Pulling back the throttles as we crossed a promising stretch off Miami where we had been consistently catching fish at night, I watched the sounder climb from 1100’ to more than 1500’ in a matter of seconds. This sharp depression would be a good place to start.

Jason rigged a 96 ounce sash weight to one of the bent-butt 80s, and as I diligently held the boat into the current, he carefully deployed the rig complete with green Electralume and large squid towards the bottom more than a quarter of a mile below.   

I really had no expectation of actually hitting bottom, but recommended Jason hold a line counter so we could estimate where our bait was in the water column. Fifteen minutes later, something odd occurred. The rig stopped descending. Somewhat perplexed, Jason blurted, “I hit bottom, now what?”

I promptly asked him what number the line counter read. “1225,” he shouted.

Putting two and two together, my eyes lit up, and just as I turned to look at the rod, it buckled just as the sweet sound of the clicker filled the air. Fish on! 

The swordfish was already well in front of the boat before our angler settled in for a fight that would tax him for well over an hour, with the most difficult portion of the give-and-take battle persuading the powerful gladiator above the 100 foot mark. We watched in amazement as the beaten fish finally rose to the surface. An accurate harpoon shot later and high-fives were passed around as we admired a plump 68” fish lying on the deck with its purple hues glistening in the sunlight.

My first attempt at daytime swordfishing was a success, as were the following nine experimental daytime trips - hooking at least one quality fish every trip and more importantly, honing our skills with each new go around. Now that Liquid Gold has visited the daytime swordfish grounds on more than three dozen occasions, we’ve refined our tactical approach to somewhat of a science. Keep in mind, however, that while each successful crew has their own unique method of approach, what you are about to read has proved deadly effective for us. Nevertheless, if something is working well for you, then by all means stick with it and please share the information.  

Fixed-weight System –vs- Breakaway-weight System:

Basically, daytime swordfishing is all about presenting baits in the strike zone near the bottom close to 2000 feet below. We know for certain that during daylight hours, swordfish retreat back into the pitch black bottom third of the water column from their usual nighttime hunting grounds in the upper portion of the Gulf Stream. Fishing the bottom so far below for such a large predator brings a whole new meaning to deep-dropping and generally involves two different types of rigs, the fixed-weight system which involves attaching a five to seven pound sash weight that stays affixed to the rig throughout deployment and the forthcoming battle, and a breakaway-weight system which leaves the sash weight on the sea floor after dragging your bait into the deep, dark depths.

The fixed-weight system consists of a heavy duty three-way swivel similar to the one used on a typical snapper/grouper deep-drop rig. The weight is attached to the bottom ring of the swivel with ten feet of mono. The leader leading to the bait - 30-50 feet of 300lb. mono - is attached to the leading ring of the three-way swivel and is finished off with a crimped 11/0 Owner Jobu hook. This leader is where your choice of light source is attached. Your running line coming from your rod and reel is attached to the top ring of the swivel with a double line or wind-on leader. Once the rig – hopefully with broadbill attached - reaches the surface during the retrieval process, a qualified deckhand will need to leader the daytime trophy to within gaffing range.    

The breakaway-weight system is executed slightly different. This variation starts with leader system that is typically used during normal nighttime operations. Your main running line connects to a wind-on leader with a simple loop-to-loop connection. From there, it’s ten feet of 250lb. leader via heavy duty ball-bearing swivel to the same 11/0 hook. Along with a light source, completing the rig is a 32oz. bank sinker attached approximately 20 feet from the bait with the use of waxed thread or a rubber band.

With the breakaway-weight system, the sash weight is attached directly to the baited hook with a length of 10lb. mono. When the bait reaches the strike zone so far below, the drag is tightened and the sash weight (typically seven to ten pounds) is broken off, essentially leaving your bait not far from the sea floor with only the bank sinker to keep slack out of the line. Because the sash weight is attach to the hook, this rig can be deployed quickly because the angler does not have to worry about the leader wrapping around the main line. However, as you will soon find out, a bit of inventive rigging now comes into play.  

Deploying either rig requires proper etiquette; however, this is especially true with the fixed-weight system where it is imperative to deploy the bait slowly – occasionally stopping to allow the leader with baited hook to catch up with the sash weight.

Take it from personal experience; there is nothing worse than spending 20 minutes to deploy your bait to the desired depth only to be left wondering if it is tangled and you’re completely wasting your time.   

Proper bait rigging – a must for busting breakfast broadbills!

By now, you’ve surely realized that successful deep-dropping for swordfish comes with its own unique set of challenges, one of which is perfect bait presentation. Our experiences have led us to two prime choices; large squid and bullet bonito. The rig you choose will dictate how and which bait to fish.

With the fixed-weight system, rigging your bait so that it flutters naturally is crucial as most of your strikes will come while carefully deploying the bait into the depths. I recommend squid rigged with a  typical “pin rig” where a short tag of heavy mono is left hanging out of the upper portion of the crimp connecting the hook to the leader. The hook is then inserted just below the mantle and pulled through until the tag end of the leader protruding from the crimp is literally inside the tip of the squid like a finger inside a glove. From this point, stitch the top of the squid to the mono leader and the head to the body.

With the breakaway-weight system, fresh bonito has proved the most enticing. There are two options here. Bullets can be rigged similar to that of pitch-baits intended for marlin where a bridle is fashioned with a series of stitches through the body which proceed to secure the gill plates and mouth closed before exiting and forming a three inch loop off the nose of the bait. Insert the hook through this loop, twist tight, double back and cinch tight. Limbering the bonito so that it’s flexible and has proper “swimming action” is a must.  

The alternative is even more technical and requires running the leader through the body of the bait with the hook ultimately exiting the mouth. After sewing the gill plates shut, the mouth is stitched closed through the eye of the hook. A 10lb. test piece of mono is sewn through the upper and lower jaw of the bait and tied to a seven pound sash weight. Slicing through the depths head first, this bait can be deployed quickly. Once in the strike zone no more than 200 feet off the bottom, the heavy sash weight is broken off by abruptly stopping the downward progress of the weight. Your inviting bullet is now hovering free.   

Before deploying any bait into the depths, pre-check the way it is swimming for a couple of minutes as the captain holds the boat into the current. Ideally, the offering should “swim” with an enticing side-to-side action. If any unnatural patterns are detected, especially spinning, the bait needs to be re-rigged. A horrible presentation could be disastrous by causing severe line twist and ultimately, wasting valuable fishing time.

One thing you will discover quickly is that the Gulf Stream flows swiftly and other than its northerly direction, it is unpredictable. Always carry an assortment of sash weights to suit whatever conditions greet you.

Manual –vs- Electric. What’s right for you?

The debate over manual versus electric reels when deep-dropping for any species is one that will go on long after you read this editorial. After experimenting with both, my mind is made up, but ultimately, the choice is yours. Purists will try and convince you there is a huge thrill in pulling on fish without electric assist and that they wouldn’t even consider doing it any other way. Nevertheless, the benefits of an electric reel when facing such extremes are undeniable.

If you do choose to go traditional, do yourself a favor and rig with a breakaway sash weight. If not, float the up to ten pounds of lead to the surface like you would an anchor. By attaching a small polyball with a stainless ring to your main line and proceeding to head into the current, you can “float” your sash weight back to the surface. The captain can then back the boat at down while the angler retrieves line.

With either manual reels or electric, braided line is not necessary, but highly recommended. Not only will it greatly increase your line capacity, but braided line’s no-stretch characteristics help keep you connected with almost 2000 ft. of line out.

Spool with nothing less than 130lb. test.

Putting all of the pieces together.

When deep-dropping for swordies, proper boat handling is paramount. Maintaining your running line as vertical as possible will help keep your bait in the strike zone, thus greatly increasing your odds of a strike. Essentially, the boat’s bow needs to puncture the current as the helmsman steadfastly keeps the vessel almost stationary. Taking this, too, into consideration, makes it easy to see why a competent crew is highly recommended when chasing daytime swords.

For those addicted to the Dark Side, daytime swordfishing is played out slightly deeper than our typically nighttime drifts with the most productive zone proving to be 1600 to 2000 feet in areas with abrupt changes in bottom contour such as steep drop-offs, depressions, and towering hills or humps protruding from the sea floor. While fish can be caught year round, pleasant weather with light winds facilitate proper presentations.

Stay tuned as next issue, we’ll discuss hook-setting and fish fighting techniques and reveal proven GPS coordinates guaranteed to produce breakfast broadbills.

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