Wanna go Swordfishing?!
I got a call last summer (2007) from Tim Falzone to go aboard his Cape Hatteras “Dataman” for a two day trip out of Pensacola for some bottom fishing and the eventual goal of fishing for tuna off the Alabama rigs and then some overnight swordfish fishing.
We departed early on a Saturday morning out of his dock at Gulf Breeze and headed toward Pensacola Pass. We then per usually, broke out the cash and poker chips for our run offshore to our first fishing spot about 20-miles from shore. Seas were perfect and the 60+-foot boat (My first time on the new boat) cut through the 2-foot chop like a hot knife through butter.
From the first drop down to the 200-foot depths we started reeling in large grouper, snapper, and amberjack. Even cooler was the 7-foot dusky that the first mate did battle with for about 20-minutes, far too early in the trip for the mate to be sweating that much already!
On the way over to our second spot I made mention of some fish that I had never caught before: Wahoo, Blackfin Tuna, and Yellowfin Tuna.
Well the second spot was made for me! After dropping to the bottom several times in the 250-foot depths I thought I would try my luck on the flat line. Set the rod down in the rod holder and immediately hooked up. The fish ran and ran and then sounded to the depths. The fish just sat there way down deep and now it was apparent that something wasn’t right.
I played tug-o-war with the fish until it finally surfaced about 30-yards behind the boat. It was my first wahoo, about 25-pounds and foul hooked in near the dorsal fin! Now sweating from head to toe I throw another flat line out, after about 5 minutes BANG! After some good runs and a short fight, my first blackfin tuna! Now I was pumped, I finally got those two monkeys off of my back.
It was about 5pm and we decided to pull in all of the lines and go out further to fish the rigs at sunset. When we got there is was amazing. The yellowfin tuna were everywhere, and HUGE! There were 80-lb tuna completely coming out of the water chasing bait all around us.
We trolled, we threw lures, and we chunked but to no avail. All we could get was more blackfin tuna.
As night fell we went further offshore to about 65-miles and set adrift to deploy our swordfish baits. The baits were in the water by 8:00pm and I was pretty sure that I needed to stay up a little longer and watch the fish dart in and out of the underwater lights before I hit the bunk where everyone else was headed. By 10:00 I was worn out and went inside to sleep.
Next thing I remember it was 4:30am and everyone was running outside and the sound of screaming drag was in the air! What a sound to awake to!
After a 20-minute fight, the 140-lb swordfish was in the lights. What an amazing fish to see. Very prehistoric looking with eyes that were no doubt equip for night time hunting.
After some high-fives and photos we went back to fishing the rigs and bottom fishing on our way in. It was an amazing experience and one trip that I will never forget!
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