After doing some day dropping for swords while the bottom fishing season was closed, we decided to try an overnight. Left the dock at 2pm Friday. Stopped in 100ft and trolled little daisy chains to pick up some tunny to use for bait. Caught two tunny in about 5 minutes (my new favorite bait fish) and started pushing out to 226. Made it through the Mola and sea turtle minefield and reached 226 around 6pm and decided to troll til sundown. Got zip. There was no life out there. Temperature was 74 degrees. Our sonar doesn’t work beyond 700ft so I’m not sure of the depth.
Moved about ten miles past 226 to a 1500ft-1800ft trough. Set out three lines: one at 300ft, one at 150ft, and another at 60ft. There appeared to be a thermocline (sp?) around 120ft. We were using big trolling squid and frozen mackerel. Reset our drift and replaced mackerel with tunny belly around 1am. Fish on the 150ft rod. Lost the first sword after a brief struggle. Switched baits to two tunny and 1 squid. Hooked up around 2:45 on the 150ft tunny again. Landed our first ever sword around 3:40! 49inch fork length and 60lbs, we were so excited we didn’t even gaff him, just heaved him into the boat. Left sword grounds at 4am for GTH. Lines in by 5:30 first fish in at 600, blackfin. Constant action (mostly tunny/skipjack)and a few wahoo cut offs until about 8 and then the bite died, 70deg water temp and 170-220ft of water. Using Cedar plugs and rigged ballyhoo. Moved to SW Banks and got nothing. Ended the day with 1 blackfin and one 40# wahoo on a blue and white islander. Back at the dock by 2:30 pm saturday. Baby flying fish were really attracted by our lights. Thats the first pic.
Sword’s belly was full of small squid. The same size that comes in the 5lb boxes we use for bottom bumping.
Thanks to Captain Mike Mattson for the swordfishing tips!
[IMG]http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt317/nigelbowers/FishingSword4-2-1003
good job. tried to talk our guys into doing it. you covered a lot of ground.
Congratulations on your catch. I hope that new Penn 80 worked well for you. I’ve been rigging trying to get ready for the bite myself.
Ricky
Great job guys, can’t wait to get out, looks to be a great season
Yeah, we definitely covered some ground on crazy flat seas. Ricky, so far the 80 works better than my fishfinder…it can reach 1500+ feet but has yet to catch anything! The swords only seem to bite on a little Diawa Saltist which makes for a very sporty tug of war. In the next month or so once the mahi are back around 226 and 380 I expect we will combine some early morning mahi with deep dropping in the afternoon. Can’t wait!
26’ Glacier Bay
Mistress
Nice sword! As the man said in Jaws…Im gonna need a bigger boat!
“Mahi-Fever”
Key West 225
Suzuki 225
Congrats on your sword great pics too
Been trying the daytime thing a few times yet to get one good luck keep us posted
WHAM-O!!!
Being superstitious is bad luck.
Please dont forget to report the swordfish. They need to know we are catching them. Last year I was the one of the only boats to report any captures off of SC and I know quite a few more were killed. It’s easy just use your hms permit number https://hmspermits.noaa.gov/permitidlandings.asp
Tight lines,
Michael Mattson
843-224-3542
captmattson@aol.com
www.billfishin.net
www.lowcountrysportfishing.com
Great job family, sorry I missed the trip but better planning the nxt time around on my behalf. Thanks for the swords Captain.
Too Fish or not Too Fish
That be the question!
18’ CC SeaFox
Michael, thanks for the reporting reminder. I actually already did it - not within the 24 hours but close! I hope to stay in constant touch with those guys!
26’ Glacier Bay
Mistress
Bowers family at work. Im jealous.
Capt. Graham Hegamyer
Southern Tail Charters
Light-Tackle Inshore
843.991.8372
www.SouthernTailCharters.com
Great report and nice catch there boys!
www.billfishreport.com
Cool pic with the flying fish. Did you make the trip in the 26 Glacier Bay?
“If you’re not a liberal at twenty you have no heart, if you’re not a conservative at forty you have no brain.”
Made the trip in the Glacier Bay. Handled great. We brought some jerry cans with extra fuel and never needed them. Covered all that ground with fuel to spare.
26’ Glacier Bay
Mistress
NIce to see some good size pups!! You guys got into some nice fish.
I don’t now if you tried putting on those lumen sticks 5+ ft up from the leader.
It looked like you didn’t need them but get a couple and put them on if you don’t get any action otherwise. Great pictures.
Ken, new guy!!!
Ken Mc
Ken, new guy, we have been using battery powered lights and/or strobes for night and daytime swording. Flashing white seemed to be the light of choice the other night.
26’ Glacier Bay
Mistress