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S11:E1 - “The Lessons Of Swordfish” (2019) - Captains Scott Walker & Steve Rodger cover Swordfish & why you should never underestimate their bill
Scott and Steve discuss their tips and tricks on catching the biggest fish in the Florida Keys: swordfish. When fishing for swordfish, you are fishing in deep waters of 1800-1900 feet, so you will need close to 2,000 feet of fishing line. Because you will be fishing in greater depths, you will need at least 6-12 pounds of lead to hold and keep down the line from floating upwards.
One of the biggest challenges of catching swordfish is the bait, and how the bait is secured onto the hook. Swordfish will begin to slash away at bait, and it might be an hour or so before realizing there is no bait left on your line. For your bait, grab tough strips of fish, like bonita, and attach and stitch it securely to your hook. Stitching the bait to the hook will guarantee that the bait won’t be slashed by the swordfish.
Next, put a piece of dolphinfish, like an egg sack, in between the bonita strips and stitch those together. Afterwards, place a fake bait of squid up on top of your bait to keep the line from spinning. If your line spins, the swordfish won’t be attracted to your bait, so make sure the bait is secure and fastened on your hook.
Once on the water, a tell-tale sign of being near swordfish is reeling up quite a few squid. Squid is a swordfish’s favorite food, and whenever a squid is around, a swordfish won’t be too far behind.
Our underwater cameraman, Jake Perry, had a close encounter with a swordfish when filming an episode check out the story here (Swordfish Stab Survivor on WaypointTV). Jake advises never to be between a fish and the boat, especially a swordfish, because they will quickly try to attack you. In Jake’s experience, he was situated between the boat and fish while underwater, and the swordfish rammed straight into Jake’s camera. Though Jake wasn’t injured, be mindful that swordfish are a very aggressive fish, and they will do damage if you’re not careful.
That being said, “sword-wishing” isn’t an easy task. It’s difficult to catch a swordfish, but definitely rewarding in the end. Using these tips, you will be sure to have a better outcome in your next trip for catching swordfish.
As always, we had Jason Stemple with us to document this trip in ultra high quality still photos. Here are some of my favorites. Enjoy!
See you next time on Into The Blue
Capt. Scott Walker & Capt. Steve Rodger
S12:E10 - “Great Bait! I’m Hooked” (2020)
Capt Scott Walker and Capt Steve Rodger break down the best-kept secret bait spots in the Keys.