Megalodon MPX-609-B and Mpx-608-B

Swordfish occupy the deepwater banks off of our California coast and have been caught around the world even in Australia. To most anglers swordfishing means long nights of pulling lines in our bone-chilling winter but it doesn’t have to be that way. Pioneered by our friends on the east coast daytime Deep-Drop Swordfishing has been proven as a go-to tactic for triggering a bite from these monsters of the depths.

So what’s the secret? Here are a few:

TIP1. Place your baits in or just above the deep scattering layer –

You will see this on your electronics as a thin layer of plankton and baitfish that usually resides at a depth of 900 to 1,500ft.

TIP2. Work the bite zone by bump trolling –

On low current days, once your baits have reached the deep scattering layer bump your boat into gear for a minute, this will raise your baits in the water column all while moving to new ground. Also remember More Baits, More Bites.

TIP3. Sacrificing a sinker for a bite –

Breakaway sinkers have been a great but costly way of triggering finicky swords.

Start by rigging a straight line and affixing your biodegradable weight to a loop of 6lb test mono around the bend of your hook. Drop all the way to the bottom and break away from your sinker, then allow your bait to rise slowly from the depths until you feel you are out of the bite zone.

TIP4. Take notes –

The top swordfish captains are the best for a reason. Make notes about your catches, especially the location as it is common to pull multiple swords from a set of numbers.

TIP5. Rod selection – 

Heavyweights and electric reels are no match for your average store-bought rod. Our pros have been testing the Phenix Rods Megalodon MPX-609-B and Mpx-608-B Blanks professionally wrapped utilizing top-of-the-line components with much success over this last season. This gives you the strength to pull the Swordfish from the depths and the stiffness to fight it all the way up.  Another consideration is making sure your boat’s rod holders are reinforced to handle the job. 

TIP6. Be prepared to boat the fish of a lifetime –

We have all heard stories about “the one that got away” make sure your flying gaffs are prepped and that you have protective gloves with a tail rope at the ready. Known for their unrelenting strength these fish will refuse to give up once boated. In this instance, a good call is to hogtie the fish using the remainder of the tail rope. Simply bend the fish into a C shape and wrap the loose end of the rope around the bill to subdue your catch. Trust me your mezzanine will thank you.

These fish have been in our backyard waiting to be targeted.  What are you waiting for, get yourself a deep water billfish and tag @phenixrods on social media

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