Local swordfish tactics are coming into the light
Ed KillerThe warm blue waters of the Gulf Stream chug along just offshore of the eastern Florida coastline carrying with them a bounty of mysterious sea life. There is a cornucopia of creatures floating along in the currents.
Some are as small as a single cell. Others are as large as a boxcar.
But for the fishermen who ply these waters, the biggest game fish they can regularly target with success is nicknamed the "gladiator of the sea." For anglers who wish to reel in a swordfish weighing between 200 and 600 pounds, the gladiator part of its personality is put on full display once the deep-dwelling leviathan is pulled closer to the surface.
Into the light
Capt. Geoff Quatraro, of White's Tackle in Fort Pierce, has been fishing for swordfish off the Treasure Coast since 2002. In recent years, he said area anglers have adopted one significant change to their fishing techniques when it comes to searching for a swordfish steak dinner.
"Instead of fishing for them during the night," Quatraro said, "anglers are catching them during the daytime."
It changes everything for anglers from tackle requirements to boat handling to bait presentation.
"Fishing for swordfish during the daylight hours requires much heavier equipment like curved butt fishing rods," he said. Quatraro said a 6½-foot, 80-pound deep drop-style rod is needed as opposed to slightly lighter stand-up gear used by nighttime anglers.
"A rod is typically outfitted with a big electric reel such as a Lindgren Pittman S-1200, a Hooker Electric/Shimano Tiagra 80 Wide or a Daiwa MP3000 — large 80-wide style reels with electric motors on them," he said. "Anglers spool up 65- or 80-pound test braided line on them. Some anglers fish two or three rods and attach a buoy to one line in order to cover a wide section of bottom topography, and increase their chance at a hook-up."
More:Treasure Coast Fishing Report: A trout in the grass
Quatraro said one of the biggest differences in the swordfish behavior between nighttime and daytime is where the large fish spends its time hunting. At night, Quatraro learned the swordfish will feed near the "surface" in about 500 feet of water, he said.
"They come up higher in the water column to hunt during the night when a lot of the other food fish they are after, like squid and shrimp and other small fish, move up," he said. "When fishing during the daytime, it's important to put the baits very close to the bottom in 1,300 to 1,500 feet of water."
That depth is about 23 miles east of St. Lucie Inlet, 30 miles east of Fort Pierce and nearly 40 miles off Sebastian, or just under halfway to Bahamian international waters. Since swordfish can only be caught in federal waters along the Treasure Coast, a Highly Migratory Species permit is required from NOAA before a catch.
Quatraro said the typical setup for daytime swordfish action is to tie on 150 feet of 250- to 300-pound test monofilament wind-on leader with 6 to 8 feet of 300-pound mono on the end attached to a 9/0 to 11/0 hook.
"Guys are using all kinds of baits," Quatraro said. "Some use squid like the nighttime swordfishers did, but many others use parts of what they caught recently like the belly section of a dolphin (mahi mahi), kingfish or bonito strip. Others are using American eels. Guys in Miami have started using non-native snakeheads caught in freshwater. I know some guys who have caught swordfish using artificial lures like Hogy's large 18-inch slender rubber bait. Swordfish seem to go for all of these."
To get the bait down to the bottom, Quatraro said anglers are using a 12-pound sash weight hooked on about 150 feet from the hook so as not to spook the swordfish.
Quatraro said after dark, anglers were accustomed to drifting with the current often in the shipping lanes with near passes from cargo freighters and cruise ships. But the daytime anglers actually "power drift," he said.
"They use the motors a lot more to keep the boat tight with the bait directly below by bumping into and out of gear into the current," he said.
Unfortunately, daytime anglers have fewer tales of several hourslong back-breaking battles with these beasts of the sea. The use of electric reels means the angling portion of the "fight" involves more index finger and less pumping and grinding on the rod.
The change has resulted in an increased catch of bigger swordfish by recreational anglers, Quatraro said.
"The night time guys who knew more about the fishery and spent more time fishing had a better chance of catching a 200-pounder," Quatraro said. "But since the daytime techniques have begun being used more, 200-pounders are being caught more frequently."
White's Tackle Swordfish Shootout
What is it: Fort Pierce's first big game fishing tournament
When: Aug. 11-13
Captain's meeting: Begins at 4 p.m. Aug. 11
Fishing: Anglers can begin fishing after the captain's meeting
Fishing time: Two days and two nights
Weigh-in: Boats must be in the Fort Pierce City Marina basin by 4 p.m. Aug. 13
Also: Weigh-in and awards party is open to the public and free at Fort Pierce City Marina beginning at 3 p.m. Aug. 13
Payout: Cash prizes
Entry: $1,200 per boat
Rules and information: Stop by White's Tackle in Fort Pierce, Stuart or Vero Beach, or call 772-461-6909
Swordfish regulations
Minimum size: 47 inches measured from lower jaw to fork length of tail
Bag limit: One per harvester per day not to exceed maximum of four per vessel (not-for-hire) or 15 per for-hire vessel
What else: All landed swordfish must be reported to NOAA within 24 hours at 800-894-5528. A Highly Migratory Species permit is required in federal waters. Zero daily bag and possession limit for captain and crew of for-hire vessels. For complete state fishing regulations, go to MyFWC.com.