Ed Walker
09-24-2008, 11:18 PM
Not exactly a spearfishing story but thought Id share it
What a day. With my time running out here, and 3 tropical systems screwing things up, I only have another week before I head home to the Tampa Bay area. I have only made one attempt at a daytime swordfishing trip which though educational, didnt provide any bites. Catching one has become a thought consuming obsession over the past year. Until today I had never even seen a live swordfish but as anyone thats been around me lately will attest catching one has been high on my list of goals.
Today there was no one here and I couldnt find anyone else to ride along so I headed out by myself. Seas were nasty 3 to 6 with the tops blowing off. The Stream was running along the edge 33 miles out and thats where I had plotted myself an area to try, essentially a shot in the dark. Three times on the way out I stopped to assess the conditions and considered turning back. Instead I clipped on my kill switch halyard, put a life jacket on the deck, double checked the EPRIB, tried a radio check (no reply) put my Ipod on and pressed forward.
Once on my chosen spot I checked the drift and went about rigging a squid with the boat pitching and rolling. Eventually I managed to get the complex rig together, tie on a homemade 9 pound cement weight and got it going down.
I sent it slower than the last time as I lost some heads previously. After a while I realized that I had let almost all 900 yds off my 50W Shimano Tiagra and it was still going. The depth had risen from 1600 feet to 1300 so I put the reel in gear and the rod tip went right down. Looked snagged to me so I motored back over the edge to try and pull it off. Then the line shook slightly started to rise.... and so did my heart rate.
I cranked until my arms were throbbing and finally got good and tight on something. It pulled some drag but then came up fairly easy. I didnt know what I had exactly. In 20 minutes I had the swivel at the tip and could see my prize, a neon blue fish with an incredible long bill at the end of the remaining 30 feet of leader. He then bolted several hundred yards straight down and I didnt see him again for an hour and ten minutes.
In the interim I did my best to get my stuff together. I had intended to get prepared while drifting and waiting for a bite but didnt get the chance. Id take momentary breaks putting the rod in the holder and getting gloves on, getting the gaff, scizzors in my pocket, ect..and my version of a harpoon-my 130 Rabitech which I had rigged the night before to connect to a rope and perhaps buoys. With the fish taking line in a rod holder I loaded both bands on the gun and rigged a rusty shaft to the 60 foot rope on a life ring and then clipped the anchor ball to that just in case. It was certainly not your average floatline but all I could come up with while hooked up in the middle of the ocean by myself.
I fought the fish from the stern as he fought for 3 1/2 miles up-sea. I kept one motor in slow reverse which, in that wind and current, gave me a pretty good angle on the line. I got the wind-on up at one point and the fish made a dive under the stern. With that amount of pressure on the short stand-up rod I couldnt get around the motors without getting pulled in or washed overboard. I felt a banging on the 300 lb mono wind-on and realized it was the one wheel I had turning on the opposite side of the boat yet it didnt break the line! When I felt the prop I had no choice but to ease the reel into freespool so I could get to the throttle then get around the motors. I got a backlash down in the braid. The 50 feet of topshot mono that I had on the reel was fine so I locked the drag down and made my final stand. I worked way to the bow, sat on a cooler and gave it all I had with only a standard rod belt, no harness. I knew that if he got that leader back out and onto the braid he'd get to a knot and break or tear off. Luckily after a few minutes of back breaking pressure he came up. With the swivel in the tip but 30 feet of leader still out, I wired him in toward the bow. With the leader in my left hand and a loaded euro style speargun in my right I was able to gradually raise him up. Did my best to point it at his head, fired,...and missed! Damn! Now I had a mess; shooting line, spear, leader, rope, all wrapped up together.
Fortunately the fish was pretty tired and I was able to reach an 8 foot straight gaff and stick him in the shoulder near the head. With one hand on the bill and one on the gaff I backed the boat into a swell and heaved and slid most of his body into the splashwell area of my boat. After a short rest I somehow dragged him over the transom and onboard.
And then I yelled YES!!! real loud across the rough open ocean. It was a rare moment and a truly great feeling.
I dunno know what he weighs but his lower jaw to fork measurement is 62 inches and he is pretty big in the girth. Id guess 150 to 180 but Im still buzzing from catching my first sword so who knows.
It was one of the most memorable trips Ive have ever had.
What a day. With my time running out here, and 3 tropical systems screwing things up, I only have another week before I head home to the Tampa Bay area. I have only made one attempt at a daytime swordfishing trip which though educational, didnt provide any bites. Catching one has become a thought consuming obsession over the past year. Until today I had never even seen a live swordfish but as anyone thats been around me lately will attest catching one has been high on my list of goals.
Today there was no one here and I couldnt find anyone else to ride along so I headed out by myself. Seas were nasty 3 to 6 with the tops blowing off. The Stream was running along the edge 33 miles out and thats where I had plotted myself an area to try, essentially a shot in the dark. Three times on the way out I stopped to assess the conditions and considered turning back. Instead I clipped on my kill switch halyard, put a life jacket on the deck, double checked the EPRIB, tried a radio check (no reply) put my Ipod on and pressed forward.
Once on my chosen spot I checked the drift and went about rigging a squid with the boat pitching and rolling. Eventually I managed to get the complex rig together, tie on a homemade 9 pound cement weight and got it going down.
I sent it slower than the last time as I lost some heads previously. After a while I realized that I had let almost all 900 yds off my 50W Shimano Tiagra and it was still going. The depth had risen from 1600 feet to 1300 so I put the reel in gear and the rod tip went right down. Looked snagged to me so I motored back over the edge to try and pull it off. Then the line shook slightly started to rise.... and so did my heart rate.
I cranked until my arms were throbbing and finally got good and tight on something. It pulled some drag but then came up fairly easy. I didnt know what I had exactly. In 20 minutes I had the swivel at the tip and could see my prize, a neon blue fish with an incredible long bill at the end of the remaining 30 feet of leader. He then bolted several hundred yards straight down and I didnt see him again for an hour and ten minutes.
In the interim I did my best to get my stuff together. I had intended to get prepared while drifting and waiting for a bite but didnt get the chance. Id take momentary breaks putting the rod in the holder and getting gloves on, getting the gaff, scizzors in my pocket, ect..and my version of a harpoon-my 130 Rabitech which I had rigged the night before to connect to a rope and perhaps buoys. With the fish taking line in a rod holder I loaded both bands on the gun and rigged a rusty shaft to the 60 foot rope on a life ring and then clipped the anchor ball to that just in case. It was certainly not your average floatline but all I could come up with while hooked up in the middle of the ocean by myself.
I fought the fish from the stern as he fought for 3 1/2 miles up-sea. I kept one motor in slow reverse which, in that wind and current, gave me a pretty good angle on the line. I got the wind-on up at one point and the fish made a dive under the stern. With that amount of pressure on the short stand-up rod I couldnt get around the motors without getting pulled in or washed overboard. I felt a banging on the 300 lb mono wind-on and realized it was the one wheel I had turning on the opposite side of the boat yet it didnt break the line! When I felt the prop I had no choice but to ease the reel into freespool so I could get to the throttle then get around the motors. I got a backlash down in the braid. The 50 feet of topshot mono that I had on the reel was fine so I locked the drag down and made my final stand. I worked way to the bow, sat on a cooler and gave it all I had with only a standard rod belt, no harness. I knew that if he got that leader back out and onto the braid he'd get to a knot and break or tear off. Luckily after a few minutes of back breaking pressure he came up. With the swivel in the tip but 30 feet of leader still out, I wired him in toward the bow. With the leader in my left hand and a loaded euro style speargun in my right I was able to gradually raise him up. Did my best to point it at his head, fired,...and missed! Damn! Now I had a mess; shooting line, spear, leader, rope, all wrapped up together.
Fortunately the fish was pretty tired and I was able to reach an 8 foot straight gaff and stick him in the shoulder near the head. With one hand on the bill and one on the gaff I backed the boat into a swell and heaved and slid most of his body into the splashwell area of my boat. After a short rest I somehow dragged him over the transom and onboard.
And then I yelled YES!!! real loud across the rough open ocean. It was a rare moment and a truly great feeling.
I dunno know what he weighs but his lower jaw to fork measurement is 62 inches and he is pretty big in the girth. Id guess 150 to 180 but Im still buzzing from catching my first sword so who knows.
It was one of the most memorable trips Ive have ever had.