The Transformer

When and How

The Transformer opens up the method of trolling for Swordfish, to anyone who knows how to troll.

When:

When should you try trolling for swordfish?

Basically, you can troll for swordfish on any night the conditions are favorable for trolling. Full moon, no moon, it doesn’t matter. The Transformer has hooked fish on all Moon Phases, both at the surface and trolled below. The eyesight of the swordfish is so good, that it can pick out the dim glow of a blue Transformer in a dark lure, chugging at the surface on a bright full moon night.

These fuel prices killing you too?
Even the big boys are asking their Captains to slow way down to save fuel during their crossings to the islands and while heading out to the grounds.
Head in and out at trolling speed to save fuel, and put out a spread of Transformer lit lures while you are at it.

When the seas start to pick up as the winds increase through the night, and it becomes too rough for the drift. The boat is rolling until the crew is green with seasickness, pick up to trolling speed and put out the lures before the crew mutinies. It may just save the night with a swordfish that would have been left behind in the chum-line of the crew’s dinner.

When you need to move from that storm cloud, troll your way around it.

Troll to your next location between drift sets. You are running through prime water, you should be fishing it while you are traveling through it. Don’t waste valuable fishing time and fuel with out having a bait in the water.

If you get a late start, and the sun has already gone down, start trolling as you get into good water. The Transformer has caught swordfish 6 miles inside of the “50 line.” For those of you not in South Florida, the “50 line” (GPS #W 79 50 00) is known as the start of the prime location for drift fishing for swordfish, and where most feel they congregate to feed at the surface during the night.

If you are lucky enough to run out of bait, don't give up and head back to the dock, start trolling.

When it’s a slow night and everyone else on the radio is saying the same thing, “we haven’t had a bite.” The fact is, the swordfish are up feeding, just not where the fishermen are fishing for them. They may be a few miles in or a few mile out from where everyone else is drifting. Start trolling for them, go find them, don’t continue to wait for nothing to happen. Make it happen. Go find the fish, don’t wait for them to find you, you may be in dead water.

At the end of the night and you haven’t boated one, troll on your way back through all that prime water towards the inlet. The fish often are miles inside the "50 line."

When you’re heading back in, and going slow for that 30 minutes as you are cleaning your fish and boat, before you throttle up to cruising speed toss some lures out, you my be in for the bonus fight of your life.

How:

How to troll for Swordfish.

Trolling for swordfish is very much like trolling for dolphin, just with larger lures, rods, and reels. More like trolling for Marlin. The fight itself is like no other. You will be tested.

A four to six line spread is possible. This will depend on how your boat is outfitted. Stagger the lures at different distances behind the boat. At night the lures are hard to see, so keep track of how far you are putting them back. For the far right and left lures, I recommend you use a *LP flasher about 1-2 ft. behind the snap swivel. I don’t recommend any light sources being attached to the snap swivel, as they may get swatted, and can be popped open in the process. The flasher will allow you to see where the lure is, helping with the spread, and attract the swordfish in from a greater distance. Flashers can be used on any of the leaders. The swordfish will hone in on the lure with the Transformer in it as it looks most like what they are feeding on.

Putting an LP light on a downrigger, or on a planer attached to a stern cleat works well as a teaser, and attracts the swordfish from a greater distance, drawing the swordfish into your spread. No deeper than 30 ft, you want the swordfish to come up to your lures.

*LP lights and flashers can be purchased at Reel Pro Shop, and many local tackle shops. 

• The lures should be of big game size, as used for large Dolphin, Wahoo, Sailfish, and Marlin.

• The leader should be 200# to 400# test.

• The hook size should match your lure of choice. (9/0 to 12/0)

• Down riggers and large planers are very useful but not necessary. Use them if you have them.

Trolling speed should be what the sea conditions allow, and what your lures are designed for. 4 to 8 ½ knots is ideal. Faster or slower is OK. I have hooked them slow trolling and at 14 knots.

The Bite

There are 2 kinds of Swordfish bites.

• The first type is a solid hookup where the fish goes strait for the bite. In this case the fish is on and the fight happens immediately. This is usually the signature of a larger swordfish.

• The second type is a slash that pops the line out of the rigger or pulls an unmistakable but small amount of line off the reel. This is where you really have to be on your game. DO NOT SLOW THE BOAT DOWN. The swordfish has slashed the lure and expects it to be wounded and not able to swim away. You must react to this, and do what the swordfish expects. Immediately put the reel into freespool, no clicker. Let the line peel off, as if the lure has been wounded and slows, unable to swim away. Keep your thumb on the spool with just enough pressure to feel what’s happening back there. Tap some pressure to make the lure twitch. When the swordfish comes back to eat the lure you may feel a few bumps, but when she eats it you will know. When she eats, crank the drag lever up to strike and the fight is on. Keep the boat moving, this keeps pressure on the fish and sometimes allows for a double header with a second fish striking the other moving lures. Swordfish often feed in packs. You can slow down, but keep the pressure on as you clear all the other lines. Once you have cleared all the other lines, maneuver the boat as needed.

  
  

  
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