Alabama Swordfish Record Shattered

[JahMussa]

One of my customers told me about this... You can see more pics here...

http://www.orangebeach.ws/newsweather/swordfish.html

Congrats to the Angler and crew on the Sea Reaper III!!!!


9.16.2006- Orange Beach, AL - Exactly 2 years to the day that Ivan struck Orange Beach, the Gulf of Mexico record for swordfish was busted by catcher, Del Sawyer, along with Co-Captains Randy (Goat Roper) Howland, and Robby Griffiths, and the crew of the Sea Reaper III. The swordfish weighed in at 448 lbs. at the Orange Beach Marina. The Sea Reaper III docks at SanRoc Cay Marina in Orange Beach, AL.

Swordie was hooked at 3:45am and the fight lasted 3 hours and 45 minutes. Angler Del Sawyer fought standing up (no fighting chair). The catch took place about 70 miles southwest of Orange Beach, AL in about 1,500 feet of water. A 50 Wide Penn Reel with Power Pro 100 lb test line was used, with squid as the bait. According to hotspotfishing.com, the previous record was 317 pounds, set in 1979. We are still trying to verify this information. If this is true, Del Sawer of Mobile, AL now holds the all time Gulf of Mexico record for Swordfish. Way to go Del...

Pictures below- video and additional information are being processed, and will be available shortly.

The November/December issue of Sport Fishing Magazine will feature a story about Del's record shattering Swordfish. More updates coming soon.

[floridascuba]

nice fish

[GENERALturtle.]

Big Fish! That record could fall again soon. Swordfishing over there is gaining popularity and by the way Mike posts there are lots of fish in them waters.

[DORADOsteve]

Nice fish.

We are spoiled- they're running 70 miles each way!?

[Verado06]

WTG reaper thats a hefty one

[Boboe]

Originally Posted by DORADOsteve

Nice fish.

We are spoiled- they're running 70 miles each way!?

Destin, FL has the closest run of any port in the Gulf to "deep" water. The Spur is 50nm south of Destin and is around 1200' deep. If you wanted to fish Lloyd's Ridge you'd have to go 100nm, and the Double Titties is about 80nm. Those are all great swording spots. You don't go do it on a monkey boat in the Gulf unless you're ballzy and/or dumb.

Notice the deck hand throwing the shocker in the photo.

The Sea Reaper (we call it the Sea Raper) is a hell of a boat. They fish most of the Gulf billfish tournaments and are very good fishermen.

[Nightfighter]

Dang...thought them boys only hunted hog.
That's a sweet fish. On a Penn 50W.
Musta been fun. :thumright:

[TITLEWAVE]

Lets hope Im the one to break the record next . We were out that same night and caught one almost legal fish and lost another on a butterfly jig of all things . My buddy decided to drop a jig down for tuna in hopes of snagging one and first drop down a sword chases his jig right up into the lights and eats it , a short run later on the spinning reel resulted in one lost fish but cool none the less . Had a few other bites through out the night but no more hook ups , and trolled up one white marlin before even getting to the sword grounds . I will be exploring the areas beond the tip of the canyon south to find new grounds with possible bigger fish holding and more action . Mike Ellis fishes way west of us so his grounds are out of rangefor us, but there has to be huge swords around the ridge and west florida slope where the water drops from 500 to 1500 in a few miles then drops to over 3000 over the next 5 miles. I have scene pictures at the commercial tackle store in panama city fl from a few years back.They show deck hands sitting on top of giant swords we would all drool over caught in the open gulf, so they are out there . Yes the long ride sucks , but when we are 50 to 70 miles out in the areas mentioned during the day you have serious shots at blue marlin , whites , wahoo , tunas and dolphin every trip out , so its not all that bad out here . A nice combo all day troll/ sword trip has become our new deal and its paid off so far .

[Flyin By]

Very nice.

[Boboe]

Fishing swords among the rigs where you'd fish for yellowfin is also a good idea. I'm not saying fish for them right there 1/4 mile from the rig...but in those waters. The long liners don't like to set in there because of all of the rigs that they'd get their gear draped around (if they're even allowed to long line in that area due to the rigs).

Once we hooked up flipper on an 80W while swording out there. With it locked up we couldn't stop him, so we had to give chase. Over an hour later we saw the "blow marlin" up in the lights and cursed our fate.

[Captain Mike Ellis]

With the fall season coming up, and us over here in LA finding more and better spots for swords being found on every trip. I would expect the gulf sword record to not stand for to long. The swordfishing has started to get big and more and more guys are starting to do it. So it is only a matter of time. Hopefully the big girl will find my boat.
Capt. Mike

[TITLEWAVE]

Originally Posted by Captain Mike Ellis

With the fall season coming up, and us over here in LA finding more and better spots for swords being found on every trip. I would expect the gulf sword record to not stand for to long. The swordfishing has started to get big and more and more guys are starting to do it. So it is only a matter of time. Hopefully the big girl will find my boat.
Capt. Mike

Mike , what are you looking for when targeting gulf swords . Im not asking for numbers(dont fish the same area anyway) , just ideas on what features you find hold fish in the gulf . we fish out of panama city and pensacola and fish the spur like others but i have scoped out a bathy map of the entire gulf , now just looking for some ideas to better target swords in the gulf . I have followed your reports on PFF and rodnreel and see that you have really figured out something because your bringing back some nice fish to the dock , so i figured maybe you would lend some info . Thanks ahead of time .

[Captain Mike Ellis]

Mike, I look for sharp drop in the shelf and for irregular features of the shelf if no sharp dropoffs are to be found in the area I have selected. I am beginning to like the irregular features more than the drops. There are to many hammerheads on the drops. I believe the fish we are catching over here ride the shelf all the way to your area and they just move up and down the line as thier food source does. This explains why one spot that normally holds only small fish get a run of nice ones and the spot that holds larger fish goes barren. I am ready for a good fall season I know the La state record will fall and hopefully the gulf record.
Mike

[TITLEWAVE]

Originally Posted by Captain Mike Ellis

Mike, I look for sharp drop in the shelf and for irregular features of the shelf if no sharp dropoffs are to be found in the area I have selected. I am beginning to like the irregular features more than the drops. There are to many hammerheads on the drops. I believe the fish we are catching over here ride the shelf all the way to your area and they just move up and down the line as thier food source does. This explains why one spot that normally holds only small fish get a run of nice ones and the spot that holds larger fish goes barren. I am ready for a good fall season I know the La state record will fall and hopefully the gulf record.
Mike

thanks Mike .

[CaptainEd]

I'm coming up to Gulf Shores in late October to fish with a few of my buds that live there. We're going to do a few sword trips and see how it compares to S FL.
Florabama (or what's left of it) reserve me a parking spot...

[Disco Lady]

CHEERS! CONO!!!!!!!!!! NICE FISH.