EXTREME FISHING REPORT. This week's adventure was out of Venice, Louisiana. Captain Ronnie Daniels invited me and some other friends down to do some tuna and maybe some swordfish fishing. 3 to 4 foot seas were no problem for the Relentless Charter's 36' Yellowfin center console we were in.
First up was swordfishing. Everything about daytime swordfishing is extreme. From a 16" fresh squid for bait, a almost full throttle 15 second run from where the bait is dropped with a 6 pound wait attached. Then more line is given out to let the weight hit the bottom in 1400 feet of water! Then it is many fast turns of the handle to get the bow out and get the weight off the bottom. Then let it eat.
One line in the water, music on and eight sets of eyes on the rod tip. There is a rhythmic dipping of the rod tip with the rolling of the boat. We made three drops over about two hours. The bite is not like other bites. Not like a tuna bite or a deep snapper bite. From what Captain Joey Davis was describing what the rod might do and what was seen..........
We had a hookup. Captain Joey jumped up and slammed the drag forward and starting reeling feverishly (that part is like tuna chunking) then the line started dumping and he handed the rod over to Ronnie. Camera is rolling, the drag is screaming and Ronnie has the biggest grin on I have ever seen. 60 seconds of mayhem and bliss. Then it was over. The rod doesn't go limp like most times when you lose a fish. You still have over 1500 feet of line and a 6 pound weight on the end. But the Ferrari you were hooked to is gone.
It is a lot like trophy deer hunting. Plenty of looking waiting on the big moment. It is not for everybody but I would definitely do it again.
We pulled off the swordfish spot about 1 pm and started the quest for tuna. After we got back I was talking with Captain Joey and I told him that I wished we had stayed after the swordfish. He agreed.
I will talk about the rest of the trip and the lodge we stayed at next time. Here is a little tease.
.......about detecting the swordfish bite. It is kind of like Sac-a-Lait fishing in deep water with a cork when there is a ripple on the water. The cork is bobbing up and down with the waves and then it looks heavier in the water. That is a bite. Or the cork is bobbing with the waves and then it lays over. That is a bite too. That is it with the rod tip. A bunch of up and down and then one is cut short. Or the rod goes straight, then all hell breaks loose.
Soft rides and hard strikes!
Mark