BY MERIT McCREA
SAN DIEGO – For at least the third season in a row, swordfish have re-appeared in our local waters for pumpkin day. Bob Woodward at the San Diego Marlin Club reported that Jeff Pape had landed a huge one on the 24th, the day following the arrival of Mulrooney’s 582 blue marlin. Pape’s broabbill weighed in at a whopping 567 pounds.
On the 24th Jeff Pape was out on his boat the Lucas J and he got that massive swordfish. The San Diego Marlin Club secretary met Jeff Pape at San Diego Yacht Club with a weigh board to record the fish. It’s incredible but Pape managed to manage that monster to the boat and dock by himself, fishing solo, quite a feat.
There’s been a couple other recent sport-caught swords but also the commercial Deep Set Buoy Gear guys have seen some recent successes, including on the F/V Shearwater Capt. Marcus Medak and James Roe who delivered a pair of fat ones Tommy Gomes The Fish Monger’s Tunaville Market.
In a sense the DSBG is pretty similar to the sport gear – fishing in 1,000 to 1,500 feet down in the deep scattering layer with a giant squid rigged and trussed with multiple sharp hooks and maybe a swordfish light or two. The main difference is the commercial stuff is on tuna cord suspended from a free-floating buoy, while recreational gear is limited to being from the boat, sometimes floated a way out from the boat and some lines right from the boat.
Bight Sportfishing out of Fisherman’s Landing offers charter options targeting swords. But be ready to invest several days trying – not for the feint of heart or lightly committed angler. One thing’s for sure though, you’ll learn how to fish them even if you don’t connect your first time out.