Swords Up North

[TimmyTightLines]

I just got back from New Jersey where I fished all summer. The news is swordfish are making a big come back up there. I worked on a local charter boat with a captian that fished the Hudson Canyon for 30 years. I asked him if they caught many swords and he said 2 or 3 a year. The primary fish targeted is yellowfin tuna and the swordies were a lucky bycatch.

I asked the captian if he was willing to let me try some South Florida swordies techniques while we were chunking at night for yellowfin. He gave me the freedom to run the pit as long as I put meat in the box for the customers. So our first overnight trip I setup the hydroglow, a spread of marked lines with rigged squid and LPs and then began the standard chunking procedure for tuna. Our charter was amazed with the hydroglow and the life that it attracted and even the old salt captian was paying close attention to my rigging and spread presentation.

Our first bite of the night came within 20 minutes and it was on the swordie rod I quickly came tight on the fish and passed it off the the customer. As soon as the transfer took place a I saw the light rocket toward the surface and a nice swordie started tail walking. I don't know who was more excited the customer, me or the captian and after a 45 minute fight we boated our first sword of the canyon season. The fish went around 100.

We made 15 overnighters in Sept and Oct and hooked a sword on every trip but one. We had 4 for 4 nights, 400lb fish in the lights and went 7 trips in a row boating a fish. It was a blast not to mention boxing up on 60 -90lb yellowfin in the mean time. Word traveled fast around the dock and other boats began getting in on the action. A friend on another boat went strictly swordfishing in and area know to hold big swords. He went 1 for 4 boating a 375lber which was the smallest of all the fish he hooked. They were dumped twice and lost a fish estimated at 500. They were out matched using all 50s. He said he would not do that fishing again without 130s.

These fish made a strong showing in the Northeast this season and brought back a fishery much like that in South Florida. It was nice to see and I hope it continues for many seasons to come.

[SnapperCelia]

Awesome!!! Thanks for the report and good info.

[Jcwell]

Hello Timmy,
Good to hear that this bit of a swordfish rebound (if you can call it that) is not just happening in Florida. Nice to hear it was pretty steady at the Hudson. You may want to check out another Hudson story & picture. 405 lb fish fought out of their inflatable...here's the link.

http://www.noreast.com/discussion/Vi...topic_ID=18118

We also fish up north out of cape cod. Had one overnight this year, third week in Sept, Got a dozen Mahi, Four Albacore, Three Yellowfins to 80 lbs, Three for three releases on white marlin all trollin. Overnight, we chunked for tunas, nothing til 2:00 am with a light run-off, "probably a Mahi" as he sees the boat, "oh no its a yellowifn", after 15 more minutes we see color & there's a sword attached, about a 80 pound swordie in the boat. Ten minutes later, another easy take, followed by a stong steady run-off, not a deep one & its on the surface & then down again, taking 3/4 of my line off a 50lb Penn SV two-speed. After fighting the fish for 45 minutes, I had to hand-off to move the boat so we could back off the line that had gone under & quickly forward on our 58' sportfish. After clearing it succesfully & another 15 minutes, the fish chaffed through our 80 lb Fluoro leader. :cry: Next year it's 80's, light stick's & heavy leader. We will be spending the winter in Stuart Fl this winter with occasional trips to Lauderdale & Key largo from Nov 20 to May. Do you know if these fish hang around down south all year?? Are some months better than others? Please can someone
let us know, we're hooked. :!:

[Tim]

Jcwell,

I can tell you that we are entering prime time down in south florida for swordfishing. This time last year, we are all catching at least 1 swordfish a night, and hooking up to 5 or 6 is not uncommon. We have all come to the conclusion that swords have soft mouths and do not fight them at more than 12 lbs of drag, but there are people that will button up on them to get them in quickly....

Many of us do not use flouro leader, but just 300-400 mono because of the incredible give mono gets. We also can debate using double hook rigs verse single hook. A lot of the guys on this board know what they are talking about and most of us are out atleast once a week, wheater permitting.

Welcome aboard. It is a severe addiction... but what a rush! :lol:

I posted that pic in the gallery of that 400lber!!! Sweet.

[Tim]

Timmy,

Can you recommend some charters for up that way. I'm thinking of heading up there for a sword/tuna chater.