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Swordfish Fishing Videos: Daytime Deep Drop Tactics
Daytime swordfish fishing represents one of the most technically demanding pursuits in offshore angling. Dropping baits into 1,500 to 2,000 feet of water requires specialized tackle, precise boat positioning, and an understanding of how broadbill swordfish behave during daylight hours. Unlike most offshore species, swords feed at extreme depths during the day, creating unique challenges for rig deployment, bite detection, and hook setting.
Our swordfish fishing video courses break down every aspect of this specialized fishery with hands-on instruction from expert captains. Whether you're considering hand crank techniques for a more sporting approach or optimizing electric reel setups, these courses provide the technical foundation you need to succeed.
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Featured
Daytime Swordfishing in Florida with RJ Boyle
2:15:14 · RJ BoyleDaytime swordfishing operates at 1,200 to 2,000 feet where broadbill feed actively, creating technical challenges absent in nighttime surface fishing. RJ Boyle explains why depth fundamentally changes tackle requirements, how bait presentation at extreme depth affects strike detection, and what boat positioning precision maintains contact with baits along steep drop-offs where swordfish concentrate during daylight hours.
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Bait Rigging for Daytime Swordfish with RJ Boyle
2:43:29 · RJ BoyleDaytime swordfish become selective when feeding slows due to moon phase or tide, making bait freshness and rigging quality critical rather than optional. RJ Boyle demonstrates seven bait options and specific rigging techniques for each, explaining when ladyfish, squid, dolphin belly, or bonito produce better results based on depth, current, and swordfish feeding behavior at extreme depths.
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Daytime Swordfishing Seminar with RJ Boyle
1:54:05 · RJ BoyleRJ Boyle's comprehensive daytime swordfishing seminar covers the art and science of targeting broadbill swordfish. Learn depth understanding, equipment requirements, advanced rigging techniques, current stratification analysis, and how oceanographic knowledge combines with tactical execution for consistent success in this technical offshore fishery.
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Swordfishing Techniques for Hand Crank with RJ Boyle
1:02:00 · RJ BoyleRJ Boyle reveals hand crank swordfishing techniques for IGFA-compliant record catches. This video covers tackle specifications for manual cranking, bait deployment at depth, recognizing swordfish bites, fight management strategies, and when hand cranking succeeds versus power-assisted methods in daytime offshore fishing.
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Swordfishing - Tactics for Bigger Fish with RJ Boyle
2:04:02 · RJ BoyleLearn proven swordfishing tactics for landing 500 to 800 pound fish with RJ Boyle. This video covers lead removal timing, harpoon shot execution, drag manipulation strategies, and wheelman boat positioning techniques that determine success when fighting trophy-class swordfish in challenging offshore conditions.
WATCH NOW10.0/10
Go Deeper on Swordfishing
Swordfish Fishing Questions
What is daytime swordfishing?
Daytime swordfishing targets broadbill that hold deep during daylight, feeding in the 1,200 to 2,000 foot range along the deep scattering layer. Instead of drifting the surface at night, you drop a heavy weighted bait to the bottom and work it slowly, which demands electric or hand crank tackle, precise boat control, and careful bite detection.
How deep do you fish for swordfish?
It depends on the time of day. During daylight, swordfish hold deep and are targeted from about 1,200 to 2,000 feet. At night they follow bait up the water column and feed much shallower, often between 100 and 400 feet, which is why nighttime drifting uses far lighter tackle than daytime deep dropping.
What is the best bait for swordfish?
Fresh whole squid is the standard because it is natural swordfish prey, holds a hook well, and disperses scent at depth. Oily flash baits like bonito, mackerel, and dolphin belly produce in shallower water under 1,500 feet or during aggressive feeding. Bait freshness and rigging quality matter most when the fish turn selective.
What tackle do you need for daytime swordfishing?
Daytime swordfishing runs braided main line for its thin diameter and sensitivity at depth, a heavy monofilament leader, and enough lead to reach bottom. Electric reels are close to a necessity because retrieving from 1,500 feet all day by hand is exhausting. Hand crank setups are a lighter, more sporting option for anglers chasing records.
Why is current important in swordfishing?
Current at 1,500 feet often runs in a different direction and speed than the surface. That stratification pushes your bait away from the boat as it sinks and drags it out of the strike zone, so you constantly reposition the boat and adjust your drop to keep the bait where swordfish are feeding. Reading current is half the game.
How do you fight a big swordfish?
A trophy swordfish in the 500 to 800 pound class is won with boat handling as much as drag. The wheelman keeps the angler in position, lead is removed at the right moment, and drag is manipulated through the fight to keep steady pressure without pulling the hook from soft flesh. A harpoon shot secures the fish at the boat.
Do you need a permit to fish for swordfish?
Swordfish are a federally managed highly migratory species, so recreational anglers generally need the proper federal permit, and size and bag limits apply. Rules change, so confirm current permit requirements, minimum size, and limits with NOAA Fisheries before you go. Handle soft-fleshed swordfish carefully if you intend to release them.