Very interesting topic. You head whisphers, but I suspect there are a lot of very tight lips whenever one does get caught...
I would imagine commercial fishermen (currently or previously) would be a rather good source of information if you can find one.

Would be good to combine with a FAD's trip, fish it first light. Wouldnt be a bad way to spend the night even if you didnt get any broadies.

a guy I know who used to work on pro Sword/Tuna boats he's pretty sure you would be extremely lucky to get 1 within 100Nm of the coast in metro waters.

A fair bit closer on the south coast.

Having said that it's been done before and most probably will be done again.

yep - that seems to be the concensus...... thats a lot of fuel :-(

 to do an overnighter when the wind and timing is right. Not sure if 800m of 100lb braid is going to stop them tho 

i was speaking to a guy who has caught them off Gisbon in NZ - said they are just so strong and you dont really want them at the boat to quickly as they can be a bit fiesty (esp the smaller ones) - was telling me a story about one that (somewhere off the coast of the US) had a crack at a submarine!- haha

sorry for my ignorence, but what you say broadbill, you mean broadbill swordfish right? or a different species?

Some fellas picked one up on the deep drop. small fish but still a swordy

Heard a few rumours. Lathe at BW told me once a charter operator was getting them consisanty at one point? Who? where? when?

Another fella told me a bloke he knew "Shizz" had got 2 in the 600's on the deep drop.

And thats it..

yes mate Broadbill swordfish

Here's a pic that was posted on the site a couple of years ago

http://fishwrecked.com/image/metro-swordfish-april-09

 I remember reading an article of them in a magazine years ago and they where getting them fairly often out there behind roto just can't remember any more of the details.

I have a mate that fished for them off the Cape. He said one of his best catches in 100m. All depends on the currents and most times the biggest temp brakes are beyond the average trailer boat. Best thing is I have his broady spots and deep drop spots, need to do a south trip to give them a go. But if the chance is there to spend a night at the Trench and there is a good temp brake I shall have a crack. My old shift boss nailed one in 500m behind Rotto as he retreived his deep drop rig. So they are there.

But having seen what its like 200nm out with 2000 hooks out, even then they were sparse.

I have experienced some unstoppables so maybe one day.

Slim odds

I fished for them for about 7 years around WA. PM me if you want a bit more info.

But a couple of points, above someone said you wouldnt catch them within 100miles of the coast. I dont believe that is entirely true.

Longlining restricts you to fishing in deeper than about 500 meters, so while I and pretty much any other ex-longliner wouldnt have caught them in there, I wouldnt necessarily say they arent there.

20 years back in while working at Coral Bay, another local found a juvenile trapped in a rock pool on the reef during a low tide.

Also stats from the PGFC would probably show (from memory) a history of 100s of marlin landings to each swordy landing, yet while longlining in the same area we would catch 100s of swordys to the marlin. Hence also why guys hooking marlin and sailies in a 100 meters wouldnt have any idea if there were swordies around.

Completely different fishing methods required.

In NZ and Florida I believe game fishos are pioneering new amateur fishing methods to hook them uses a release weight to pull a bait 100 meters down.

definately to do with the currents and warm water swirls! fishing for the buchettis outa gero longlining we would come across swords in 100 to 150 fthm and def not 100 nm off the coast! actually very close and def accessible for a wooduck! but same having a cpl thousand hooks out and some of the conditions that most of the swordys were caught in would make the average guy go screw you im stayn home! but if you like the ocean big nasty windy and alive and you have a good ocean thermal setup like Ord Map which is incredible but bloody pricy to run you can virtually pinpoint exactly where you need to be down to the metre! ive worked w some skippers that are useless at reading the ocean and being able to target them but then there are a cpl of guys that were guns at getting them and also big Big Eye tuna! not sure down around metro but i know for a fact there a spots up north where when the weather is right you can go out in a trailer boat and def get into some decent swords! some of the crayfishermen i used to work for swore that their gear would be destroyed by swords and from what ive seen i would believe them!

I took this in winter last year. If you look below the sounding in 300m you can see the second echo which is strong which gave me the impression that this was a very dense or even solid object/objects.

I will never know what it was as we didnt get a bite.

Feel free to comment

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 Was at a fishin talk night during week in melb about swords and all ive got to say is u guys over in the west should give it a crack there is meant to be shit loads of them around  even in the day time but gotto fish near the bottom good starting point would be 400 450 mts and they will eat any bait make sure u have lights on ur rigs and braid is a must 

 If yous fish at night fish from top to 80mts down 

sat tagged fish have showed that at night

hi guys I am keen as, been watching you tube most night but most of the tips has been from Florida.

I rejoin PGFC and hope to get some tips on game gear, what I need, where to buy them, also what is the state record for 37 kg outfit ? 96 kg recently landed in Busselton ? is 24 kg too ambitious ?

Mattb84 I am changing my electronic to garmin as the FCV 295 is too bulky on my console.it is built like a bloody tank.

Once this is done and if I plan a night out at the trench I will PM you.