Swordfish
Swordfish are usually colored a very dark blue or black-grey over the upper area of their main body, then bluish-silver under this area, with the lower body areas mostly silver-white to cream colored, but do to such water conditions as the algae count and the fish's main diet in the area it lives, these shades of color may vary from time to time. Swordfish get their name from the very long and flat sword-like snout that extends way beyond their mouth and head.
The long, flat sword-like snout or jaw of the Swordfish is pretty sharp and very rigid, it's actually used by the fish to slash prey when foraging for food, or in case of defense against an attack. Swordfish can grow to be real monsters, in fact it's not too uncommon to catch one that is over 10 feet long and weighing a 1,000 lbs or one that is even larger.
Swordfish are sometimes caught close to the shore, but usually they prefer to be at least 10-15 miles out, where the much deeper water is. Adult Swordfish rarely travel in schools, in fact they mostly live and travel alone, often staying miles apart from other adult Swordfish.
When fishing for Swordfish you need to charter a boat and a crew that is very experienced in catching them, because Swordfish are real monsters and they can be very dangerous to catch. You need heavy duty equipment to bring them in, and you must be very secured to the boats chair, and have your rod attached also, by using a separate attachment to the boat or a break-away harness to yourself, many inexperienced anglers have been pulled overboard by these fish, and some anglers have even lost their lives.
When hooked, Swordfish are very aggressive, they often trash their powerful sword-like snouts back and forth, like a knight swinging a sword in a ferocious battle. When brought aboard the boat they are even more dangerous as now these battling beasts are confined near the crew. The fish must be secured by experienced crew members wearing protective gloves while removing the hook or lure.
Swordfish can be caught during the day, but they are generally nocturnal feeders that are caught a lot easier during the nighttime hours. Once the sun goes down they start feeding on the hordes of smaller fish and squid that rise to the surface themselves to feed on even smaller creatures. During the dusk or nighttime feeding, Swordfish can often been seen slashing their huge snouts back and forth, stunning and killing the squid and smaller fish, they are about to consume.
When fishing for Swordfish with bait, many anglers have reported that one of the best baits is fresh, live squid, or dead squid that is even cut into strips or chunks, followed by smaller baitfish such as; mackerel, tuna and butterfish, and then basically any other small baitfish that live in the same area as the Swordfish are foraging for food. When fishing for Swordfish using lures, the best lure is one that resembles a small squid, followed next by artificial baitfish lures.
|
