Catching Swords - Page 2

DEFIANCE · 04-11-2008, 09:39 PM

Actually, yes and no. They eat just fine in the daytime too, they are just down 900-2000 feet.

moorefish · 04-12-2008, 07:11 AM

We baited a sword last season out by the 1908. Non-eater and jumped two times. Est 400-pounder. One thing that has not been tried in the day out here is deep dropping rigged squid 1000 to 2000-feet down, in the zone the drift net fleet really loads up on swords, opah, louvar, albie, & bluefin during the late summer and fall. Rodriguez and Escarpment areas/where the breaks are located. About 65-miles from SB Hbr. An electric reel to retrieve the baits would help.

Wild West · 04-12-2008, 10:58 AM

Do they show up on the Santa Rosa flats in the summer and fall? See a lot of gill nets out there on the way to the 311. Seems like it might be a good place to try daytime deep drop if anyone wanted to get experimental. The Osbourn sees some as well.

DEFIANCE · 04-12-2008, 11:49 AM

Yep, they are there. Better be thinking 50w or 80w, otherwise it's pretty much a pipe dream, and a 50w is marginal. I've caught a handful of swords on my boat on the East coast, and I can assure you they do not fight like Marlin. They fight similar to big Makos, only harder.

bunner · 04-12-2008, 09:03 PM

DEEP, DEEP, DEEP, DEEP COLOR

cisurfer · 04-12-2008, 10:48 PM

dont need to go deep like florida. our area gets LOADED believe it or not
one of our local ventura boats f/v karen marie had a est 650-700 lber by conception last summer
you'll find the guys that know it real good are very quiet

**Carnivore** · 04-13-2008, 01:21 AM

CI was that baited in or harpooned? It would be cool to hear that they baited it in.

bunner · 04-13-2008, 01:50 AM

Silent Knights.

tjs44 · 04-13-2008, 07:09 AM

there is usually less than a hand full of R/R swordies cought on our coast a year.Hard to find,harder to get them to bite and even harder to land.We have baited maybe 50,got 5 to bite and landed 2.Tom

cisurfer · 04-13-2008, 10:02 AM

remember when swordies come to the surface they are there to bask in the sun to aid in the digestion of their meal they just ate.
Guys i know that fly spotter planes always tell me that when the fish is on the surface it's actually swimming in large circles. I thought that was interesting

my advice is fish night time no deeper than 200ft. Several baits at staggered depths and staggered distances from the boat. Adjust the distance from the boat by using a empty water jug on the surface (like shark fishing) but with a glow stick in it so you can see it. Large squid 12"-14" double hooked. Mono or cable leader is your decision. Lots of tide is what you want for the current so you can cover more ground.

I remember in november last year one of the boats on our dock at CI was knockin the snot out of them off pt. dume to manhatten beach even. La Jolla had lots of fish landed around that time too.

This last year they were bein caught all the way up to the columbia river. Pete from the Ventura II was up there jiggin albies and stuck one off the bow of the Ventura II so they get up there too.

Several socal boats were goin above conception, late summer/early fall had a big concentration up there last year. Monterey canyon, davison, and the triangle area from the 1908 and the donut to the rodriguez.