First daytime trip

[Rob-Mon]

My friends Dave, AJ, and I cleared the Lake Worth inlet with the sun rising and Bloody Mary’s going down as smooth as the seas. This was the maiden voyage for trying our hand at daytime swordfishing. First drop with the new reel was about 15 miles east-southeast in 1584 feet. Drifted over the Palm Beach Canyon and the now super-secret spot with not even a bite. At 1530 we decided to call it a day and try to make it back to watch some of the 4 O’clock football games. I hit the button on the reel to retrieve the bait and 12 pound stick lead. About five seconds later the rod loaded up and the fight was on.

HOOKED UP.jpg

Not sure if we had a shark or a swordfish but whatever it was, it was STRONG. Had the fish up to about 700 feet when it started to run South and rise the surface. About 200 yards from the boat we saw a splash and I saw a bill - but the fish was running away from us and barely broke water. We just knew we had a trophy swordfish on. Down it went again, smoking the drag.

After a two hour fight, 8 ½ miles from where we hooked it, it became apparent that the fish died. Unfortunately it was 600 feet deep when it died and the combination of the fish’s weight and the 12 pounds of lead still attached, we started losing line in a hurry with 60 pounds of drag as the fish sank. Set the drag to maximum hoping the 80 pound power-pro, and my late night rigging, would hold. Although we stopped losing line with about 1200 feet out we couldn’t gain any either - blowing the fuse on the reel. Some quick re-engineering, and a piece of tin foil around the fuse, we were able to handline the fish up with the motor assisting. Gaining inches at a time we took turns handlining.

HANDLINE.jpg

When we got our trophy sword near the boat we could see that it was tail-wrapped, indeed expired, and not a swordfish at all. Turns out it was a big blue marlin. It was a shame that the fish had died because we would have released it.

The fish measured 133 inches overall, 105 inches from the tip of the lower jaw to the fork, and had a 58 inch girth.

IMG_4565.jpg IMG_4573.jpg

Rob

[Disco Lady]

Congrats! on your Blue Marlin COÑO!!!!!! pretty work boys. Even though it's not a Swordie still a prized trophy fish.

DL,

[GT Fish]

That is the 4th one in a couple weeks that i know of..We got one at night and it got tailwrapped and died(2 weeks ago).. They are very good as sahimi,smoked,dip and grilled..Marlin Poke was my favorite..

[Capt. JJ]

Nice fish guys! I guess we're having a little run of Blues. Eat 'em up. And way to go on the quick fix to save the fish!

[iriesoul]

Dang.. Hope you gusy are eatting um... Those dang krystal reels! Copper rigging wire works great for a temporary fix when the fuse blows. We went 1 for 3 on swords. Back home by 2... IS that a krystal 621?????????

[John_Madison CT]

Wow, incredible story and super pics.

[Fishatic31]

great story...you never know what your going to catch!

[Another Toy]

That is great guys, real real nice job.

[fishxtreme]

Originally Posted by Rob-Mon

Some quick re-engineering, and a piece of tin foil around the fuse, we were able to handline the fish up with the motor assisting. Gaining inches at a time we took turns handlining.

Way to get er dun! Dead and tailwrapped, must have been like trying to pull a 300# anchor! Nice fish

[Rob-Mon]

It was an XL621. Composite spool and all. Those "little" reels are pretty darn tough. The way I figured, it was better to get out there and soak a bait since I wasn't going to catch anything staring at online prices of more capable reels.

[Great Escape]

Great story and even greater fish. Seems that there was another story similar to this one about a Blue Marlin being caught.

[Spicy Mikey]

Great FisH!!! Thats a heck of a battle on that kristal 621. Congrats I cant wait to give daytiming a try.

SM,

[Ed Walker]

Nothing personal to you as that one certainly wasnt your fault but we swordfishermen are going to start getting a bad name if we continue to put up and post pictures of the rare few dead marlin that are caught on this gear, especially electrics.
When the inevitable haters come along, (displaced longliners, enviros, ect...) these are just the kinda photos they are going to save and use against us and NMFS is going to buy it hook line and sinker. As someone with considerable fisheries issues experience, I can tell you that for certain.

[Harry Klauber]

Just a suggestion - pay attention to Ed. We cannot give the regulators anything to hang their hats on or the next thing that will happen is our daytime fishery will be closed off. Glad you posted what you did Ed - and I could not agree more. Harry

[Rob-Mon]

Ed and Harry - Thanks for your honest reply. The crew and I were proud of that fish but I understand your point. For the regulators and some of the folks watching these posts that beautiful fish may be just a statistic, but to us, folks who scrimped, saved, and researched for years, it could be the fish of a lifetime that I thought I could share.

[surfinsteve1]

Great job guys on that beautiful catch, sounds like fun to me. But I don't see them stopping (kill Marlin tourns because of a dead Marlin) as a matter of fact the bigger one they kill seems the happier and more millions you can actually win. But I guess you have to have more money than god or OJ not to be looked at as doing something wrong in that series of tournaments.

[iriesoul]

Originally Posted by Ed Walker

Nothing personal to you as that one certainly wasnt your fault but we swordfishermen are going to start getting a bad name if we continue to put up and post pictures of the rare few dead marlin that are caught on this gear, especially electrics.
When the inevitable haters come along, (displaced longliners, enviros, ect...) these are just the kinda photos they are going to save and use against us and NMFS is going to buy it hook line and sinker. As someone with considerable fisheries issues experience, I can tell you that for certain.

This is the first post I have seen with a dead marlin while daytimming. The other one was caught at night on rod and reel

[iriesoul]

Originally Posted by Rob-Mon

It was an XL621. Composite spool and all. Those "little" reels are pretty darn tough. The way I figured, it was better to get out there and soak a bait since I wasn't going to catch anything staring at online prices of more capable reels.

I hear you... But I highly doubt that reel could handle a sword fish... If your break off a fish or get spooled you may leave a swordy swimming around with your Power Pro lead and rig.....

[WhItEoUt 23]

Originally Posted by Rob-Mon

that beautiful fish may be just a statistic, but to us, folks who scrimped, saved, and researched for years, it could be the fish of a lifetime that I thought I could share.

Well Said you did your best to try and save her thats all you can do

On Bloody decks those guys on the west coast and Hawaii are killing Marlin like it's going out of style.

[Ed Walker]

Originally Posted by iriesoul

This is the first post I have seen with a dead marlin while daytimming. The other one was caught at night on rod and reel

Im not trying to be an AH, tell anyone what they can do, or start some internet grudge match. I did want to point out in a non-argumentative way that there have now been 3 dead marlin posted on this site, that I have seen, that were caught by swordfishermen in just the last 3 or 4 months. Someone at NMFS, the Ocean Conservancy, The Pew Charitable Trust or Environmental Defense might see that as a trend, one in which they would likely be obligated to stop or at the very least look into.
IMO dead marlin pics are not good for our sport or even this site, regardless of what other people do on other forums. My hope was to discourage others from posting more of such pics if they happen to unintentionally have a marlin mortality.
Recently some of the folks on the spearfishing forum posted a few pics of permit they had legally speared in federal waters. Yes, they were legal but they pissed some people off. Solely because of those pics a group of flyfishermen came along (BTT) and proposed that spearing of permit be banned in federal waters. They had some influential friends. Meetings and workshops were held, form letters were sent out and in Dec that rule will likely be passed, another take-away almost 100% because of a handful legal pictures on the internet that some people found offensive.
I hope you understand what Im getting at.
Im only trying to look out for all of us sword afficianados' best interests.

[Cutler]

daaaaamn...nice work

[surfinsteve1]

I'm listening. I understand completely what you are getting at and the fact that they can turn some pics into rule is sad. maybe we as a forum and some kind of family should start our own agenda of what we would like to stop like Mark has taken control of on the 100 FFC.

[weekley rehab]

As many drops as I have made with nothing coming up, it is a shot of a life time to have this happen. They as most would not have killed the fish, but that was out of there hands. I am glad to see the pics as it may be the only time I ever see one. It allows me as a reader to in a small way feel a tiny piece of there glory/loss.

[Scallywag]

Originally Posted by WhItEoUt 23

Well Said you did your best to try and save her thats all you can do

On Bloody decks those guys on the west coast and Hawaii are killing Marlin like it's going out of style.

OUCH!!!!! That's not really true, at least in so cal

[ameristrat]

Originally Posted by iriesoul

I hear you... But I highly doubt that reel could handle a sword fish... If your break off a fish or get spooled you may leave a swordy swimming around with your Power Pro lead and rig.....

I mean it did handle a estimated 441 pound Blue Marlin. (yes I did the math haha)

I think with your run of the mill swordfish, you'd be fine. It's the monster fish you'd be in trouble with - not that this is okay, just true.