# Headed to the Spur Saturday Swordfishing



## syrupdawg (Dec 4, 2013)

We are headed out to the Spur Saturday to overnight for swordfish. This is our first time going swordfishing so any advice is welcome! Going to pick up some big squid today and I figured we could catch some hardtails on the way out Saturday. Does anybody chunk for Tuna at he spur? I keep hearing about yellowfin out there and would love to put one in on ice! 

We premade some leaders but we only used 150# line and I am questioning that now. Should I remake them with 300# leader?


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## fishboy (Oct 6, 2007)

Go see Chris at SAMS in orange beach, he will probably give you a clinic and they will have sword squid in stock. I wouldn't go out without some live hardtails though, and have one of them out all night for the swords. Do a search on here for blue water catfishing or something of that nature for a great sword fish thread. 

GOOD LUCK and post pics!


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## syrupdawg (Dec 4, 2013)

fishboy said:


> Go see Chris at SAMS in orange beach, he will probably give you a clinic and they will have sword squid in stock. I wouldn't go out without some live hardtails though, and have one of them out all night for the swords. Do a search on here for blue water catfishing or something of that nature for a great sword fish thread.
> 
> GOOD LUCK and post pics!


Wish I could but that's a long ride for me! I've searched and read all the swordfish threads on here but ill search for that thread!


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## outcast (Oct 8, 2007)

*Swordfish*

Outcast has squid as well and we can also help with your rigging. If you come in today ask for James or Judson.


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## BuckWild (Oct 2, 2007)

Big Live Mullet. Like 2 liter bottle big


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## Fish N Tales (Jun 14, 2012)

Well, how did it go?


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

Ok we all read the preport and are now awaiting the report on pins and needles!


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## syrupdawg (Dec 4, 2013)

We left out of Mexico Beach about 6 AM Saturday morning. It was as smooth as can be with the north wind. Well as usual get a little offshore and the wind lays down and it gets to be around 2-3s. 

Run around 70 miles to where I thought the lines were. We came up on some small weed mats but nothing impressive so we kept going until the 200 fathom line and came across 5 football sized mats. We had them all to ourselves. 

We trolled and trolled and trolled. Nothing but chicken dolphin tearing up our ballyhoo. The whole time we are there yellowfin tuna are skying all around us. Hundreds of them! It was one of the coolest things I have ever seen. Some were huge! Its pretty neat to see a 100lb tuna 10 feet in the air.

We trolled all around the mats and even trolled through where the tuna were busting several times (had one sky about 20 feet in the front of the boat). We changed out trolling lures, ran 3 ballyhoo at one time, tried all different combinations. NOTHING

So we started chunking. Had 2 poles out with chunks and 1 with a live hard tails. The 2 chunk poles got tight about the same time and it turns out to be a nice dolphin! We were thinking great its about to turn on! Well after that it immediately turned back off! Used most of our frozen bait trying that and only the cow dolphin to show for it. 

We put our spread back out and tried finding more weed mats but no luck. It was getting later now so we made the 15 mile run to the spur to get ready for what we had really came out for!

We get deep line out at 300' with 3lbs of weight and the current had the line at probably a 30 degree angle. So we reeled it up and added another 4lbs and it helped some but it was still at a slight angle. 

1 line at 300' with a light and a squid, a line at 150' with a large hard tail, 1 surface line at about 15' with another hard tail. Later on in the night we changed out the mid line to a squid. We didn't have a bite all night. But it was a really nice night out there.

Next morning we ran back towards the squiggles and put out our spread but the weeds were horrible. We spent more time clearing lines than they were in the water. So after an hour of going crazy we tucked our tails and ran in with only 1 dolphin.


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## Fish N Tales (Jun 14, 2012)

That's a nice phin! Sounds like a fun trip. I've been wanting to try an over night trip at the spur for a while now. Those yellowfin must have been awesome to see! Thanks for the report!


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## syrupdawg (Dec 4, 2013)

Fish N Tales said:


> That's a nice phin! Sounds like a fun trip. I've been wanting to try an over night trip at the spur for a while now. Those yellowfin must have been awesome to see! Thanks for the report!


They were awesome! Just need to figure out how to catch them. Anybody got some tips on that?


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## jack2 (Mar 19, 2010)

great report. sounds like you did everything right. just the fish didn't do their part, eat the bait. love to watch those fish sky.
i've been fishing overnighters several times and yet to see one of those elusive swords. doesn't keep me from signing up for the next trip, though.

jack


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## Mikvi (Mar 11, 2008)

If They're skying that close to the boat, BIG topwaters have always produced for me.


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

Great post and pics and I'm glad that you guys had a great time. Many may not agree with me here but sounds like the YFT were busting on scattered surface bait and not a bait ball. Next time have some try jigs and some standing ready with a popping rod. If you catch only one fish doing that, it will be one more than you would have with out trying something else. If you catch them on bait balls you can slaughter them with poppers, stick baits and even surface irons.


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## syrupdawg (Dec 4, 2013)

We are going to go geared up with some poppers next time! This was our first experience seeing anything like that. One of the coolest things ever.


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## FishFighter92 (Jul 10, 2012)

Search this forum for the poppers. It's been heavily discussed and that's what I would have been throwing at them. Only other thing I could think of is if you had a bird chain with a cedar plug about 100 yards behind the boat way out of the boats wake.


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## syrupdawg (Dec 4, 2013)

FishFighter92 said:


> Search this forum for the poppers. It's been heavily discussed and that's what I would have been throwing at them. Only other thing I could think of is if you had a bird chain with a cedar plug about 100 yards behind the boat way out of the boats wake.


Had a squid chain with a green machine as the way back but we weren't pulling it that far back.


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## Reelbait (Mar 3, 2013)

Better to have tried and dolphin'ed than to have never tuna'ed at all.


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## syrupdawg (Dec 4, 2013)

I actually got sick last night and was running a fever. Being me and trying to find humor in everything I told my wife I knew why I am sick. I have tuna fever!


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## Retro (Jan 16, 2014)

Wirelessly posted

Great report. Gives me the itch!


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