Author: Capt. Charlie Ellis

We were very privileged to have Dr. Alix Salvant as well as his friends and family aboard the Marauder yesterday.  Our ultimate goal was to bring home some grouper but we set out offshore in the morning to see if the sailfish were feeling frisky. Large baits for the kite were sparse around Bug Light, but the crew opted to pitch in a few dollars and pick up some pilchards from the live bait boat.  We charged offshore into a sporty seaway with a course set for our favorite wreck, hoping to put the hooks in a few late season amberjack.  Between the swells, wind, and strong current it was difficult to maintain position over the wreck with any consistency.  We managed a few drifts but the jigs turned up nothing.  The sounder was somewhat empty as well, marking a few scattered fish patrolling the north side of the wreck but no significant schools or bait balls.  As the wind and chop got the better of us, we decided to run a bit farther south off and start our drift in hopes of luring a sailfish.

The wind was a steady 12 to 15 knots out of the East which helped us to gradually fish our way from 225′ in towards 140′. Todd was quick to deploy the midwater rods while I put the kite in the air. As soon as the short bait went into the water, a schoolie mahi grabbed the mid-line and took off towards the bow.  He spit the hook before I could get tight but Todd was quick to connect on another fish trailing closely behind.  Our angler made short work of him and in the box he went. Oddly enough, no other schoolie’s stuck around even after I launched a few live chummers over the side.

The next three drifts did not produce a single hit.  The wind made it easy to cover a variety of depths, but our full spread (four mid water rods, one deep rod, and three kite lines) turned up nothing. We packed it in and headed for the reefs hoping the snapper and grouper were ready to play.

I’ve done a fair bit of diving on the reefs south of Fowey Rocks the past year, but I haven’t had a chance to aggressively fish everything i’ve explored. Back in the summer, I had found a really nice ledge that drops off from 25′ to 40′ with lots of overhangs, coral heads, and rocks…i figured this would be a prime opportunity to give it a go.  We anchored up in a prime position and deployed the chum…within 5 minutes yellowtails started swirling behind the boat while the ballyhoo showed up in droves.  We immediately began pulling a few snappers in the boat but they were all small. Certainly a far cry from the epic yellow tail snapper fishing we enjoy in Islamorada. While the crew was busy bailing the snappers, I rigged one of my Penn Formulas with a dropper rig and a big blue runner.  I Sent him down to the bottom and kept him just a few inches off the rocks. I’ve always found the key to successful bottom fishing is to “bounce” the weight on the bottom to avoid getting snagged – this keeps the bait just off the bottom and in a perfect position to get hammered. Within just a few minutes of the runner hitting the bottom, the rod doubled over and started ripping drag.  It was a bruiser grouper right off the bat…definitely a bit of momentum to get our reef fishing trip underway.

With a fat 26″ fish on ice, we put a pilchard down on the formula to see what else wanted to play. Within seconds…whomp! The rod doubles over again and we were on!  Another fat grouper! This one was barely hooked in the tip of the lip ,but it fought hard the entire way to the surface.  I’m not sure how  that fish managed to stay hooked, but as soon as it was within reach i grabbed him by the gills and pulled him over the gunnel.  Another fat fish!

The fishing slowed down as the yellowtail got their fill of chum and the clock wound down on our half day trip. We surfed our way back in the following sea, excited that we’d found a productive grouper hole which we’ll be sure to hit again before the end of the season. Trolling for grouper has also been productive on the reef ledges off the ragged keys down towards Elliott Key, but i’m always a fan of fishing big live baits on the bottom. With heavy fluorocarbon and big circle hooks – you just can’t miss!

Alright, so maybe this isn’t particularly fishing related – but how cool is this!? I almost couldn’t believe what I was reading when I stumbled across the news that a WWII fighter plane had been found off Miami Beach!

You have to wonder just how many other wrecks and other treasures lay in the depths off the coast of Miami…after all, this is a major shipping port that has been rocked by hurricanes for decades. While there are dozens of known wrecks that went down in storms or were intentionally sunk to form artificial reefs, i’d be willing to bet there are even more that remain undiscovered.

According to the original coverage by NBC 6, the Hellcat was discovered back in June, but news has just gone public. The company which discovered the aircraft, OceanGate Inc, found the fighter plane using high-frequency sonar and and high-definition photo equipment while gathering data on artificial reefs in Miami-Dade waters.

…and while the picture provided to the media (above) is somewhat blurry – is that a lionfish hanging under the wing?? Hard to believe how many there really are lurking around the wreck.

Using strong, durable, and reliable knots offshore is a lesson every saltwater angler learns at some point in their career. Of the thousands of variables you can’t control when fishing offshore, tying strong, durable knots is one of the few keys to success which rests in your hands…literally. Whether you’re rigging baits ahead of time or prepping a pitch bait on the fly, mastering these essential offshore knots will help you to land that fish of a lifetime, and can give you the upper hand when a fish fight plays out longer than expected.

Line to Leader Knots:

• Double Uni Knot
• Albright Knot
• Bristol Knot
• Seaguar Knot
• Yucatan Knot

Loop Knots

• Bimini Twist
• Perfection Loop
• Spider Hitch

Leader to Hook or Lure

• Uni Knot
• Tuna Knot
• Palomar Knot
• Snell a Hook
• Haywire twist

The Double Uni Knot

This is one of the most common, and toughest, line to line connections you can tie. We use this knot when securing monofilament to braid or for securing mono to fluorocarbon.  I’m personally a huge fan of this connection because it maximizes the strength of the line to line connection – essentially you’re putting two unit knots back to back and squeezing them together. This knot can also be tied between two loops, which is handy if you need to join two sections of braided line.

The Albright Knot

Another go to knot you should have in your arsenal, the Alrbight Knot is famous from its original application in the back country by legendary fishing guide Jimmy Albright. This is one of the most tried and true fishing knots on the saltwater scene and can be utilized in a variety of situations.  This knot is excellent for joining to segments of line which are equal in diameter. While it’s not ideal for situations where serious pressure will be put on the line, this is a general purpose knot which can be tied quickly and reliably. This knot is also handy for joining mono to wire leader for kingfishing.

The Bristol Knot (AKA the “No Name Knot”)

While I personally favor the double uni knot over the Bristol knot – the Bristol knot is easier and faster to tie.  In a pinch its quick to deploy and is a strong connection that rarely fails.  If you’re careful about snugging down the connection as you pull tight on both ends, the knot forms smoothly and can withstand significant strain. The other advantage to the Bristol knot is that it forms smooth, which means it can flow through rod guides without snagging in any way.

The Seaguar Knot

Flourocarbon is notorious for being stiff, making it difficult to tie into strong knots – especially when you leverage leader material in excess of 40lb.  While Flourocarbon is an essential leader material offshore, if you fail to tie knots securely in this material everything will come unglued at the worst possible time.  Flourocarbon also gets “sharp” when you tie knots with it, and it can cut through mono if you don’t use a secure connection. When tying heavier class flourcarbon leader, we like to use the Seaguar knot – it’s strong, secure, and reliable.

The Yucatan Knot

While i’m not a significant advocate of this knot, several of the tuna fisherman i’ve known through the years swear by it. This is arguably the strongest braid to mono or flourocarbon leader knot you can tie and has actually tested stronger than the albright knot in IGFA evaluations (or so i’ve heard). Most of the sources i’ve found online for this knot are inaccurate, but our friends at netknots.com got it right and provide extremely clear instructions on how to form this important braid to leader connection.  I recommend this knot for big game applications, specifically tuna.

Tying Loop Knots

It is absolutely essential that you master a variety of loop knots for offshore fishing applications.  Most importantly, you should be able to tie a Bimini Twist, Spider Hitch, and Perfection Loop.  While there are dozens of loop knots out there, these three are the strongest and best in class for nearly all saltwater fishing applications.  Between the Bimini Twist and the Spider Hitch, your main line connections are pretty much covered.  The perfection loop is ideal for creating leaders which can be clipped to a swivel.

The Bimini Twist

There are hundreds of tutorials out there for the Bimini Twist and several variations of this knot exist. In its classic form, you are essentially wrapping the line over itself creating a “coil” – then securing that coil using a series of half hitches.  In order to work on any charter boat or fish for big game – you need to know this knot inside out and backwards. Bimini’s rarely fail, and its usually the connection to the leader which fails before this knot. While the technique is somewhat challenging and definitely the most difficult knot to master – once you’ve practiced it 100 times – you’ll have it for life.  In my opinion, this is the most frustrating knot to learn, but once you have that “Aha!” moment, you’ll be set.  Then its just a matter of improving on perfection.

Here’s two of my favorite tutorial for tying a bimini twist:

The following version has one subtle difference – see if you can spot it:

The Perfection Loop

For years I was tying a knot which I thought was a perfection loop, but it turned out to be a mir-o-lure knot.  doh!  I learned this lesson quick when I got my first job working on a charter boat. The perfection loop has many applications, but its most common application is creating a leader loop knot which can be clipped to a swivel or clasp. Not only is this a strong and reliable loop knot, it can be tied to a specific size – if you’re like me, i like to keep my loop knots pretty small when i’m attaching them to swivels so there’s less change of the knot wrapping up around metal.

Tying the Spider Hitch

I’m a huge fan of the spider hitch.  I’ve been tying it for years and I can only recall a handful of time when it failed under extreme pressure. Before I mastered the bimini twist over a decade ago, I used the spider hitch religiously.  I’ve caught bull sharks to striped bass using this knot and for offshore anglers who have yet to master the bimini twist – this is a surefire knot which will hold you over.  Be mindful that a spider hitch is not as strong as a bimini…it diminishes the line strength by ~ 10% (whereas a bimini twist maintains 99% of the line’s strength). Still, in most applications a spider hitch will hold you through…and if you ned a quick loop knot that’s strong…this is the way to go. Essentially, you’re doubling the line, wrapping it six or seven times around your thumb, then pulling it through the loop.

Leader to Hook or Lure

This is the heart of your operation and there are few knots which really make the grade. Knots which secure a hook or lure to a line must be durable and capable of withstanding significant pressure over time. These knots are also subject to teeth, substantial movement, and sudden shock – not an easy to handle set of circumstances. These are the knots we use aboard the Marauder to maximize our chances of staying tight on pelagic predators:

Uni Knot (and the Uni Loop Variation)

This is the standard issue knot for securing a hook to a leader in the charter industry. Captains across the eastern seaboard and abroad rely on the unit knot for its strength and unparalleled holding ability. The knot pulls tight against the eye of the hook when finished, or you can pull backward on the tag to create a loop knot variation. Mastering the uni knot is absolutely essential when fishing offshore – learn this knot before any other line to hook or lure connection.

…and here’s the illustrated version:

The Tuna Knot

While im sure there’s a more technical name for this knot, I call it the tuna knot.  I’ve used it for bluefin, blackfin, yellowfin, and just about every other species which pulls like a freight train. This is a super strong reinforced connection that will not pull through.  Your main line will break before this knot does.  While it’s interchangeable with the uni knot – i grew up using this knot for tuna fishing…and still use it to this day.  Saltwater Sportsman put together the best illustration of this knot i’ve seen to date:

Step 2

Step 3

Tying the Palomar Knot

Most freshwater fishermen swear by the Palomar knot – it’s tough and preserves line strength as close to 100% as you can get. It’s also extremely easy to tie. Several of the commercial fishermen I knew who targeted schooled up stripers on the Chesapeake Bay would use the palomar exclusively because you could cut the line and retie each time you brought a fish into the boat. Palomar knots certainly earned their spot in the essential offshore fishing knots list because they are a tried and true tactic for tying on a hook if you’re bailing schoolie dolphin and the bite is hot!

How to Snell a Hook

To be honest, I don’t snell hooks as often as I once did, but this is still an important technique to know. Snelling a hook has specific advantages when it comes to live bait fishing as it keeps the leader in line with the hook, which is often handy when you’re fishing cut bait. Snelling a hook is a strong connection, but aside from that, there’s not a ton of benefit.

The Haywire Twist

This is an essential connection for securing a wire leader to a hook or lure. It’s also one of the easiest knots to tie. Wire leaders are essential when you’re fishing offshore for kingfish, wahoo, or shark, but if you fail to wrap a haywire twist properly – your risk the hook pulling free from the wire! It takes a few tries to master this technique, but once you figure out how to make the wraps tight and finish the knot properly – you’ll be in good shape.

Closing thoughts on Essential Offshore Fishing Knots

Over time, you will learn a variety of knots to suit the type of fishing you undertake most often. If there’s one piece of advice I can provide on the subject of learning knots – its TAKE THE TIME TO MASTER THEM.  Its common when you fish with newbie anglers to see basic knots break…this is frustrating and can cost a crew the fish of a lifetime. As I mentioned earlier, there are thousands of things you can’t control while fishing – but knots are one of the things you can. While this may seem extreme, each time you tie a knot, ask yourself this simple question: “would I trust this with the biggest fish i’ve ever caught?”. Fact is when you’re fishing offshore, you never really know what might grab your bait…and the last thing to risk is an insecure knot.  If you tie a knot that looks awkward, doesn’t seat properly, or something about it doesn’t sit right…re tie it!  The extra time investment can make a world of difference. Check every knot before it goes in the water…and retie all your knots each time you head offshore.  If you catch a fish, cut the line and retie unless the rig is purposed the be used repeatedly.  Fighting big fish puts lots of strain on line and line connections – and even the smallest scrape or knick in a main line or leader can be disastrous.  Be diligent and meticulous about making line to line connections and tying on hooks or lures – the extra effort really pays off when the pressures on.

For complete knot tying resources, I recommend you check out the following sites:

Florida Sportsman Knot Tying
• Animated Knot Tying

Tight Lines,

Capt. Charlie Ellis

It’s a spectacular feeling to catch your first swordfish on the night drift. If you’re lucky, calm seas and moonlight make for an epic back drop to what is surely one of the fiercest pelagic battles you can hope to endure. While its common to get several bites during the course of a night time sword trip – what really matters is staying tight on the fish…and that’s easier said then done.

I’ve been fishing for swordfish in Miami waters since 2005. Since that time, i’ve made enough mistakes and lost enough fish to learn several valuable lessons I thought I’d share with you today. Swordfishing – day time or night time – ain’t easy.  In fact, its one of the most difficult and costly forms of fishing you can undertake.  That being said, there is no greater thrill than learning the art and bringing that fat broadbill in the boat when all is said and done.

Night Time Swordfishing Tips and Techniques – How to Catch Swordfish at Night

If you’re reading this, you may have already made a trip or two on your own and realized something wasn’t right.  No bites? Pulled the hook too many times? Rigging got fouled?  yeah.  I’ve been there.  Anyone who swordfishes on a regular basis knows the sting of defeat is more common than the taste of victory (which tastes like blackened swordfish steaks). My goal here is to clarify the following so you’re well armed to head offshore and catch a swordfish under the night sky:

• Gear and Tackle
• Rigging and Bait
• The Spread and Strategy
• Landing the Fish
• Safety

There are several other guides on the internet which I feel are top quality, and i’ll provide links to those at the end of this article. For now, grab a rum drink and pay attention. Here’s most of the key lessons i’ve learned about fishing for swordfish at night off Miami and Boca Raton.

Night Time Swordfish Gear and Tackle

Now you have to realize, swordfish are powerful predators.  They are one of the strongest and fastest fish in the ocean.  They are also the only fish which can swim from 2000 ft to 20 ft…and back down again, without any metabolic impact. They are almost pure muscle besides their giant bony head, which means they can direct a ton of force to their oversized caudal fin and burn any ill equipped angler in a few seconds. If you’re targeting swordfish by night drifting, you have to be committed to investing in good gear.  Anything less will leave you busted and frustrated. Think of it this way – you spent the money on your boat (or maybe your friend did), fuel, insurance, trailer, docking, shoes for the wife or girlfriend (to make up for your prolonged absence at sea), and a crap load of beer. To chase swordfish with crap equipment is like trying to hunt white tail bucks with a sling shot.  You might get a shot off – but you won’t make a dent!

Essentially, you need the following equipment to make this trip happen:

Reels

We fish Penn International Reels and Shimano Tiagra Reels – but you don’t have to.  Having the extra drag power and durable frame makes a big difference when you’re big game fishing. Okuma and Daiwa also make decent big game reels that are less painful on your wallet…but if you’re going all the way and taking this seriously – buy Penn or Shimano.  I recommend a 50W or 70VS Penn International for night time fishing or a Tiagra 50.  You can get away with a big TLD or a Titus, but you may quickly regret your decision if a slob sucks down a squid off the tip rod.  If you can’t afford a new international or tiagra, spend the time combing ebay and the marine flea markets in south florida.  You will find a deal…just be patient. Fixing the drag on an international isn’t all that hard and most reel shops in the area can do this for you. You can also send your reel directly to Penn or Shimano and they will recondition to factory specs. Make sure when you buy used reels ****READ THIS **** – i’ll say again…make sure when you buy a used reel that you check the drag before you buy.  Know what you’re getting into and realize that you GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.  Do not buy reels from charter boats that have been beat to hell – buy them from a recreational swordfisherman who gave up!  😉

Rods

This is a critical part of the formula.  Swordfish are strong as hell and they will break cheap rods.  I’ve seen it.  It’s hilarious and awesome…but you don’t want to go through it.  Bass Pro specials won’t cut it.  West marine rods won’t cut it (tidewaters suck). Penn stand up combos in the 60 – 80lb class or custom rods from your local shop are the way to go.  I’m a huge fan of Key Largo Custom Rods, Capt Harrys Custom Rods, Biscayne Rods, and Penn Rods.  There are dozens upon dozens of rod manufacturers out there and every one will tell you theirs is “the best”.  Get a bent butt (short butt style) set up ready for a stand up harness.  That’s the best way to go in my opinion. Bent butts are also easier to fish from rod holders while you’re drifting and you can put significant pressure on the fish once you transition to the harness.  It’s also easy to find big game bent butts matched with reels as sets online.  Spend the time to shop around.  But, if you want to spoil yourself and invest in your passion for night time swordfishing – get a custom rod with your name on it.  It makes a difference when its your name on the line.  😛

Braided Line

Do not fish monofilament for swordfish. Im sure i’ll get haters coming out of the wood work to attack me for this recommendation…but don’t do it. When you fish braid, there’s no stretch in the line which means more pressure and better shot at a strong hook set.  Your wind on leader is what should serve as the shock cord in this instance. You need as much muscle power on these fish as you can muster and braided line is better for fishing deep baits (it cuts through the water). I recommend tuff line first and foremost or jerry brown hollowcore. 80# or 100#.  Either way you win.  I like to use white colored line because I can see it better in the spreader lights.  Dark lines disappear in low light conditions. Put a mono backing on the reel and then load that bad boy up with braid.  Put in a loop and use a cats paw to connect your wind -on leader. I wrote an in-depth post about making wind – on leaders which is basically everything you need to get started.

Leader

Use a wind-on leader.  Again, i’m sure hundreds of professional fishermen will disagree and have their own methods…but this is how the best swordfishermen I know haul these monsters in on a consistent basis.  A wind on leader allows you to fight the fish directly to the boat, and it makes a difference when you’re setting out or retrieving the spread.  It’s all about efficiency and durability of the gear – your leader is a critical ingredient so don’t skimp. Use LP leader material or Mamoi – pick your fancy on the strength (minimum 200#).  IGFA rules are a little different, so if you’re a purist be sure to read up on the regulations. Otherwise, bigger is better.

Swivels, Crimps, Connections, Loops, zip ties, long line clips, etc

Use good quality crimps for your leader connections.  Buy a commercial crimping tool so you can really lock down the connections.  It would be stupid to have a crimp pull on a big fish because you bought cheap bass pro crimps instead of Sampo or LP. Buy good swivels -bearing packed barrel swivels or snap swivels will work just fine – just don’t buy bill fisher or el-cheapo.  Invest in good swivels and terminal tackle and you’ll be glad you did when the time comes.  There are some great crimping kits for sale online so spend the time to shop around. Make sure every crimp, loop to loop, splice, or swivel are in good condition…if it doesn’t look right…it isn’t.  Make it again or get another one. You should invest in a splicing kit if you plan on making lots of swordfish leaders.  They’re not cheap but it’s more cost effective in the long haul than buying wind ons from the store.  It’s also a great feeling when you land a swordfish on a wind-on leader that you made.

You’re going swordfishing – so think like a commercial swordfishermen.  You’ll need long line clips, zip ties (assorted sizes), thick rubber bands, wax thread, a file, a good bait knife, rigging needles, tape, wire ties, and a headlamp.  🙂  Buy the best quality you can afford, in bulk if possible.

Pro tip: Buy a line counter so you can tell how deep your baits are on the fly.

Weights

I hate buying lead but its a necessary evil. It gets more expensive every time i go to the store and its the same damn material it was 20 years ago. Market prices are a pain but it is what it is.  You need it.  Stock up on a selection of 24oz, 32oz, and 4 lb stick leads. Being able to set your bait at depth and keep it there in the current is critical. I attach my weights in a variety of ways depending on the conditions…but i’m a big fan of suspending them beneath the light with a super strong rubber band.  That way its easy clip on and clip off the line when you’ve got a fish. I’ve also used long line clips tied to the weight with braided line.  It really depends on the rig you’re using in regards to where the weight is placed on the line…but either way you need to be able to remove the weight fumble free when the pressure is on.  Long line clips are great for this.  I’ve seen guys use zip ties, wire ties, even hair ties to make this happen – but i’m a fan of clip on, clip off.  Easy and fumble free every time.  AND you’re less likely to lose an expensive piece of lead to the abyss.

Lights

I’m not sure who came up with this phrase, might have been Bouncer Smith who solidified it for me, but “no light, no bite!”.  There are dozens of lights on the market – but you should invest in LP electralumes and Duralite Diamond flashers. You will also need a swordlight – I use hydraglow but I don’t recommend them because they break all the damn time.  Find a solid, sturdy, and shock resistant fishing light in green or violet.  I’ve seen alot of boats fishing blue recently…but swords see contrast and are sensitive to light…they bask from time to time and anything that casts a bright hue is probably a good thing. I’m a big fan of the slow color changing LP electralumes, although i’ve had bites on all kinds of colors. I am bias towards the green lights as I think they are more closely representative of bioluminescence…but hey. Its up to you.  You will need lots of cyalume green glow sticks for your buoys so you can see them in the dark.

Hooks

This is a subject of mass debate among swordfishermen.  I’m partial to what the commercial guys use…and also what the BnM boys use. LP 9/0 offset J Hooks, Mustad J Hooks, Jobu Big Game are pretty much the make it or break it selections. LP hooks are super sturdy carbon steel and razor sharp – but not as sharp as the Jobu.  Mustad is tried and true.  My recommendation – buy all of them.  Match the hook to the bait you’re using – i prefer to rig squids with mustads and bridle live baits with LPs. Jobus are great for whole fish like mullett, bonita strips, or lady fish. Don’t go overboard here – you’ll go through hooks but not as many as you think.  More often than not you won’t get cut off, the hook will pull…and big game hooks are not cheap. Choose but choose wisely – just buy quality.

Fighting Belt and Stand Up Harness

You’re in for the battle of your life, so make sure you have a decent stand up harness.  There are dozens of these on the market.  I like Aftco and Black Magic. I’ll leave this one up to you, but make sure its not a cheap belt.  I witnessed a harness fall apart from corrosion while a friend was fighting a swordfish a few years ago…he thought it was a practical joke but it was just shitty gear.  We wound up having to fight the fish from the rod holder because the harness wound up in shreds. Not funny at the time…well, actually…yeah it was funny at the time.  But I would never want that to happen to me. You might also want to bring a thin foam pad to put under the thigh brace – if you’re in for a long fight that belt will get raw on your legs since you’ll likely be wearing a pair of boardshorts.

Buy or make safety lines for all your rods (clip them to cleates on the boat) and one for you. Even the pros run the risk of getting pulled overboard.

Landing Gear and Implements of Destruction for Night Time Swordfishing

I’ll never forget the first time i went night time swordfishing.  I walked onto the dock behind my friend’s house and could not believe how much gear was laying on the deck.  The first thing to catch my eye, besides the shining set of Penn 50 Internationals – was the assortment of gaffs, harpoons, hooks, lancing instruments, a sword (yeah right? wtf?), a bat (metal louisville slugger) and a set of knives. I was shocked. Of particular interest was the flying gaff big enough to land jaws – I couldn’t believe it was a potentially necessary piece of gear.  Damn was it ever. Buy Aftco gaffs – they’re sturdy and true. Get a decent harpoon from your local outfitter and make sure its rigged with a brass dart crimped to a steel leader.  Get plenty of harpoon line and a buoy.  If you’ve never used a harpoon before…its awesome…but learn the tricks to rigging it quick so you can deploy it in a matter of minutes.  Most fish are lost at the boat and the harpoon can be the upper hand you need to succeed. It may not be IGFA legal…but this is meat fishing and not every night is a tournament. Make sure you have a flying gaff, long gaff, and a back up gaff.  I do recommend you bring a machete – but that’s to fend off pirates or cut through fins so you can jam the core in the fish box. Remember – these fish don’t like being caught and most of them are lost at the boat. They will not be happy when they see you and hear you screaming – gaff in the head and tail as quick as you can and pull them to the side of the boat – but landing swordfish is a lesson i believe is earned…it’s a terrifying experience the first two or three times you sink a gaff into a big fish that ain’t quite ready…so go enjoy yourself but remember – that fish would kill you if it could. Be careful.

Buoys

This should technically go under the spread section of this article, but i’m putting it here because you need to make these. You can use milk jugs, balloons, or pool noodles to make your buoys – but make sure you can quickly attach and remove them from the line. I’m a big fan of the empty screw cap water jug with two glow sticks inside.  This acts like a floating lantern, but sometimes its hard to see at night between the waves. A zip tie around the handle will quickly attach to your rubber band in the line. If you’re feeling inventive and crafty, buy a few pool noodles and be creative about placing a piece of PVC inside so you can attach a glow stick at the top and a long line clip at the bottom. Pool Noodle buoys stand up-right in the waves, which makes them easy to see at night. There’s a variety of designs out there for this, but being inventive like this is more fun.

Sea Anchor

You will definitely need one of these.  I made the mistake of buying crap sea anchors for years and i’ve paid the price.  They are not cheap, but get the best and BIGGEST (within reason) one you can afford.  You’ll be glad you did. This is a critical instrument in positioning the boat and keeping your spread organized.  Your boat will spin without this piece of equipment and your lines will tangle.  The speed of your drift is also very important – gotta keep it between 2 and 3 knots – although sometimes a fast drift helps to cover more ground when the fish are scattered. Paratech is the way to go if you can afford it.

Rigging Baits for Night Time Swordfishing

The most important part of your rig is your bait.  Without good bait – you will do no damage.  As you’re learning, alot of things have to come together to make a successful night time swordfishing mission…and the bait is no exception. Rotting squid won’t cut it. Do your best to stock up on frozen or fresh squids which are still in-tact and clean. Baitmasters provides really top notch squid on a consistent basis and most tackle shops in the south florida area carry them.  You can also order them online un-rigged in a variety of sizes. Live bait, if available, is great for fishing at depths of 300 ft or shallower. Live goggle eyes, big blue runners, or tinker mackerel can make a world of difference – but for the most part, squids are the bait of choice for drift fishing.  They can be rigged in a variety of ways, but they present naturally at any depth if set up properly. Squid is also the main food source for swordfish, although they will eat anything.  Whole fresh lady fish are also a terrific bait because they shine in low light conditions and flop along well at depth if sewn together properly.

Once you’ve secured fresh unspoiled squid – make sure to thaw them out in a salty brine. A bag of ice, bucket of water, and 1/4 can of salt is all you need. By thawing squids in salt brine, they retain their natural muscle and don’t thin out – it keeps the bait firm during rigging and while you’re enroute to the sword grounds. Since rigging squids is a topic which has been widely covered by dozens of top notch anglers, here’s a few links to some of the best resources i’ve found on the subject:

• Squid rigging from LMR Tackle
• Squid rigging most viewed on youtube
• Squid rigging thread from SFC
• Squid Rigging results from SFC
• Squid rigging from sportfishing.com

The Spread and Strategy for Night Time Swordfishing

Landing A Swordfish at Night

Safety while Fishing at Night

It’s been a long time coming but im finally stoked that a bit of good vertical jigging karma has come our way.  When I think about all the hours I’ve spent jigging with no luck, the sore arms, the $15 cut offs, hooking bruiser fish only to lose them into structure on the bottom…it’s just downright frustrating.  Vertical jigging is definitely one of the more effective techniques for deep water fishing here in Miami, FL, but it’s certainly an exercise in patience, strength, financial stamina, and endurance.

Todd and I just returned from an extended trip to the Philippines which is why our blog content has waned a bit in the last three weeks.  My apologies for that.  Now that we’re back in the good ol’ US of A we’re full steam ahead on fishing and testing new gear. While we were overseas, we had a limited opportunity to get some fishing done in the remote island of Siargao.  While it’s considered a surfing paradise for the famous cloud 9 break, it’s also a fertile fishing ground.  We gave it two days of diligence trying to track down some pelagics, but with only two bites to show for our 8 hours of trolling, we decided to call it in. We needed a victory to get our fishing karma back on track…why I ever leave Miami for fishing in the first place is beyond me.  We truly live in the sport fishing capital of the world.

Our first venture out on the Marauder following our return from the Philippines was chock full of pelagic ROI. The bait has basically moved on from bug light and we’ve started to turn our attention to the strenuous art of vertical jigging for amberjacks, wahoo, kingfish, and other reef/wreck dwellers. Working several of the wrecks south of Fowey is the name of the game this time of year and we certainly haven’t come up short so far.

Once we hit the bluewater, Todd spotted three frigates working low in about 300′. We had only made one or two drifts on our target wreck with no luck, so my instinct was to keep jigging since I could see the fish on the screen. I knew it was a matter of time/effort before we had them dialed in.  Todd’s persistence to abandon the wreck and chase the birds was dead-on…as soon as we pulled away from the wreck in pursuit of the frigates…the water began to boil and erupt.  What happened next was nothing short of spectacular – a full scale surface blitz of epic proportions.  The schools exploded across the surface all around the boat – bonitas, skipjacks, and blackfins busting all around us.

The fish were going wild and the sea was literally frothing with bait shearing the surface. The skipjacks and bonitas pounded the schools until the bait began to disappear. Todd was quick with a smaller jig and hooked up with a nice Skipjack tuna which Rochelle battled to the boat in just a few minutes.

Once the frenzy subsided we returned to the wreck and began making drops.  The first two passes produced nothing but the third brought a huge hit on a shimano vertical jig. I fought the fish all the way to the surface and finally got a glimpse – a hefty amberjack pulling for its life. I guess I put just a bit too much pressure on that reef donkey because the hook pulled within 20 feet of the boat.  Frustrating, but at least I got the fight out of him. We made another pass and Todd hookedup almost immediately after hitting the bottom and working the jig up the column maybe 30 or 40 feet. About two minutes into the fight the line went slack – a cut off.  Something toothy had the jig.

We reset again, but this time I put on the biggest jig we had on board (basspro special).  I dropped down and began working the wreck.  Nothing.  Dropped down again and BOOM!  Massive strike which buckled my rod in half. I couldn’t believe the weight of this fish.  It was ripping line with the drag nearly locked up (impressive on a penn battle 7000!) and I just couldn’t stop the fish.  After he slowed a bit, I began working him to the surface but damn was he heavy.  At that point I was thinking big. fat. amberjack. A few headshakes here and there, which were unchracteristic of amberjacks, got me thinking this was something else. About ten minutes into the fight (after the fish pulled me around the stern in a big circle) the hooked pulled and my heart sank.  I was miserable but I could feel the weight of the jig and began fluttering it to the surface.  Not five seconds after the jig pulled – WHAM! ANOTHER vicious strike and I was on.  This fish wasn’t as big but was screaming line.  Heavy as hell and staying down.  The new Okuma jig rods we’re fishing are lightweight and awesome…but have no spine.  I pulled and pulled and pulled but just couldn’t get enough leverage to really work the fish.  15 minutes into the fight we’re prepping to release a big amberjack when up pops the leader and…OH S#$%! HUGE WAHOO! Todd and I both freak out because the fish is barely hooked in the tip of the nose and the lanyard for the hook is freyed to all hell!  And we’re missing a hook from the jig!  Todd grabs the gaff and BOOM! Over the side and we just about do a backflip from the adrenaline! Massive wahoo on a vertical jig!?!? Ya gotta be kidding me!

The size of this fish was just staggering to me considering I caught it using a 60lb flourocarbon leader and a vertical jig with one hook attached by a freyed piece of 300lb braid. The fish was hardly hooked!

That picture is straight up shocking no matter how you look at it.  Centimeters from razor sharp teeth and the rigging for the hook shredded to nothing.  Just to really drive home the point, after we pulled the hook out of the fish’s mouth, I pulled just hard enough to snap the remaining line.  It was like breaking dental floss.

My personal theory is that I had another wahoo hooked.  The fish I lost fought exactly like the one we boated and one of the hooks from the jig was missing, but a small shred of line was still tied on. While i’ll never know for sure, i’m convinced I had a bigger wahoo hooked which sawed through the braid and this fish was trailing it the entire time.  When the jig came loose, this fish smacked it and was just a little less lucky. 😉

What can I say, back in the states 24 hours and I land my personal best wahoo on a vertical jig. I guess the sea gods are smiling on us and sending us a reminder to stay in our home waters. We’ve got some awesome trips lined up for the month ahead including swordfishing with Nick Stanczyk, the Miami Swordfish Tournament, and a few jigging trips in between.

Mabuhay!

Im not as much of a shark junkie as Todd, but i’ve landed my fair share of them through the years. Close encounters aside, i’m constantly amazed by the size and quantity of sharks i’ve seen in the shallow waters of Biscayne Bay.  In fact, i’ve seen more sharks in shallow water than i’ve ever seen in deep water – anywhere in the world. I wasn’t particularly surprised when this clip wound up in my inbox, but i’m certainly shocked by the proximity of these fish to the beach!

I can’t believe this image…

A great white in less than 10 feet of water? Off Cape Cod?  Now…i don’t read the news much…and I certainly don’t watch any TV – but i haven’t so much as heard one damn thing about a rising great white population off Cape Cod.  Has it always been this way and no one really paid attention? Or are these sharks moving closer to shore in search of an easier food source (i.e. seals, tunas, obese humans)?

Either way I can’t get the famous scenes from Jaws out of my head. That clip brings back my urge to buy an old Novi and recondition it as the Orca.

Here’s to swimmin’ with bowlegged women!

We had an interesting turn of events to kick off our first trip of the month (8/1). Nicolas, Juana, and Constantino joined us for an edge fishing trip with the ultimate goal of fishing inshore for sharks. As with any shark trip, the trick is to load up on fresh bloody bonito. We left the dock promptly at 5p.m. and headed out to bug light to see if any pilchards were still prowling the grass flats to the south of the tower. For the last few months, bait has been extremely consistent near the bug light…but it appears our luck is finally starting to wear off. This was the second trip in a row where pilchards were not plentiful around the bug light.  We worked the tower and caught a few small jacks, then headed over to the red marker in search of threadfins.  The water was clear which made catching the threads difficult.  With about two dozen baits in the well, we headed out to the yellow can to start our first drift.

As we pushed past the 130′ mark, the water was very dirty – and remained dirty out to 300′! The current was non existent, despite a slight edge around 190′.  We made our first drift right on the edge, which ended in a few tangles and no fish. We pressed farther out in search of slightly better water and set up in 220′ just as the sun was starting to get low.  Not 10 minutes after resetting the spread, the stern line starts screaming! This was no bonito! We got tight on the fish and Constantino went to work on him. After a 15 minute fight, we had a 25lb king at the boat! The circle hook did its job – as this fish was hooked right in the corner of the mouth. An impressive feat considering we rigged with a 50lb fluorocarbon leader! Congrats to Constantino on his personal best kingfish!

We reset the spread one more time before the sun went down but couldn’t manage a bonito. Although bonito’s make for excellent shark fishing, we figured a big oily kingfish would work just as well. We enjoyed a beautiful sunset and made our way back to our favorite shark spot.

The light faded quickly once the sun dipped below the  horizon, but the moon was glowing bright.  The night before the full moon always delivers crazy tides, which makes for strong current in our shark spot. The stronger the current the better! We anchored up and butterflied the kingfish to get the chum slick in action. Normally, we fish very heavy tackle for sharks (you never know what lurks in biscayne bay!) – we rigged a 6ft steel leader with a 9/0 J hook and sent it back in the slick with a bloody piece of kingfish.  While the bait marinated, Contstantino went to work fishing a jig off the bow while Juana helped rig a small jack on a baitrunner.  While we were working on the rig – a huge splash erupted behind the boat and the line started screaming!  Carlos was quick to grab the rod – let the fish run – then set the hook masterfully! We were all confused because most sharks we catch in the bay don’t come flying out of the water behind the boat!  After Nicolas and Constantino worked the fish for a few minutes – we couldn’t believe our eyes when an enormous tarpon came leaping out of the water again!  It defied all logic – but one of the biggest tarpon i’ve seen in Miami ate our kingfish bait – steel leader and all! After several blistering runs, the tarpon wore down and we were able to bring it boatside for a few pictures before releasing him to fight another day.

I’ve caught well over a 100 tarpon in my lifetime, but this was one of the larger fish i’ve landed in Miami.  Congrats to Nicolas on wrangling this bruiser tarpon to the boat with poise and skill.  I’m still shocked the fish ate a chunked piece of kingfish on a steel leader – in my experience i’ve never seen this happen.  All the tarpon i’ve ever caught have been with mono or flourocarbon leader…a fish this big taking a bait on a shark rig astounds me.

Shortly after we released the tarpon we packed up and headed home. Another victory aboard the Marauder.  Congrats to Constantino on his personal best Kingfish and Congrats to Nicolas on his personal best Tarpon!

The slow hot days of August are upon us.  It’s literally roasting outside and the glare from slick calm seas makes the boat feel like a giant solar oven. The sailfish have mostly moved on, less a few stragglers, and we’ve started focusing our efforts on swordfish, mahi mahi, kingfish, and big amberjacks.  The calm weather affords us the opportunity to explore a few new spots and get a very solid read on bottom structure.

Today Greg Shaugnnesy (of Jigging.com fame), Tim, Vince, Walt and Scott joined us for a vertical jigging bonanza. Greg’s a dedicated vertical jigging enthusiast and has landed everything from wahoo to cobia – jigging the wrecks off Miami. His arsenal of neon colored prismatically reflective  jigs is unlike any i’ve seen before. He swears by them and has nothing short of mastered the technique. When you’re fishing a stella paired wth a cape cod jigging stick – the odds are surely in your favor.

The first wreck we hit produced solid action most of the morning.  We marked fish immediately on the first pass…and hooked up on the first drop. Greg was the first to connect, boating a “sport” sized amberjack.

In between bonita hits, we dialed in the fish more precisely with each pass over the wreck.  The fish were slamming our vertical jigs anywhere from 30′ to 50′ directly above the wreck.  We had them clearly marked on the screen – schooled up – and recognized they were holding into the current at the north side of the wreck. The next fish to come aboard slammed a glow jig just off the bottom.

It was only a matter of time before we honed in on the bigger fish working the wreck.  We could see the school on the sounder every other pass – so we knew they were cruising and on the prowl.  Patience paid and the donkey crushed the jig in 210′! While I find vertical jigging somewhat exhausting – nothing compares to that first crushing mid-water hit! The rod buckling is just insane – vertical jigging rods astound me with their flexibility.

The fish made several blistering runs.  There’s just something awe inspiring about watching a rod completely doubled over while braid is ripping from the spool. Its so important to use high quality reels when doing this kind of fishing – weak drags just won’t get the job done. This was one Amberjack that just wouldn’t quit!

The fish certainly earned its freedom, and we rarely keep Amberjacks when they get this big because they are usually loaded with parasites. A few quick snapshots then back in the water to fight another day.

Since the school was still plenty stacked up on the wreck, we made another drift and WHAM! A quadruple header! All four anglers were hooked up within seconds – the first quadruple header vertical jig hookup on the Marauder.

One fish came off after a few minutes but three others stayed tight. The smallest of the group popped up first and was quickly released. The second and third fish duked it out for another few minutes before coming in the boat for a quick picture.

Bonitas grabbed the jigs frequently in between amberjack and almaco hookups.  I think we released 9 or 10 bonitas over the course of the day – some of which were pushing 15lbs. Chatter on the radio confirmed a bonita bonanza was erupting as far north as Ft. Lauderdale. In an effort to change our luck, we made 10 mile run south to work another shallower wreck off Elliott Key. On arrival the water was loaded with bait – marking from 60′ all the way up to the surface.  We could see the bait fish swirling beneath us at times…but it didn’t seem to help the bite.  The current was much weaker, the water dirtier, and the fish were much less cooperative.  We got cut off twice and lost a beefy yellow runner at the boat. After a few mildly productive drifts, we picked up and made our way back towards Fowey.  Along the way we stopped to work a few schools of busting skipjacks in hopes a few blackfins were mixed in…but no such luck. We took another stab at vertical jigging the spots which held fish earlier in the day…but only the bonitas wanted to play.  We called it quits and headed home.

Overall, I have to say i’m thoroughly impressed with the latest vertical jigging technology. It’s really simplistic but remarkably effective technique which i’m sure will start to spread like wildfire for fishermen with the biceps to manhandle amberjacks and other stubborn reef dwellers a few hundred feet off the bottom.  This kind of fishing is not for the faint of heart – or the out of shape – but i’m certainly sold on the techniques versatility. We’re thinking of running vertical jigging charters to wrecks off Miami in the near future.  If demand for vertical jigging trips picks up, we’ll likely start offering them on a weekly basis.

If you’re interested in picking up some vertical jigs for yourself, we recommend you try out the following brands:

• Shimano
• Williamson
• River2Sea

Don’t go running out and grabbing just any rod and reel to attempt this kind of fishing on your own either.  You need specialized reels and the strength of a high quality rod blank. Without the stopping power of high-grade Penn or Shimano reel, you’ll get wrecked more than you can stand…and let me tell you! Those jigs aren’t cheap!

Amberjack fishing on the wrecks off Miami is consistent most of the year.  The majority of fish migrate through in the spring time, but deep water structure holds lots of bait, which keeps most Amberjacks and Almacos festively plump on any given day.

Thanks to Greg, Vince, and Tim for jigging their way to amberjack glory. Hopefully we’ll find a few wahoo mixed in there soon.

Tight Lines.

I cant believe it’s late july already!  Where does the time go? Time sure does fly when you’re, well, flying fishing kites.   🙂

Remarkably, the sailfish bite has continued to be consistent. In between bonitas, kingfish, and the occasional small blackfin while fishing the edge, we’ve been hooking up with tailwalking sailfish on 5 out of our last 6 trips!

Kite fishing in the summer usually requires a helium assist on those light breeze days, but so far we’ve had steady winds out of the east which gives us just enough breeze to keep our kites in the air.

I was very fortunate to have my father in town this past weekend and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the time than to take him out for a miami sailfish.

We’ve been catching most of our sailfish on midwater rods and flat lines off the riggers – taking a mix of threadfins, goggle yes, and large pilchards. For the most part, the bonitas slam our kite baits before we can even get the spread out! Fortunately, the bonitas stayed clear of our baits just long enough to put my father on his first sailfish of the year (better late than never).

This fish was extra frisky and launched himself into the depths after a quick revival. Sailfish have incredible stamina when hooked on light tackle and it always amazes me to watch them snake across the surface and perform epic tailwalking displays.

We’ve been getting better about using gopro camera to document the hookup, battle, and release of these frisky billfish. We’ve got a few videos in the works which I think you’ll enjoy.  Amazingly, while filming a sail underwater at the boat, we caught a glimpse of another one swimming with him!

There’s obviously a few of these fish still prowling miami waters.  Most of our fish have been caught between 140′ and 170′ on big frisky baits. If you’re still aiming to catch a sailfish this summer, you might just get your shot!