South Florida Swordfishing
I started swordfishing in 1995, with a couple of old timers off of Miami. The normal game plan consisted of running out about 18-miles and deploying a simple 4-rod spread. We had the ocean all to ourselves, sans a few cruise ships and tankers every now and then. As far as fishing pressure, it was almost nonexistent. We would use cylume light sticks, 100ft wind-on leaders, and 11/0 j-hooks rigged to dead squid. We would target the depths from approximately 100' to 400' deep. It took us a few years to really figure out what we were doing. Again, by 1999 the word had gotten out, and before too long the recreational anglers had figured out that they too could get in on the seemingly untapped swordfishery. The swordfish, a quarry previously considered a rare and exceptional catch to the average angler, had now become a very achievable catch, and one could expect to go out and at least get a bite. On any given night, you could go out and see 10 boats fishing the same area.
Soon enough swordfish tournaments started hitting the scene. At first there was only 1 swordfish tournament a year, but now there are over 6 tournaments a year out of South Florida, and then number is likely to grow. Two of the biggest tournaments are the Miami Swordfish tournament, and the Islamorada Swordfish tournament hosted by Capt. Rick Peoples from Miami. These tournaments bring out the best of the best from South Florida to showcase their swordfishing knowledge and skills.
Now in 2006, we are faced again with the commercial guys trying to come back into the waters of South Florida. The South East Swordfish Club (SESC) was started by a great group of guys, in order to educate the recreational fisherman, and to trade secrets and tactics on swordfishing. The main goal of the SESC now, is to fight the government in an effort to keep the longliners out of the waters of off South Florida. Skip Smith and Bobby Boyle, the founders of the SESC, are doing all they can to educate the public, and to get the proper backing to keep the long liners out. So far they have been doing an admirable job, with the help of many others, namely Ron Coddington, who has dedicated countless hours of his time, trying to inform us on what we need to do to help our fishery. Ron has flown to Washington D.C. on behalf of recreational fisherman to prove how much we love our fishery and how much we want to keep it.
Now it's our turn, as recreational fisherman, to do all that we can to save this important fishery. We all need to step up and voice our collective opinions, and keep this fishery viable. We are extremely fortunate to have this fishery right in our back yard, so let's not take this for granted, and keep up the hard work keeping this fishery around for generations to come!
Related Tags: fishing, south florida, swordfishing, sportfishing, saltwater fishing
Captain Joe McGivern is a licensed captain in South Florida. He specializes in light-tackle sportfishing and swordfishing trips. If you looking to catch some fish, or just looking to get out on the water call Capt Joe!
http://www.southflfishing.com
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- Fishing Tackle Review: Greys Sea Spin Lure Fishing Rod
Since I am an avid lure angler, I'm always looking for new gear. My tackle box is full of equipment - Five Essential Fly Fishing Tips To Help You Catch More Trout
Fly fishing is one of the most preferred freshwater fishing methods, and it is especially effective - Coarse Fishing Tackle: Daiwa Exceler 3500 Reel Review
Hi, It's me again. Being that you are a coarse fisher means you need to be effectively ready for a w - Free Advertising For Fishing Vacations And Discount Vacations
Do you own a fishing or outdoor related business? How about a travel site offering discount vacation - Trout Fishing Secrets: What Trout Don't Want You To Know
It's no secret that trout fishing is one of America's favorite leisure sports because of the trout's - Catching Trophy Bass - Tips For Hauling In The Biggest Bass
Techniques for catching trophy bass will vary according to the season. Bass migrate like crappie, bu - The Truth About Trout Fishing Flies
One of the best (and most exciting) ways to catch trout is the fly fishing technique. Contrary to po - Trout Fishing Lures - Can You Ever Have Enough?
Have you ever been to a sporting goods store with a large fishing section? The selection of fishing - Fishing For The Magnificent Brook Trout
The Beautiful TroutNot only are Brook trout considered the most beautiful in the trout clan, they ar - Right Trolling Motor Mount For A Complete Fishing Experience
Imagine a fishing day when you could not catch a fish just because of the wrong trolling motor mount
Most viewed articles in this category:
- How To Make Your Own Custom Fly Leaders
A properly designed and well-made fly leader serves as a vital connection between the fly line and t - Ultralight Fishing - The Most Enjoyable and Effective Way To Catch Fish
There are far too many anglers among us who believe that the most effective way to catch a fish is t - Ketchikan Fishing For Cruise Ship Passengers
Ketchikan is located in Southeast Alaska on Revillagegedo Island. Revilla is accessible only by a - Do You Want To Catch More Fish? Then You Must Read This Article
There are some simple steps that you, the angler, can take in order to increase the amount of fish t - Homemade Boilies - Making Baits With Predigested Protein Ingredients
Predigested ingredients in dough / paste baits 'ground baits' and boilies are awesome!When used as m - Carrying Live Worms While Fishing?...Problem Solved
Anyone who spends any time fishing with live worms deals with the problem of carrying that silly lit - Essential Expert Tips for Making Your Homemad Carp Baits and Catfish Baits!
How to creating a 'dry powder base mix' and how to mix this with other ingredients successfully:The - Making Homemade Fishing Baits -- Skyrocket Your Catches With This Powerful Information
Have you ever wondered why one guy seems to catch the biggest fish again and again, while the major - Fishing Northern Large Mouth Bass in Big Bear Lake
The Northern strain Bass only have time during the year to grow inches compared to the Florida strai - Winter Ice Makes Fishing Fun
With winter quickly approaching, people who live in some of the colder regions of the country are pr