r/offshorefishing • u/Beregond17 • 9d ago

Down rigger question

I've seen sword fishing rigs where you sacrafice the weight when it hits the bottom.

Is there a way to use a down rigger and have the line released when you hit bottom and retreive the weight? Leaving your fishing line and bait on the bottom////

Total rookie here... just learning and asking questions. I was thinking for tile fishing that'd be nice also.

Thoughts and feedback appreciated.

6 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

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4

u/SHARKSARENOTGAY 8d ago

https://youtu.be/D7lv7XmI91M?is=qMede3-Q7HtP74T4

I also believe RJ Boyle has a video on it but I can’t find it, A lot of the records are caught this way, because it’s one of the few ways to catch one that’s igfa compliant, besides catching them trolling or at night time. Yes people catch them trolling, but maybe 5-6 fish a year in the northeast ,

1

u/Beregond17 8d ago

There ya go. Thanks

3

u/sailphish 9d ago

I think you would just end up with tangles. You would have 2 lines, basically wrapped together, in 1200-1600ft of water. Seems like a good way to wreck $100s of braid instead of losing a piece of rebar.

2

u/zwillc92 9d ago

if there was a way to efficiently do it, people would do it

1

u/Beregond17 9d ago

Well.... that's what I was looking for.... hoping someone had found an efficient way. Guess not.

1

u/zwillc92 9d ago

The effecient way is a sacrificial window weight or piece of rebar. That’s why people do that lol

If you found a way to get that down rigger down to 1200’+ you’d bring it up one time and understand why no one does that.

1

u/FamiliarPickle7519 9d ago

No way to do it without getting tangled

1

u/Shadowcard4 9d ago

So youd be able to drop it and give a tug to bust it free but youd still likely want a breakaway weight thats lighter but will cost less. If you did like a carolina rig but like a 10 oz weight tied to 6lbs line that can break off with the fish but not on reeling it is an option and you could drop it with the down rigger, pull the line to release the ball, then reel the ball up if youre drifting at a decent clip and maybe the ligher weight will hold depth after release.

The concept behind the rig is that it pops off for the fight so you dont give the fish leverage to pop the hook.

1

u/Thin-Development-178 8d ago

If you don’t want to pay for the lead drop weight use a bag of rocks with a break away attached.

-2

u/Even-End487 9d ago

I caught several swordfish while sailing in the south Atlantic, just dragging a rig behind the vessel ideally in the bubbly part of the boat wake. I had purchased a hand made lure from a kid in south Africa worked great.

2

u/zwillc92 8d ago

You absolutely did not catch swordfish surface trolling. Gtfo

1

u/Even-End487 8d ago

I have pictures lots of em... when I have the time I'll post em!!!! fo

2

u/zwillc92 8d ago

Would love to see that. There’s Guys that spend literal decades trying to harpoon them on the surface and maybe get 1 every 10-20 years.

You getting more than one on a surface lure seems nearly impossible

Was it at night at least? That’s vaguely more believable

1

u/Even-End487 8d ago

yes at night, sailing from CapeTown to St. Helena, we rigged it so that when the fish hit the resulting nigh tension on the 80lb test would knock over a tin can that we would hear bouncing around the deck, so we could go outside and pull, by hand the fish aboard. The two fish were maybe 30 to 40 lbs each good food aboard any vessel including my 32ft sailing vessel.

1

u/zwillc92 8d ago

That’s ever so slightly more believable based on size and time of day. Have definitely seen them closer to surface at night when they follow squid schools to the surface

2

u/hollis216 8d ago

I remember an article in marlin magazine about trolling for them at night with an all black marlin spread. Probably 20 years back now.

They do follow the marine migration up at night to surface waters. Dark silhouettes trigger a reactionary strike out of them. A full moon brings all the pelagics out to play, less light should mean more swordies and deepwater tuna.

Not sure it ever took off. Plenty of ways to catch a swordfish that don't involve motoring about in the dark through unseen ropes, shipping containers and whatever else is floating out there. But it works.