My afternoon with a swordfish

[PMBardunias]

Yes, afternoon. I was fishing alone out of a 19' cc off Fort Lauderdale. I had caught some big spot-tailed pinfish on the first reef and was planning to drag them over some deep wrecks for grouper, AJ, etc. I was drifting into shore, so I went out to about 350' to set up the drift. I dropped a pinfish on 30# test, an egg sinker and a 30# wire leader down to the bottom.

It was now 1:00 PM and as I started to rig the other pole, the pole tip bounced a few times like I was bouncing on the bottom. I reeled up some, and just as I did, what I thought was a marlin- light vertical stripes and fins was most of what I saw boiled up about 20' behind the boat. Just as I realized that this "marlin' was on my little 30# line, it jumped clear out of the water, doing a perfect summersault and showed itself to be a swordfish.

I fought it for 2 1/2 hours, it jumped 6 times, and I got it within 10' of the boat, but I could not figure out a way for myself alone to land it. Not counting the bill- which I never knew was so proportionally long- it was at least 5' long. (Estimated by the fact thet its eye was even with me and its tail was back at my transom)

How common is a daylight hookup like this in south florida? It was a big, almost dinner plate sized, spotted pinfish, but do swords usually take them?

Also, it fought real weird. Half the time I did not think it even knew I was there. It never ran very fast- I just idled the boat after it to keep from being spooled. It sounded a few times, and when it came up in jumped, but most of the time it just sat under my hull like a rock, though moving out to sea at a leisurely pace. It that how swords fight?

I ask all of this because I wonder if something were wrong with the fish- eating during the day, poor fighting etc. I don't know what they are usually like to compare.

Thanks,

Paul

[soundownsam]

If it ate a bait on the bottom and came striaght up and jumped then sounded and worked east while holding down east it sure sounds like a swordie.

Sam

[PMBardunias]

I got a real good look at it so I'm sure it was a swordfish. I didn't know that they lit up with vertical white lines like other billfish. How many on here have caught swordfish during the day? It was a real treat to be able to see him.

Paul