With the sun cresting over the horizon and the expanse of calm seas, the anticipation is undeniable as the clicker screams (keeping tension on the line) as we set out a deep drop rig, bumping the boat in and out of gear. This is how most swordfish ventures begin aboard Pacific Bills. Yet, when we get that strike, it hardly matches up with the burst of a bluefin swallowing a sardine on the run. Quite the opposite. The deep drop bite is a tiny tick in the rod tip, not the gnarly charge you would expect from such beast of a fish.
There were several things we have learned in the past year as the Gladiator of billfish has us around the coliseum that is the canyons off the California coast. Making certain adjustments in different parts of our tackle and our approach hasled to increased opportunities to
bring these giants boatside. read the full article
