When the fish gods close a door, sometimes they open a window. The door closed pretty firmly on the yellowfin tuna bite this fall. Captains in New York and New Jersey waited for it to materialize for weeks, pinning their hopes on the big, late-September nor’easter to finally move some fish back into the canyons and midshore grounds. But it never happened. So, rather than leave the boats tied up at the docks, captains sought another pelagic open window: the mighty swordfish.
Above: The crew of the Angler with a big swordfish from what Captain Steve Fernandez called “A day of two lifetimes.”
A Dozen Swordfish in a Day
The reports of swordfishing throughout October have been crazy. Most recently, Captain Steve Fernandez had an insane 12/12 day of swordfishing, including several over 100 pounds, two over 200 pounds, and a 300-pounder!
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The numbers, along with the size of the fish has been remarkable. A new swordfish state record was set in Maine this year, and over the past month, two seperate captains came close to raising the bar in New Jersey.
The 519-Pounder
On October 14, Captain Justin Johnson of the Final Draw hung a 519-pounder off New Jersey, a fish that took more than five hours to land. It was the third big swordfish Justin had caught while daytime swordfishing in the first half of October.
Daytime fishing for swordfish differs from night fishing in that it requires anglers to fish baits more than 1,000 feet below the surface, sometimes as deep as 2,000 feet. To do this effectively, captains use large electric reels. At night, swordfish swim up through the water column to feed closer to the surface, where they can be caught with more conventional tackle.
Johnson’s fish was just 11 pounds shy of the 62-year-old New Jersey state record.
The 526-pounder
That record was threatened again, a few weeks later when a boat out of South Jersey came back with a 526-pounder. The crew, which included Jesse Stanislaw of Stride Baits, broke off a number of fish before landing that monster after a 4-hour battle.
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The swordfishing traditionally heats up in October, especially around the full moon, though if weather conditions are favorable, boats should continue to catch these fish into November.
