# Longliner report - 55 swords



## justhookit (Sep 29, 2005)

I wasn't sure whether to post this because of some of the other threads that turned bad on this subject, but decided to go ahead and pass it along anyway as it had some actual factual info. Let's keep this thread civil.

4400 pounds of commercial swordfish was unloaded at the dock this week from a longliner based out of Texas. It was their first trip out.

I know this because my friend was buying fish up there for a Port A restaurant.

Since it seems there isn't much I can do to stop the longliners out there, I figure the least I can do is refuse to order swordfish in restaurants and also tell the restaurants that are serving it that I won't be coming back until it comes off their menu.


----------



## Ex Boat Capt. Carp (Jul 19, 2011)

Much of what they catch is shipped out of state., but I do understand your thought process!! Some is sold locally though.


----------



## roundman (May 21, 2004)

pretty sure i know which boat/who was running the boat just fixed up from florida? what do they get a lb. for that? no tuna?


----------



## Pecos (Feb 20, 2006)

roundman said:


> pretty sure i know which boat/who was running the boat just fixed up from florida? what do they get a lb. for that? no tuna?


Really....name of the boat and name of the capitan?

Pecos


----------



## SailFishCostaRica (Jan 7, 2010)

Yeah, I actually had a customer on my boat about two weeks ago who told me about that trip while it was going on. They just converted a snapper boat. I think the same guy owns some of the party boats as well. maybe boycott those? Would have to find out who it is though first...


----------



## Always-Gone-Fishing (Feb 20, 2006)

How many flags did they fly coming into port? Really, its the ebb and flow of commercial fishing so as soon as they decimate the swords and many bill bycatch they will convert back to snappa and so forth and so on.

I am just worried they will decimate the trigger fish so please send your appeal to NMFS since I hope they stay away from that sacred fish.

AGF

No chit bro and thanks for the update on the great local addition to our fishery


----------



## alvinslash (Jan 14, 2012)

that sucks! no longliners in the gulf


----------



## ding-a-ling (Jul 29, 2005)

Did a doubletake on the swordfish taco sign in town. Thanks for the report.


----------



## broadonrod (Feb 26, 2010)

4400 lbs ... That's not even a good 3 day trip with 2 anglers  those guys must really suck at their job lol... Sounds like all babies ... That's what they are going to catch on that kind of gear ... Big ones should bring an average of 3.00 a lb and the darts under 100 lbs tube weight should bring half that... The restaurants will pay more but who wants a swordfish steak when they could be eating RED SNAPPER and GROUPER... The last 2 long line boats I saw being unloaded in Freeport had around 6000 lbs of TILEFISH and 5700 lbs of WARSAW... Capt. Ahab


----------



## DRILHER (Apr 4, 2010)

I saw something better than that. Yesterday we out to eat at The Pelican Club In Port Aransas and met Tommy Lee Jones.


----------



## Day0ne (Jan 14, 2006)

SailFishCostaRica said:


> Yeah, I actually had a customer on my boat about two weeks ago who told me about that trip while it was going on. They just converted a snapper boat. I think the same guy owns some of the party boats as well. maybe boycott those? Would have to find out who it is though first...


Last time I was at pier 19 there was a boat with bandit rigs and a longline drum docked in front of Williams Party boats, next to the Capt John. Don't remember the name but it was something or other the fourth.


----------



## broadonrod (Feb 26, 2010)

DRILHER said:


> I saw something better than that. Yesterday we out to eat at The Pelican Club In Port Aransas and met Tommy Lee Jones.


 LOL did you give him* your autograph* and buy him a swordfish sandwich LMAO ? Capt. Ahab


----------



## DRILHER (Apr 4, 2010)

broadonrod said:


> LOL did you give him* your autograph* and buy him a swordfish sandwich LMAO ? Capt. Ahab


He grew up in San Saba, TX and has a ranch there. He has a boat in Port A. He was with 2 other guys and they were going fishing today.


----------



## broadonrod (Feb 26, 2010)

DRILHER said:


> He grew up in San Saba, TX and has a ranch there. He has a boat in Port A.


 Oh he!! I thought you were Bsing LOL.... Were is our hand cuff video that was pretty cool... Capt. Ahab


----------



## DRILHER (Apr 4, 2010)

broadonrod said:


> Oh he!! I thought you were Bsing LOL.... Were is our hand cuff video that was pretty cool... Capt. Ahab


I'll post it up on a new thread with the handcuff video.

He wouldn't let us take a picture. He said he wasn't allowed to. But I think he didn't want everyone inside to know who he was. I think my wife, me and of coarse the waitresses were the only ones who knew who he was. They were eating ouitside and only 2 other couples were out there. Our table was right next to him. They were BSing about fishing and polo clubs. The waitress would hardly wait on us but seem to hang out at his table alot. My son said I met 2 celebrities in 1 week. Captain Ahab and Tommy Lee Jones LOL


----------



## lasancha (May 21, 2010)

I'm more worried about the bycatch than anything. If you want to do something about longlining in general, join The Billfish Foundation. This organization is fighting longlining in the Gulf of Mexico in Washington.

I appreciate the post because as a fisherman, I like to hear what everyone is catching.


----------



## justhookit (Sep 29, 2005)

The Billfish Foundation is great and actually got my only real donations the last few years. I have asked my friend to try and find out more every time he goes back up to that market to buy fish, which is usually once a week. Like you I want to know if he hears anything about what else they are catching.

Oh, and Tommy Lee is an a-hole.


----------



## Swells (Nov 27, 2007)

If it's the same boat we got several threads and even a picture of the boat on 2Cool. Supposedly this boat has a federal permit for buoy gear, which minimizes by-catch and maximizes swordfish landings. With buoys though, you only get one hook each - by up to 1,000 per 20 miles of long-line. I don't think they're long-lining. The NMFS loves 'em, the buoys.


----------



## RSN (Jul 5, 2010)

Swells- you are wrong again. the boat they are talking about fishes longline gear, not buoy gear.


----------



## roundman (May 21, 2004)

RSN said:


> Swells- you are wrong again. the boat they are talking about fishes longline gear, not buoy gear.


 what he said


----------



## Swells (Nov 27, 2007)

roundman said:


> what he said


Well sorree but I did say "if it's the same boat" and darn it, maybe I got the wrong boat - no reason to be an Interweb Bully about it, especially on my birthday weekend. And what's the point of all this? You don't like the comms? Me too? Now that's a laugh - I appreciate the hidden humor.


----------



## Day0ne (Jan 14, 2006)

I think it was called Blackjack IV but I'm not 100% sure of that. I know it was something IV


----------



## roundman (May 21, 2004)

Swells said:


> Well sorree but I did say "if it's the same boat" and darn it, maybe I got the wrong boat - no reason to be an Interweb Bully about it, especially on my birthday weekend. And what's the point of all this? You don't like the comms? Me too? Now that's a laugh - I appreciate the hidden humor.


dont even know what you said, interweb bully,lmao, guys have permits, and legal catches, making a living fishing and doing it legally


----------



## broadonrod (Feb 26, 2010)

roundman said:


> dont even know what you said, interweb bully,lmao, guys have permits, and legal catches, making a living fishing and doing it legally


Legal doesn't mean it's right :/ 4400 lbs 55 fish = babies ..... But your right it is legal.... So is drinking at a football game that holds 30000 people with only 100 taxi cabs to get a ride home So is thousands of lbs of snapper a trip when you get to keep 2  .... So is 50 Warsaw grouper on a com. Boat when 5 guys go fishing for 3 days and can keep 1 per boat... It's legal but is is morally right? Capt. Ahab


----------



## rudy justin (Jan 23, 2008)

roundman said:


> dont even know what you said, interweb bully,lmao, guys have permits, and legal catches, making a living fishing and doing it legally


X2


----------



## miguel4 (Aug 12, 2005)

> It's legal but is is morally right? Capt. Ahab


+1


----------



## Thehighlander (Jan 3, 2012)

broadonrod said:


> Legal doesn't mean it's right :/ 4400 lbs 55 fish = babies ..... But your right it is legal.... So is drinking at a football game that holds 30000 people with only 100 taxi cabs to get a ride home So is thousands of lbs of snapper a trip when you get to keep 2  .... So is 50 Warsaw grouper on a com. Boat when 5 guys go fishing for 3 days and can keep 1 per boat... It's legal but is is morally right? Capt. Ahab


I hate to say it but this the result of creating a "SPORT" out of fishing. We all pay an extra 15% for our gear for the pleasure of being thrown under the bus, while "commercial" fisherman are " earning a living" and hammering our way of life into the ground.

Watch out there we might need a limit on blue runners soon.(thats about the only thing we catch that is not regulated).


----------



## Bog1234 (Aug 19, 2011)

broadonrod said:


> Legal doesn't mean it's right :/ 4400 lbs 55 fish = babies ..... But your right it is legal.... So is drinking at a football game that holds 30000 people with only 100 taxi cabs to get a ride home So is thousands of lbs of snapper a trip when you get to keep 2  .... So is 50 Warsaw grouper on a com. Boat when 5 guys go fishing for 3 days and can keep 1 per boat... It's legal but is is morally right? Capt. Ahab


X2!


----------



## roundman (May 21, 2004)

i would just assume there were NO commercial boats at all but i dont make the laws, i guess you can gather up people with enough money to hire lobbyist to try to stop it?


----------



## Swells (Nov 27, 2007)

I hear you folks loud and clear about the comms ... but the NMFS was formed when the fishing fleet was nearly 100 percent commercial and their job is to protect and enhance their fleet of commercial boats while having to ratchet down on the fish tonnage, since many fisheries had collapsed. As such, us recs ended up on the short end of the stick, as TheHighlander correctly says.


----------



## justhookit (Sep 29, 2005)

Same boat is out again and has 6000 pounds this trip. They apparently were supposed to come in but decided to stay out longer. I don't know if they are still swording or decided to stay out to catch other species.


----------



## mako (Nov 10, 2004)

John,
Are they out of Port A? We were almost run-over by a longliner around daybreak saturday morning as we were clearing our sword gear. We almost collided, he then circled and made another pass by the boat before setting up a couple hundred yards away...


----------



## KevinA (May 22, 2004)

Mako

what was the name of the vessel you encountered offshore.


----------



## mako (Nov 10, 2004)

KevinA said:


> Mako
> 
> what was the name of the vessel you encountered offshore.


I don't remember the name of the vessel, but it was out of Corpus Christi as indicated on the hull.


----------



## FREON (Jun 14, 2005)

justhookit said:


> Oh, and Tommy Lee is an a-hole.


 X2


----------



## capt4fish (Dec 4, 2004)

Unfortunately, with our fishery it was and is just a matter of time before more and more longline boats start to participate in swordfishing. Word has gotten out.

I am willing to bet that even as I write this, longline boats are experimenting with ways to "deep drop" their long lines. 


We saw in Florida that heavy longline preassure on the swordfish will decimate the stock.
I hope that is not what is in storefor us.


----------



## justhookit (Sep 29, 2005)

mako said:


> John,
> Are they out of Port A? We were almost run-over by a longliner around daybreak saturday morning as we were clearing our sword gear. We almost collided, he then circled and made another pass by the boat before setting up a couple hundred yards away...


Pretty sure you almost were run over by a different longliner than the one I am talking about.

That sucks to hear. Glad y'all are ok Gabe. Y'all get him on the radio?


----------



## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

I predict there won't be many swordfish left off Aransas, once the Florida boats move in there. They know how to wipe out a fisheries.


----------



## broadonrod (Feb 26, 2010)

Ya lol... ... Looks like the 29 longline boats that swordfished the gulf last year wiped them out pretty much already it's been pretty tough fishing this year ... Looks like the commercial boats have already wiped out all the snapper ... :/ LoL... Capt. Ahab


----------



## Swells (Nov 27, 2007)

I guess it's different from the East Coast where there is a summer migration up north, traveling as far as the Flemish Cap way up past Cape Cod. If we have a resident population of swords, that's bad news if we get a lot more longliners. 

For years we're tried to get spawning season bans on longliners in the Gulf, but for some reason NMFS won't do it. I know a bunch of y'all would rather ban the whole gear method because they take so much bycatch, like marlin. It must be sickening to throw back all them oceanic shark and marlin.


----------



## hog (May 17, 2006)

justhookit said:


> Same boat is out again and has 6000 pounds this trip. They apparently were supposed to come in but decided to stay out longer. I don't know if they are still swording or decided to stay out to catch other species.


Im also guess'n that their weight is fish market weighed with no head and no tail also wouldnt ya think?


----------



## The Last Mango (Jan 31, 2010)

cool!


----------



## broadonrod (Feb 26, 2010)

Leaving the dock in 45 minutes . Should be none left in the gulf by Sunday... Hoping for 6000+ lbs on the wire by Saturday fishing 1 hook at a time then a bonus 600lber on ice Sunday and head home.... Hope we don't get run over by all the longliners... :0 LMAO.... Capt. Ahab Get Tight Suckas!


----------



## FREON (Jun 14, 2005)

Tear em up Capt......


----------



## texasjellyfish (Jan 23, 2006)

With all the swordfish reports off the Texas coast in the last eighteen months soon the Hilltops will be a parking lot for these Longliners , translates into overfishing and another fishery getting closed to all but the commercial boats


----------



## The Last Mango (Jan 31, 2010)

texasjellyfish said:


> With all the swordfish reports off the Texas coast in the last eighteen months soon the Hilltops will be a parking lot for these Longliners , translates into overfishing and another fishery getting closed to all but the commercial boats


A good commercial fishermen does'nt need a "report" to know where the fish are, last time I checked, the Gulf of Mexico has not moved location since the dawn of time.


----------



## Top Brass #2 (Jan 20, 2012)

All I can say is, Join every conservation association you can, write letters to your congressman, etc. It's unfortunately the only way we can combat these ocean rapists. Hate to see yet another species we are not allowed to keep because the com. guys destroyed it for everyone. Anyone who thinks this is funny or is taking it lightly is sorely mistaken. Sorry to be so harsh, Commercial guys make my blood boil.


----------



## CHA CHING (May 21, 2004)

Top Brass #2 said:


> All I can say is, Join every conservation association you can, write letters to your congressman, etc. It's unfortunately the only way we can combat these ocean rapists. Hate to see yet another species we are not allowed to keep because the com. guys destroyed it for everyone. Anyone who thinks this is funny or is taking it lightly is sorely mistaken. Sorry to be so harsh, Commercial guys make my blood boil.


Lawyers and Insurance Companies make my blood boil!!!

OH and most politicians, especially bleeding heart liberal democrats!!


----------



## Top Brass #2 (Jan 20, 2012)

CHA CHING said:


> Lawyers and Insurance Companies make my blood boil!!!
> 
> OH and most politicians, especially bleeding heart liberal democrats!!


x2!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## marlin45 (Nov 19, 2011)

The funny part is the people that think it is funny are the ones creating so much self publicity for themselves and to the area they are bringing the commercial guys over here.


----------



## Swells (Nov 27, 2007)

THe Texas offshore has been mapped with known fishing spots starting after the Civil War, and was exploited much more after WWI. The Hilltops is old news even to these Florida snapper boats converted for long-lines. What is different is blabbing about 1,000 foot fishing, as opposed to a trot-line set at between 100 and 300 feet deep. This is fishing below the thermocline, kind of a new thing for these guys. They's already figured out we have the Mexican Golden Tile Fish but didn't catch on about the swords until more recently.

Simple fix - simply slap on a large cannonball weight onto the main line and let the line sag in between the buoys, which are spaced about two miles apart. That's what you taught them eejits! :work:


----------



## FishnFrfun (Apr 17, 2012)

Many of you weren't around in the early 80's when we quit fishing for them because the long liners moved in in the late 70's and whiped em out. I know some on here don't believe it and think they are smarter than everyone else, we'll see how smart they think they are when the resource is so bad that you only get a bite about every other night.


----------



## FishnFrfun (Apr 17, 2012)

And by the way, we didn't have the internet to spread the word back then. All they had to do was brag on the SSB!!!! And they did brag a lot.


----------



## wampuscat (Jun 30, 2009)

FishnFrfun said:


> Many of you weren't around in the early 80's when we quit fishing for them because the long liners moved in in the late 70's and whiped em out. I know some on here don't believe it and think they are smarter than everyone else, we'll see how smart they think they are when the resource is so bad that you only get a bite about every other night.


X2 Went from everyone getting bit, to no one getting bit. The beach was covered up with spent light sticks from all the comercial boats.


----------



## texasjellyfish (Jan 23, 2006)

The Last Mango said:


> A good commercial fishermen does'nt need a "report" to know where the fish are, last time I checked, the Gulf of Mexico has not moved location since the dawn of time.


I dont believe i said anything about anybody needing something, i am also applauded you know how long the GOM has been here without moving.
We always scanned the ssb,vhf,beertalk anything that could help produce more lbs of fish during the 70`s and 80`s when i worked out there, that was until the Japanese/FL moved in and soon the fishery was closed. Another thing these F/V`s require alot of room 
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/FMP/SWO_FMP_Source/Part_2/Appendix_C.pdf


----------



## Swells (Nov 27, 2007)

Comms, that's sooo 1980s like disco.


----------



## justhookit (Sep 29, 2005)

justhookit said:


> They apparently were supposed to come in but decided to stay out longer. I don't know if they are still swording or decided to stay out to catch other species.


Ok, heard that they are still out but have switched to tuna fishing. Got that report as of yesterday.


----------



## Chase This! (Jul 20, 2007)

How many billfish have they caught? Or are they keeping that off the record?

B


----------



## Swells (Nov 27, 2007)

Chase This! said:


> How many billfish have they caught? Or are they keeping that off the record?
> 
> B


Hmm, good question. That would be an interesting Freedom of Information Act request.

"All information, data, and correspondence related to long-line fishing in the US waters of the Gulf of Mexico."

Supposedly they have 20 days to respond....


----------



## justhookit (Sep 29, 2005)

Chase This! said:


> How many billfish have they caught? Or are they keeping that off the record?
> 
> B


We are trying to find out.


----------



## Hotrod (Oct 11, 2006)

DRILHER said:


> I saw something better than that. Yesterday we out to eat at The Pelican Club In Port Aransas and met Tommy Lee Jones.


MY wife worked with a Doctor at Hermann. He is Tommys fishing and hunting buddy. The doc always wanted to go fishing with me, I told her to tell him to bring Tommy lol


----------

