-700 fathoms where there is a gulf stream eddie with warm water that hold more bait.

Here is an older sst shot where you can see some water overboard. I know the water down deep does not change much but these eddies do hold more bait. Just trying to figure out if it's worth running further out for swords or stay closer to the continental shelf where there is structure.



Got a full moon this weekend so thinking about making the run.

Mike

[bigg09]

based on that shot mike, my gut would be multiple drifts no more than an hour covering the 100f line at the 800-850 up to the 150 out to 1000+ fathoms depending on the current. i would try and fish both sides and the cool side out of the water if you get no hits or get shark bites. then again, the mixed water on that shot in the norfolk or the washington looks appealing, but my gut would be south. i always hear of the longliners in those cores offshore. would be cool to see someone do that recreationally. we have just typically tried to mix the structure we have found with water, but who really knows what the bottom is like. a non-structure oriented bottom may have a better bottom composition with good bait that could produce well. we just haven't had enough time or opportunities to do the trial and error. good luck. i still want to get out there with you sometime. Casey

[Fish Dad]

Casey, agree. Certainly in that shot, I'd setup on the 950 in that blended water. But my question is when there is no water anywhere near the 100 fa line...do you stay on the structure where the water is cold or push overboard to 1000 fa near the warm water eddie. I hate traveling long distances once I set up at night and usually just try to stick to the plan.

[JonnyD]

I think structure is more important than water temp for swords. just a personal opinion.

[bigg09]

as i go back and look at the sst shots from the days that we caught fish, the water seems to be pretty important, but we have also had some good fall bites with very little temperature changes. in particular was a day in september in the norfolk canyon. 8-10 deep drops with bites and multiple hookups. this is the pic from the best night we ever had 12-12-2006 landed five fish, pulled at least three hooks and had tuna the evening prior we fished off the lower cigar.
in some of the other shots i looked at, we fished the cooler side of water and had fish, but it seems we have mostly tried to fish water vs. specifically going for structure. Mike it is just going to take some trial and error before any of us are going to prove that off hear. but i do think that if there are long lines around they think fish are there or else they wouldn't be there.

[Fish Dad]

Thanks Casey. I'm planning on giving it a try Saturday night....just have to figure out where. BTW, I remember that water in Dec 06....caught YFT on it.

[bigg09]

Mike, if that water stays around the 1000ftm line at teh 305 or even pushes a little north of the norfolk, don;t be scared to try it. even if you start drifting the cooler inside water. shoot if it makes it up to the washington, go there in a heart beat vs the cigar. very similar run and you'll have some structure. as for the 350, lots of marlin and tuna are caught there and i have been wanting to fish there, so if there is water just outside try the inside and move outside or the opposite. thats what i would fish based on the most recent shot.

[waterman482]

Pay close attn to water,bait and the thermocline! you could have the best structure in the world but if the water is off or there is no bait there then the sword has no reason to be there!