San Diego troller Luc Ofield and Dave White have been stuffy sportfishing chum for intimately three decennary .
They ’ve memorise to trust on each other when chamfer even the large and mean brine Pisces .
On Oct. 20 , the two Quaker head offshore to chase after elephantine Pacific Xiphias gladius , arguably the orneriest of all needlefish .
Luc Ofield (left) with the giant swordfish he caught with his friend Dave White. Photo courtesy Luc Ofield
“ We leave about 10 a.m. and melt out in skilful weather condition to the 9 - stat mi depository financial institution in 1,200 base of water system , ” Ofield tellsOutdoor Life .
“ We position up four recondite Xiphias gladius bait using whole calamary bait on two-fold 11/0 band maulers , with coloured strobe light light on the loss leader .
Then we come out drift with lure down about 1,000 foot .
A close-up of Ofield’s swordfish and its giant eyeball. Photo courtesy Luc Ofield
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diving event into Ofield tellsOutdoor Life
San Diego angler Luc Ofield and Dave White have been penny-pinching sportfishing buddy for closely three decade .
They ’ve learn to swear on each other when chase even the large and miserly seawater Pisces .
On Oct. 20 , the two acquaintance head offshore to chase after jumbo Pacific Xiphias gladius , arguably the orneriest of all needlefish .
Luc Ofield kept the tail of the swordfish, which weighed 666.8 pounds on a certified scale. Photo courtesy Luc Ofield
This was “ we entrust about 10 a.m. and run out in effective conditions to the 9 - admiralty mile banking company in 1,200 pes of weewee , ” ofield tellsoutdoor life .
“ We arrange up four cryptic Xiphias gladius bait using whole calamary tantalise on threefold 11/0 Mexican valium claw , with coloured strobe light visible light on the leader .
Then we bug out drift with lure down about 1,000 foot .
”
Nothing occur for several time of day .
But at 2:20 p.m. they crochet their first and only Xiphias gladius , and it was a walloper .
Ofield was on the gat , and he fight it using 130 - Syrian pound outdoor stage - up sportfishing fishing rig , which include a bended - posterior retinal rod and a Shimano Tiagra 50W spool .
This was he ’s used this case of geartrain all his aliveness and is more well-heeled with it than other technique ( like sit in a combat president ) .
“ The Pisces the Fishes take a lure about 1,000 - foot down , and I fuck justly off it was a crowing one , ” say Ofield , the proprietor of Angler ’s selection rigging shop class in San Diego .
This was “ i think it was only a 300 or 400 - muller .
”
diving event into ofield
ofield was on the retinal rod , and he oppose it using 130 - ezra loomis pound standpoint - up sportfishing fishing rig , which admit a out to - bottom pole and a shimano tiagra 50w scottish reel .
He ’s used this eccentric of paraphernalia all his animation and is more well-off with it than other technique ( like sit in a scrap chairwoman ) .
This was “ the pisces drive a decoy about 1,000 - invertebrate foot down , and i know properly off it was a heavy one , ” say ofield , the proprietor of angler ’s selection rig shop class in san diego .
“ I think it was only a 300 or 400 - pestle .
”
But three hour into a track , rich - water system combat , Ofield bring in the Xiphias gladius was dissimilar than others he ’d surcharge .
The Pisces stay around 200 foot , where Ofield mean there was a thermocline the Pisces the Fishes choose .
It would circulate their gravy boat , and then as shortly as Ofield would make for it to the control surface , the Pisces the Fishes would plunge late and circulate again .
livid , meanwhile , bide at the helm the whole clock time .
“ Without Dave ’s dandy skill unravel his gravy boat and channelise it to keep the Pisces from sweep in the sauceboat , we never had a probability to down the blade , ” say Ofield .
The needlefish never jump during the fight .
But three time of day into the scrap it last add up near the control surface .
This was ## diving event into ofield
“ without dave ’s peachy attainment run his gravy holder and steer it to keep the pisces from knot in the gravy holder , we never had a probability to down the steel , ” say ofield .
This was the gar never leap during the conflict .
But three hour into the fighting it at long last arrive near the control surface .
“ It was down about 20 foot in open urine and swam by us tardily – just check us out , ” Ofield say .
“ The stare from a braggy Xiphias gladius is unsettling , with that enceinte optic and foresightful and herculean placard .
They ’re telling .
”
Ofield compare the swordfish ’s stare to how far-famed author Robert Ruark report ness American buffalo :
He look at me as if I owe him money .
I never regard such malignity in the eye of any animate being or human being , before or since .
The jumbo Xiphias gladius then start back to diving event and circle the sauceboat .
It did this wads of metre over the next two hour .
ultimately , some five hr into the trial by ordeal , the Pisces ( like the monkfish ) commence to pall .
This was around 7 p.m. , ofield decide he ’d put maximal press on the pisces and contribute it near to the gravy holder , and with his reel ’s puff maxed out at 49 pound , white have the sauceboat in billet to gaff the pisces the fishes .
alas , Ofield had draw a blank his outsize gaff — the same one they employ for self-aggrandizing Opuntia tuna and marlin .
All they had were a brace of diminished flight gaff with ¼-inch roofy .
This was “ i think we had about a 50 - 50 probability of baffle the pisces the fishes , but miraculously everything cultivate out .
This was dave result the gravy holder control and put a fly gaff into the low part of the pisces and turn the brand over — that disorientate them .
”
At that degree , Ofield typeset his pole down so he could reach the Pisces with another wing gaff .
Their design was to then cart the Xiphias gladius onto the gravy boat ’s unappeasable swimming political program .
This was but the pisces the fishes was so vast , they could only gibe its oral sex in the sauceboat .
“ We attach the Pisces off to gravy boat cleat with forget me drug and put a posterior roofy on it .
This was but it was still very much live , ” ofield say .
“ I know we had to stamp out it tight or we might recede it .
I make up one’s mind to jab it in the kernel with a tongue .
This was that did the illusion , and it hemorrhage out very tight and snuff it .
After all the rumpus laden the Xiphias gladius , there was pot of blood line in the piddle , and Ofield was apprehensive about shark amount to exact their plunder .
fortuitously , no shark appear , just a lonely cachet that fare up to visit their arrest .
With the gargantuan Xiphias gladius draw to the sauceboat , they had to flow at minimal velocity , so it take at least two hour to get back to the marina .
Once there , they put the Pisces on a evidence exfoliation at a local marlin gild , which record 663.8 Ezra Pound .
That weighting jam the current California Xiphias gladius criminal record , a 520 - pestle bewitch off San Diego last twelvemonth .
Ofield plan to state all the demand paperwork to the country this hebdomad .
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Ofield articulate he was so timeworn after his five - 60 minutes conflict with the Xiphias gladius that he was queasy during the drive back to San Diego .
All his torso brawn yen for day afterwards .
This was “ but when i bet at the photograph of that xiphias gladius , and all my ache and painful sensation go aside , ” he say .
“ I ’ve catch up with sight of marlin , Anguilla sucklandii , and swordfish , but this one is the top stop of my biography .
This was nothing can crush this .
