FIRST SWORD (and blue marlin) Pics, story and thanks to all

[swordfish123]

Well guys, thanks to EVERYONE's (esp Mark, Pat, Justin, RiskTaker, Chummin etc) help for the past year at least I landed my first Swordfish. Granted, as you will see, he was no giant, but still amazing non the less. I apologize for the long post, i dont know how to make pics smaller, but they are great pics anyway. I figure my first deserves a full story


Sunday:Trolled Lauderdale, not a damn thing...startin to get a little discouraged...but the seas were giving the green light for the Swordfish.
We set up along the 50, and we were headed out slowly. 4 lines in the water @ 400, 325, 250 and 100 ft. Everything was perfect, all the tips I had read and asked about for the past year had fallen into place...now we just had to wait.
And wait..


Click, CLick Click... 400ft Far ballon... then nothing. Not really knowing what to think... i got strapped up and put the rod in the harness before putting the tension on him. I pushed the drag up to about 14 lbs and waited...nothing. I figured I missed him, so i started reelin like mad and finally I got tight on something, however not huge..


The sword didnt really take too much line, but he sure didnt just pop up to the surface. It was still a good 15 minutes of hard crankin just to get that boy to the surface. I figured it was a small shark until I saw the greatest site ever...the high curved dorsal fin poking out of the water. He was lit up and glowing purple in the hydraglow. My sister flahed a couple pics in the water and we were about to cut him loose there. I asked if she got pics and she said "I think"....Well...that just wasnt gonna do it...

He came to the boat thrashing like mad but I somehow reached down and hoisted that thing over the 3 1/2 foot gunnel with one arm, much to the suprise of my sister and Dad. "TAKE PICTURES!!!!!" I yelled


--ps...i dont normally look like that...

the perfect hookset in the corner of the jaw was removed and he was quickly sent back to patrol the depths from which he came.


**NO ONE TOLD ME THAT SWORD SKIN IS LIKE SANDPAPER** I now have 2 huge rugburns on arm and thigh..oh well, it was worth it

The night ended with no more bites but it was all good. I now officially have Sword fever. I am spoiled for now, but at least it will only get better!!!

As for the rest of the trip...

We trolled down to Miami on Monday pickin up bonita and kingfish and mahi as soon as we hit Miami waters.

Tuesday, however, was somethin special.. I had heard a few reports of blue marlin being caught in Miami...but i knew in the back of my mind those odds were a thousand to one. We picked up pilchards and set up on a nice color break in 110 ft of water. my dad had seen a freejumping *billfish* and decided to stop in the general spot. 2 pilchards out on flatlines, and not 5 minutes later...click click click..

Well i know how sailfish bite and this wasnt the same. He headed right under the boat slowly, not takin more than 2 feet of line out. "i think i have a small cobia" i told my dad... ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

350 yards of line rip off in less than 3 seconds and then on the horizon...


A blue marlin breaks the still water in the most spectucular series of jumps and tailwalking I have ever seen. He went ballistic all over the ocean. Im praying hte 50lb leader will hold. My sister, apparently is quite the photographer:



About 30 mins later he is boatside, the is touched and he is released


--btw..we saw a bigger marlin freejumping in less than 70 ft of water...

We set up again... wait about 20 mins and we hook up on probably the larger sail I've ever seen




Pictures dont do him justice, he was easily 80+. I know this is the Swordfishing forum, but i figured i'd post these great pics. So we had caught a blue marlin and a sailfish...we had to go for a sword that night.
A quick change of props at the dock due to damage...fix the transmission...and we are off. We headed south and fished the 38-44N from the 52 to 53W. Not a freakin bite all nite from 6 to 11 when we called it a night.

Friday we were grounded due to weather and transmission problems. Sunday we caught a small mahi and put my sister on her first sailfish, a nice 50lber or so.

Quite a trip all in all. THANK YOU EVERYONE AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hope you liked my pics!

[FinalPoint]

Hopefully I can do better than red x's. Congrats to team Retreat (Stephen and his dad). Awesome trip!
First sword:

First Blue Marlin (not first marlin):




Huge sail:


Good job buddy.

Edit: apparently that didn't work...anyway, the links are all right and Mike can help us out here.

[bullfighter]

Now that's a weekend for you and your family to remember for the rest of your life. Enjoyed the post

[Samsam]

sword123, Nicely done!!!!

On the marlin, could that be a white marlin?

[Darkside]

Nice Sailfish. Don't think thats a Marlin. :cry:

[edpb]

Nice catches but that's a sailfish, not a blue...

[FinalPoint]

if you wanna see the debate you can look at the "other" forum

[LHPfish]

Pat, we came to the conclusion it was actually a blue right?

[FinalPoint]

It really looks like a sail, but there a couple of resons I STILL say it is a blue. First - Body shape leans toward a sail, BUT, when the fish is upside down there is absolutely no evidence of a sail. Also, there are pictures of blues exactly like the original picture posted. I know sails can put their sails down, but there seems to be a distinct end to the dorsal fin. I can't blame people for thinking that is a sail, but it will be tough to pursuade me. Second - I know Stephen and he had the fish boatside but in the midst of the chaos he was unable to get a perfect photo, but if he said it wasn't a sail, it wasn't a sail.
Look at these pictures - http://www.swordfishingcentral.com/g...raphy/IMG_8901 - notice the flap of sail coming down
http://www.swordfishingcentral.com/g.../blue_marlin_l - definitely a blue marlin with the same exact shape, just a little thicker

[edpb]

This is one of those debates that can go on and on forever. :twisted:

In any case one can find features that will point towards one or the other species.

If you look at blue marlin pictures (or have seen a few in action) you will notice that their dorsal never folds down to the point of disappearing and that their pectoral fins are anywhere from black to neon blue (never white). And if you look closer at the first picture of the fish coming upside out of the water you will see right above where the fish is touching the water there's a part of a fin (or sail) sticking out that a blue wouldn't normally have.