Deep Dropping, Trolling & Sword Fishing

Go big or go home! Why stop at 25 miles and bottom fish in 150ft of water when you can go 60 miles offshore and fish in 1,000ft of water. If you are in search of something different then the average bottom fishing trip, then venture out to where the sea monsters live and change it up a bit. Our backyard here in the Gulf of Mexico is a vast landing ground for some of the best deep-drop fishing there is. You can catch a wide variety of fish from Golden Tiles, Snowy Groupers, Yellow Edge Groupers, and even the king, a Swordfish. Offshore trolling is also a part of venturing out that far. With the offshore trolling comes a chance to catch Wahoos, Dolphins (mahi-mahi), Tunas and Marlins. You never know what you may end up with out in the deep.

Deep Dropping 101

Deep dropping can be done in 750ft up to 2,000ft depending on what species you are trying to target at that particular drop. When we fish for Swordfish you may set up even deeper. We use electric reels. When deep dropping for Groupers and Golden Tiles you will use a 4 to 8 hook rig. Choice bait will either be cut bait such as squid or live speedos. Once set up and baited up, you will send it to the bottom. Once you hit the bottom watch your rod tip and get ready to reel up. Depth will play a huge factor in the movement of your rod tip. In 750ft of water there will be a lot more movement in your tip versus 1,000ft of water. The bite, once you hit the bottom, is almost instantaneous. You will know very quickly if they are there or not.

Our main target species will be Golden Tiles, Snowy Groupers, Yellow Edge Groupers, and Long Tail Bass. All delicious to eat! They live in such clean, cold water the taste is unlike any fish you have eaten before.

Offshore Trolling

Whether you are on the way out to the deep-drop zone or in-between spots, offshore trolling opens up a variety of opportunities in the blue water. Out here is a giant playground for all the big pelagic species. Wahoos, Mahi-Mahis, Blackfin Tunas, and Sailfish are our main target. But it isn’t uncommon to get a chance at a Blue Marlin, White Marlin and even a Yellowfin Tuna.

Trolling is done with conventional reels and the various lures we use are trolled at high and low speeds. Live bait is also rigged up and used occasionally. Penn and Shimano 30W up to 80W are our choice of reels. They allow us to put the heat when needed and set the drag to compete with the variety of different fish that may be thrashing on the other end.

Sword Fishing

Like shark fishing on steroids! Sword fishing can be done in a lot of ways with many different kinds of baits. They most commonly live in 1,200 to 3,000ft of water. The preferred baits we use include bonito bellies, mahi-mahi bellies, squid, and Boston mackerel. We have the option to daytime and nighttime fish for swords. These sea monsters average from 90-200 lbs. with always that chance to catch a 400 pounder, a swordfish is the king of the billfish. The average fight time is 45 minutes up to 2 hrs. We use all stand up fishing tackle with a standup fishing harness while battling these tough hard fighting fish. Along with a great fight, Swordfish are awesome to eat; their meat is really firm which is excellent for grilling.

Pros and Perks

  • Fishing less pressured areas
  • Targeting the best tasting fish in the Gulf
  • Very consistent bite and very high success rate
  • Liberal limits (allowed to keep quite a bit)
  • NO CLOSED SEASON; You are able to keep mostly everything you catch
  • Completely different experience then a regular bottom fishing trip

If you are tired of the regular Destin, Florida near shore bottom fishing and want to try something different, consider giving deep dropping or sword fishing a try. We have a 100% success rate deep dropping for golden tiles and 90% success rate on Sword fishing DAY or NIGHT. Keep in mind you will also have the chance to offshore troll for marlins, tunas, wahoos, and dolphins while you’re at there.