The "New" Night Fishing Craze - Swordfish By Captain Zac Grossman Swordfish have made a comeback in a big way. Florida's progressive conservation practices have brought this wonderful gamefish back from the road to extinction. Every calm night in south Florida witnesses boating activity that hasn't been seen in a long time, people scurrying around the dock making preparations (gathering bait, ice, food, drink) for a trip offshore. By the time the sun has almost set, most of these excited folks are just about on the grounds, the 1,000 foot depths of cobalt blue water found only a handful of miles from shore down here. "It sure ain't like running to the canyons" is often heard by deckhands as enthusiastic anglers from up north get ready to catch something that most anglers only dream of. Yes, I said catch! Nowadays it is more common than not to have fought at least one sword every trip and most likely several, if you fish with someone who knows what they're doing. You can expect to be fishing by sundown with several baits out and the eerie glow of cyalume light sticks out there in the dark. Each one marks a float under which a bait is suspended. Sometimes the wait can be quite a while, but sometimes the action starts before you can even decide who goes first. Lately this sport has seen more multiple sword nights than not, making this sport grow in popularity by leaps and bounds. When the hit occurs it can be exciting or subtle, most usually the latter. Someone, usually the mate, will notice a light stick moving. The only thing that can cause that to happen is a pickup. Sometimes the light will be moving away and the clicker on the reel will announce that fact, but most of the time the light will be moving to the side or toward the boat. That is when the angler who is "up" runs to the correct rod. With four to six rods to choose from it takes some skill to know which one is attached to the moving light. A good crew does. When you get to that rod you are told to just leave it in the holder and wind like crazy to pick up all the slack line and come tight on the fish. Once accomplished there is no need to "set" the hook. At this point the rod will be bent over and line screaming off the reel. Now you remove it from the holder and hang on for dear life. Swords are incredibly powerful and that first run can dump the better part of the spool of line. Sometimes the captain is forced to give chase to prevent losing all of it. The fight is exciting and frankly can be hard work, but that's what makes the result so satisfying. When the fish finally comes into the lights of the boat, it is a breathtaking sight. Pulse pounding too! Finally, and that can mean a long time, the fight is over and the fish is secured. If it is a nice one (like a hundred pounds or up) then the option for taking home a cooler full of fantastic steaks is there. If a small fish, then it is let go. The evening continues on, with hopefully everyone in the party fighting at least one sword, until it is time to head for home and some rest. Hopefully a roll of film or more has been used on the excitement. Nighttime action shows up very exciting on film because of the black background and the stark illumination of everything by the camera's flash. What memories. On September 4th, I was fishing with a great guide, known all up and down the coast for being at the top of the sailfish tournament circuit. Now he is making his mark with these fish too (when does he sleep?). The evening started out with a double header! I had the chance to fight my first ever swordfish. I was very lucky to have such a talented captain and mate because this turned out to be a very tough and savvy fish. Four hours and 15 minutes after the hit we boated a 325-pound beauty! What more can I say, except thanks to Captain Ray, mate Alex, my friend Angel, and my wife Leslie (behind the camera) If you would like to be out on the water during the coolest hours of the day, on the flattest of seas, under all those stars, and tied to a great adversary, let me know. I will set you up on a fantastic trip where you might get to fight several of these night time warriors, maybe even your first one too. (Click Here to book a charter)