Swordfish and Swordfishing

As opportunistic predators, swordfish feed at the surface as well as the bottom of their depth range (>2,100 ft (650 m)) as evidenced by their stomach contents. They feed mostly upon pelagic fishes, and occasionally squids and other cephalopods. At lower depths they feed upon demersal fishes. The sword is apparently used in obtaining prey, as squid and cuttlefishes commonly exhibit slashes to the body when taken from swordfish stomachs. A recent study found the majority of large fish prey had been slashed, while small prey items had been consumed whole. Larval swordfish feed on zooplankton including other fish larvae. Juveniles eat squid, fishes, and pelagic crustaceans.

Swordfishing has really seen a boon in the last few years. Boats departing form port up and down the Atlantic are experiencing a fish size of 75-100lb on average. South Florida is considered to be the swordfish nursery and anglers routinely catch "Pups", but they also get their share of markers (fish with over 100 lbs dressed weight) and double markers.

Swordfishing

Once you are all gunned up and ready to go, it's time to take a drift out in South Florida’s Gulf Stream or the Canyons of the Mid Atlantic or New England. We are going to be drifting using 4 to 6 lines. Depending on the size of your boat, the sea conditions, and your experience level, you may be able to fish 5 or even 6 rods, but 4 rods is a good starting point. This is an awesome fishery and we can sustain it as long as we don’t abuse it.

Locating The Swordfish Grounds

Swordfishing takes place in the evening and at night, as they are primarily nocturnal feeders. In South Florida, most boats leave the dock in the early evening hours and coming back to the dock after midnight. Boats fishing out of ports in the middle and north Atlantic states usually swordfish at night after spending the day trolling for tunas, mahis, and other fish. Swordfishing is obviously easier when it is calm, because everything is easier to do.

In South Florida, swordfish grounds are bordered generally between longitude 79-51W and 79-44W. This is roughly 15-22 miles off our coastline. In the Mid-Atlantic and North Canyons, with such a vast area to cover, most fishermen look for a good temperature break before fishing. Sonar that can read the bottom in 2000 feet is very beneficial; as you will see the canyons and structure that you are fishing and mark them on your chart plotter. These canyons create upwellings that hold plankton and other small marine creatures that baitfish such as tinker mackerel and sardines feed on, which in turn attracts highly migratory species such as swordfish. If you want to see fish and schools of bait, set your range to 100ft and you will see any bait congregated under your boat. Where you find the bait you will find the fish. Try dropping live bait or a stick bait straight off your rod tip right into that zone (as explained later).

Once you are satisfied with your location, you want to spend the next few minutes figuring out your drift. The direction and speed of your drift is the most important aspect of swordfishing. The direction of your drift dictates which area you are going to drift over. For example, if you have heard that the bite is red hot on the 79-50W line, you want to make sure you spending most of your drift on this line. The speed of the current and the direction and speed of the wind will also affect what size lead weight sinkers you need to use to keep your baits drifting at the desired depth. A sea anchor can work to keep your baits spread out and offset the effects of the wind on your spread. Put your sea anchor out somewhere forward of midship for the best spread.

Broadbill Tackle

Good bait is key to any fishing. Dead bait such as Boston mackerel stick rigged to drift or a nice squid on a pin rig work great. Live bait such as goggle-eyes, blue runners, speedos, tinker mackerel work well too. You should trim the tails down on the live bait to make them easier for the swords to catch, which help your hook ups.

Let's discuss rigging your rods and reels. I use mostly 80 wides, but many of my friends use 130s after getting owned a few times by sea monsters. If you are fortunate to have a reel like an Accurate 50 with a twin drag system you could load it with over 700 yards of 150 hollow-core PowerPro braid and be able to fish their lighter rods for broadbills. Using 50s to me is not a great idea, but some people do it. You can catch a decent fish on a 50lb. reel, but when you get a nice one on, its nice to know you can have some line capacity and a drag capable of taking the heat. On most fish, fighting them between 12 and 16 pounds of drag is going to keep the hook in the fish. However, with such light drag, a large fish will be able to take a lot of line off the spool. Remember, the more line that comes off the spool, the more drag is on the fish. If you have your drag set at 16 pounds and have 400 yards of line out, you may have 25 pounds of pressure on the fish. It is very important to set your drag before you go out. Mark the drag settings on the reel with a piece of light colored electrical tape and a magic marker at each increment of the drag lever.

When you spool up, we recommend using 150 lb hollow core Power Pro as backing. On the reel we fish with, we load about 1100 yards of Power Pro as backing. This line can last an entire season, as it is less vulnerable to failure causing nicks from fish or other things (weeds, boat, etc) touching the line. Line capacity can be key to slugging it out with a large broadbill, as there is a great deal of current and deep water for the fish to sound. Power Pro's low stretch mean it is more sensitive to broadbills whacks and its small diameter means it takes less weight to fish the desired depth. After loading on a full spool of Power Pro, I finish it off with at least 100 yards of 130lb mono as a top shot. This mono allows some stretch in the system, which gives a little cushion against pulled hooks.

When spooling the reels we suggest marking each reel at a given depth. We suggest you mark the line using a Dacron loop half hitched to your line using wax line. Mark the rod with a piece of tape on the butt and write the depth on it. This will enable you to easily drop your bait to the desired depth without having to count it every time you setup. It also lets you know which rod is at which depth and allows you to cover all depths. You will use this loop to tie the balloon or jug onto the line. Make another loop using just wax floss about 20 feet from the end of your line. This will be used to attach the weight. It is very important to make sure the loop does not slip!

Your first knot that will be used on your mainline is the popular bimini twist (about 5 ft). The knot acts as a shock absorber and is very beneficial to the rig. Attach a 300 lb wind on leader using a loop to loop connection and crimp on a nice swivel.

Make sure your roller guides are in good shape, and that all your hardware is tight. Make sure you have good rod holders with backing plates; our swivel rod holders are the best.

Rigging up

Lets discuss your rigs. We first start out by measuring 15 feet of 200lb – 400lb mono leader. On the top end we either crimp a loop using a piece of hard plastic chafe tube so that we can attach it to our ball bearing snap swivel or welded eye swivel. On the other end, crimp an 8/0 – 11/0 hook. Make sure the hook is very sharp, if not sharpen it using a file. You should be able to press it against your fingernail and make a nice scratch. Attach your rig to your rods ball bearing swivel.

If you are fishing live bait you should place a bridle on your hook. A bridle is a loop that is about 6 inches in diameter made out of rigging floss or extra Power Pro. Attach that bridle to the hook and you are set. Pull the loop through the bait's eyes using a rigging needle and twist until the bridle is tight across the bait's head, then loop the hook under the part of the bridle that is tight on the bait's head. At the swivel top circle you want to also attach a flasher at your discretion. This helps to make your bait visible to the swordfish.

Now lets talk squid. A swordfish favorite is the squid. There are a number of ways to rig a dead squid, but the best method is to use what long line fishermen call a pin rig. A tag end or pin is used to keep the squid riding high on the hook by pinning the mantle. The rig leaves the hook exposed half way down the mantle. Make sure you size your hook to your squid. The larger the hook the more hook you will have exposed from the squid. With small enough hooks only a small part of the hook is exposed.

Get your LP electralume lights out turned on and ready. Rig some 16-32 ounce bank sinkers with rubber coated copper/telephone wire or a rubber band. Rig some balloons or jugs up. Tie a piece of wire or rubber band to the balloon or jug by wrapping it around above where your balloon knot is. If using telephone wire, wrap the line up away from the balloon, and finish it off clean so it does not pop the balloon. Attach a cyalume stick to the jug or balloon with a piece of electrical tape. Have the gaff or harpoon ready to be deployed as some days you may drop the baits right into the mouth of a hungry swordfish.

Letting out your Spread

Drifting for swordfish is very very effective. You should stagger you baits at 150, 200, and 300. Each of these lines should have a balloon. Work another one out off the rod tip Now that you have 4 rods that are ready to be deployed, lets get some lines in the water. Once you are satisfied with the direction and speed of your drift, get the first line out. As a general rule of thumb, get your longest lines out first, meaning in this case the 150 foot deep rod. Many top captains set out the first two lines with the boat in gear driving away from the lines having the mate attach the LP Electralume, weight, and balloon as the appropriate marks in the line pass by. This often results in a faster deployment and a better spread. Once the 2nd bait is out they shift into drifting position and work out the next two.

With the first rod, attach your rig, along with your flasher on the to the swivel. Next clip on your LP Electralume using the long line clip that comes with it about 25 feet up the line. If you don’t have an electric light, snap a cyalume stick on. When your wax loop for the sinker comes off the tip, attach the sinker to the wax loop using copper wire. Wrap the wire about 6 times and pull to ensure it breaks away. Put it back on and let your bait down to desired depth. The 150-foot market should appear pretty fast. Once the 150-foot marker on the line comes up, attach your jug or balloon to the Dacron or wax line loop using copper wire. You can attach the balloon or jug using telephone wire or a small rubber band. Again, test to make sure it breaks away when fish applies pressure. Let the float out about 100-150 yards from the boat.

Do the same to the second rod, but this time go to 200ft and let it out on the jug/balloon about 75 yards. Proceed with the 250 and 300-foot rods. Once you have the 4 lines out on the jugs, lets move to your tip rods. The tip rods are called tip rods because that is exactly what they are. You will see the tip of the rod bounce heavily when a sword is slashing the bait. These rods are being fished right at the boat at varying depths. We usual set these rods at 75-100 feet and 400 feet. These will be your most active rods, as they are in the direct light of the boat. You should be constantly reeling the two tip rods.

Now that you have 4 lines in the water, Turn off all boat lights and sit back and listen to your rods. Check all lines as needed. If you don't have any action within 30 minutes to an hour, start by checking your tip rods. If the baits have been slashed than bring in your balloon/jug rods and re-bait.

You can also use the 4ft green Hydro Glow light is used to attract bait and fish to your boat. Make sure you put it on the opposite side of the boat that that lines are drifting on, to avoid direct light in your eyes. The light definitely doesn't hurt. We have seen bait such as squid, mackerel, flying fish, and sardines swim through the light. I have also seen these fish come into spreader lights and I have seen them come up with no lights at all. But why not have the extra edge?

There he is!!!

If a balloon or jug comes off, or you hear the drag being taken out, or you see a fish surfacing, you want to jump on that rod fast. You should of have your drag set at practically nothing, just enough to keep line from coming off the reel. Increase the drag to an agreed upon setting (I use 16 pounds) and start cranking until you get tight on the fish. The hook should automatically set once the line is tight if your hook is sharp. It is always important to clear the sea anchor and the tip rods immediately, but sometimes if you are not getting dragged around you can leave a float line or two out in hopes for a double.

Hooked Up!

Monitor your drag carefully. Too little drag and even a small 80-pound sword may take an hour. Too much drag may cause the hook to rip from the soft mouths of these fish. Do not rush the fish. If you have a big fish on, and he starts dumping over 300 yards of line off the reel you should back the drag on the reel off to compensate for the weight of the line in the water.

Most people fight the fish out of the rod holder using a bent butt rod, but there are some lower back workout fanatics that like to fish it standup. If you want to fight it standup, you should use a harness a good fighting belt. Swordfish get in excess of 400lbs and sometimes you have to slug it out to get them in the boat.

Once the fish is at the boat, just reel take of the LP electralume and wind the swivel to the tip. This is why we also suggest using wind-on leaders. This will help avoid the dangers of hand-lining a big fish. Get ready with multiple gaffs or a harpoon and stick the fish right in the head. A swordfish has to be at least 47 inches from the fork of the tail to the tip of the lower jaw to keep, so make sure you have a measuring tape. So before hitting it with the gaff, you want to decide if you are keeping the fish or not. Always wear tough leather gloves, as the bill is very sharp.

Cleaning up (Read this article on dressing tuna and swordfish)

When you have the fish in the boat and after the high fives and pictures are taken, shorten him for easy storage and transport by sawing his bill off and cutting his head off. Once the head and gills are off, slice his belly from the anus to the collar and remove his guts. Then pack his cavity with ice to ensure the best quality steaks. Now get your lines out and do it again!

Fisherman's Outfitter

         NEW STATE RECORD SET FOR MARINE TRIPLETAIL
   
   A 33-pound, 8-ounce tripletail caught by Jackie Johnson, 48, of Savannah, Ga., is the new state record. Johnson caught the record fish July 30 while fishing out of Hilton Head in Calibogue Sound for trout with mullet bait on a float. He fought the fish for 25 minutes aboard the boat "Next," captained by Brent McCullough of Savannah.
   Jimmy Cannon of Savannah held the previous tripletail record. His record, set in June 2002, was 25-pounds, 13 ounces. It was also caught near Hilton Head in Calibogue Sound. The current all-tackle world record is 42 pounds, 5 ounces caught in Zululand, South Africa in 1989.
   Tripletails have small scales extending onto the dorsal, caudal and anal fins and a head profile, which becomes more concave with age. The tripletail has a compressed and deep body, with a triangular-shaped head. The eyes are relatively small, and its mouth is large. The bases of both its dorsal and anal fins are scaled, and its pectoral fins are shorter than its pelvic fins. The tripletail has distinctively large and rounded soft dorsal, caudal, and anal fins. This characteristic gave rise to the common name, tripletail.
   Tripletail will lay on its side, motionless, seemingly floating near the surface. It resembles either a dark mass on top of the water, or is very shiny, reflecting the suns rays off its body. Tripletail are considered a tasty grilled fish.
   If you happen to catch a tripletail, take precautions when handling one. Tripletails have teeth, and all of its fins are capable of inflicting stab wounds. The gill flap is exceptionally sharp. It is best to net a tripletail with a landing net and deposit it straight into an ice chest.
   The tripletail is found in most tropical and subtropical seas. The tripletail is a semi-migratory fish of the open ocean. It is
normally solitary, but under some conditions the tripletail may form schools. In the summer, they can be found in bays, sounds and estuaries. Juveniles are often found swimming under patches of Sargassum algae. Adults are normally found in waters of the Gulf of Mexico, but may occur in passes, inlets, and bays near river mouths. The tripletail is often found around shipwrecks, supports of beacons, the pilings of jetties, and sea buoys.
   The tripletail is opportunistic and feeds on a variety of prey including small finfish such as menhaden, Atlantic bumper and anchovies. Invertebrate prey may include blue crabs and brown shrimp.
   According to Tom DuPre', who administers the marine game fish state records program for S.C Department of Natural Resources, anyone catching a potential state record must have it weighed on certified scales with two witnesses and should immediately contact the DNR Marine Resources Division at (843)-953-9365 in Charleston. State saltwater game
fish records are available on the DNR Web site at http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/etc/rulesregs/pdf/saltfishing.pdf.
 

Fishing and Hunting Licenses

Saltwater Game Fish Records 

Photo courtesy of ~ Deidre Menefee CHARLESTON HARBOR BOATERS WORLD BILLFISH TOURNAMENT 19 Forde Row Charleston, SC 29412 (843) 345.0369 http://www.fishcharlestonharbor.com/ dpmenefee@aol.com

Capt. Mark Rogers and the crew aboard Rascal, owned by Norman Pulliam of Spartanburg, blows the state record for blue marlin out of the water in a South Carolina Governor's Cup Billfish Tournament. The 881.8-pound blue marlin that beat the old state record by 130 lbs., was caught June 3rd during the Charleston Harbor Boater's World Marine Centers Billfish Tournament, the fourth of five events in the 2005 Governor's Cup. Tom DuPre' , who coordinates the Governor's Cup, of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, documented  the catch as a state record.

SC RECORD SET IN JULY FOR ATLANTIC SPADEFISH
   A new South Carolina marine game fish record was set this July for Atlantic spadefish.
   A 14-pound, 1.8 ounce Atlantic spadefish caught by Stacey Nickleson, 19, of North Augusta, S.C. is the new state record. Nickleson caught the record fish on July 2 while bottom fishing  with a jelly ball strip out of Station Creek, Beaufort on the Betsy Ross Reef with a 14-pound test line. She fought the fish for 30 minutes aboard the boat "Marked Man," captained by Monty Bates of Aiken.
   The captain on the new record, Monty Bates, held the previous South Carolina Atlantic spadefish record. His record, set in June 2003, was 12 pounds, 15 ounces. It was also caught out of Station Creek and at the Betsy Ross Reef.
   According to Tom Dupre', who administers the marine game fish state records program for S.C Department of Natural Resources, anyone catching a potential state record must have it weighed on certified scales with two witnesses and should immediately contact the DNR Marine Resources Division at (843)-953-9365 in Charleston. State saltwater game fish records are available on the DNR website at http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/etc/rulesregs/pdf/saltfishing.pdf
 

S.C. RECORDS SET IN MAY FOR COBIA, BLACKFIN TUNA
   
   A 40-pound, 6-ounce blackfin tuna caught by Mark Hartley, 48, of Mt. Pleasant broke the two-year-old record by 2 pounds.  Hartley caught the new South Carolina state record fish on May 11 while trolling ballyhoo on 80-pound test line near the Georgetown Hole. He fought the fish for 15 minutes, aboard the "Patriot," captained by Jamie Brown of Mt. Pleasant.
   The previous record for blackfin tuna was 38 pounds, 6 ounces caught May 26, 2003 by John E. Frick of Spartanburg.
   Also this month, Steve Schladen, 61, of Lake Barrington, IL caught a new state record cobia on May 13, weighing 87 pounds, 12 ounces.  Schladen broke the previous state record by more than a pound. He fought the fish for one hour, 20 minutes, on 20-pound test line while sight-fishing squid in the Broad River in Beaufort County, aboard the "Izzy-A," captained by Greg Clark of Hilton Head.
   Ken Weiss, of Atlanta, GA held the previous cobia record of 86 pounds, 8 ounces, caught Masy 8, 2004, also in the Broad River.
   The Marine Resources Division of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in Charleston maintains state records for 67 species of saltwater fish.  Saltwater fish weighing less than 50 pounds must break the existing record by 4 ounces; fish 50 to 100 pounds must break the old record by 8 ounces; and fish more than 100 pounds must exceed the previous record by 16 ounces. State record fish must be caught by sporting methods in accordance with state and federal laws.
   According to Tom Dupre', who administers the marine game fish state records program for the DNR, anyone catching a potential state record must have it weighed on certified scales with two witnesses and should immediately contact the DNR Marine Resources Division at (843) 953-9365. State saltwater game fish records are available on the DNR Web site at http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/marine/saltrecs/saltrec.html.
- Written by G. Michael Willis -
 

'CHICORA' WINS GEORGETOWN TOURNEY IN GOVERNOR'S CUP BILLFISHING SERIES
   Chicora, owned by Frank Foster of Fountain Inn, captured the Best Billfish Boat award Saturday, May 21, at the 38th Annual Georgetown Landing Marina Blue Marlin Tournament, the third of five tournaments in the 17th Annual South Carolina Governor's Cup Billfishing Series.
   Friday, the second day of the tournament, proved to be the charm for Chicora. Linda Foster, wife of owner Frank Foster, landed the largest blue marlin ever caught by a lady angler in South Carolina waters, at 563.5 pounds, while angler Lee Foster of Fountain Inn released a blue marlin, earning Chicora an additional 300 points. Chicora finished the tournament with an 863.5 point total.
   Rookie IV, owned by Eddie Buck of Charleston, captured the tournament's Best Billfish award for a 581-pound blue marlin landed by angler Charles F. Rivers of Charleston. Second-place billfish went to Linda Foster onboard the Chicora; she also won top lady angler award.. Third-place billfish was awarded to No Problem, owned by Mark Becker of Bala Cynwyd, Pa., for a landed blue marlin on Thursday, the first day of the tournament, weighing 439.8 pounds by lady angler Brooke Gassel of Bryn Mawr, Pa. Gassel also took second place lady angler honors. Carson Dennis of Mt. Pleasant was third place lady angler for a 28.9-pound wahoo onboard El Tejano, owned by John Hill of Bronxville, N.Y.
   The top dolphin weighed 47.5 pounds and went to Jimmy McDill of Murrells Inlet on the Jubilee, chartered by Charles Ragsdale of Georgetown. Top wahoo weighed 79.4 pounds and went to angler Boggs Howard of Greenville on the At Ease, owned by Steve Timmons of Greenville. Youth Angler Cordes Lucas, 14, of Charleston caught the largest yellowfin tuna, weighing 31.2 pounds, fishing onboard Sportin' Life, owned by Manly Eubank of Charleston. The first place youth angler award went to 12-year-old, Chip Wall of Murrells Inlet, for releasing a sailfish on Friday, onboard Double Billed, owned by Freddie Hyatt of Murrells Inlet. Cordes Lucas finished second in the youth angler category, while Zack Holseberg, 14, of Eutawville placed third for his 25.3-pound dolphin onboard his father, Hutch Holseberg's boat, Billistic.
   The Blue Water Conservation Award went to the Petrel, owned by Harry Johnson Jr. of Charleston for tagging and releasing 22 dolphin. Capt. Buck Morris of Charleston was presented the Wallace F. Pate Memorial Award for his lifelong contributions to the sport.
   Points for Governor's Cup tournaments are awarded as follows: 25 points for tournament participation, 1 point per pound for each landed billfish, 300 points for a tagged or released blue marlin, 150 points for a tagged or released white marlin, and 100 points for a tagged or released sailfish.
   Funds from each tournament are also used to support a broad range of marine fisheries research and conservation efforts each year. For more information on the South Carolina Governor's Cup Billfishing Series contact Tom DuPre' of DNR by e-mail at dupret@mrd.dnr.state.sc.us or by phone at (843) 953-9365 in Charleston.
   The next tournament in the Governor's Cup Series is June 1 through 4, the Charleston Harbor Boater's World Marine Centers Billfish Tournament. Visit the Web site at http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/etc/govcup/govcup.html to learn more about the South Carolina Governor's Cup Billfishing Series, and to keep up with the standings.
- Written by G. Michael Willis -
 

'GAME ON' WINS EDISTO TOURNAMENT IN GOVERNOR'S CUP BILLFISHING SERIES
   "Game On," owned by Victor O. Roof, Jr. of Lexington, SC captured the Best Billfish Boat award Saturday, April 23 at the Edisto Marina Billfish Tournament, the first of five tournaments in the 17th Annual South Carolina Governor's Cup Billfishing Series.
   "The 2005 Billfishing Tournament Series got off to great start Thursday (April 21) under ideal weather conditions with highs in the 70's and light breezes," said Tom DuPre', who coordinates the tournament series for the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR). "The weather forecast for the April 20-23 Edisto Marina Billfish Tournament called for increasing winds and high seas later in the week. All 34 boats participating in the tournament decided to heed the weatherman's advice and go for it on day one. All but two boats fished on Friday (April 21) as conditions worsened, bringing severe weather, high winds and cooler temperatures by late-afternoon. No boats fished on Saturday (April 23) due to gale force winds offshore."
   Two blue marlin were landed on Thursday, including the winning fish, weighing 409.4 pounds caught by angler and owner Victor O. Roof, Jr. of Lexington on Game On, and a 388.2 -pound blue marlin caught aboard by Legal Holiday owner and angler Fred Bergen of Savannah.   Final tournament results put Roof's boat Game On in first place with 434.4 points, continuing their successful run from last year.
   Top honors in the Billfish Conservation category were taken by Aggressor, owned by Shem Creek Charters in Mt. Pleasant, with 325 points for releasing a blue marlin.
   Rapid Pace, owned by SHSR Enterprises on Sullivan's Island, took the lead in the Bluewater Conservation category by tagging two dolphin.  The top dolphin was an impressive 65.7 pounds and went to Perry Tucker of the Aggressor.  Top wahoo went to Earl Johnson on the C-Dog, owned by Charlie Yeomans III, of Edisto Beach. The biggest yellowfin tuna was caught on the Rapid Pace by Trey Sires.   Top youth angler went to 12 year old Brett Wood of Atlanta, GA, for his 22.6-pound wahoo and Lady Angler honors went to Vickie Arbogast of Hilton Head for her 37.5-pound wahoo. Vickie was fishing aboard the Sassy Lady owned by Robert Arbogast of Hilton Head Island.
   Other notable catches include a released sailfish on Thursday by High Maintenance, owned by Jeff Kubu of Anderson.  The boat Marlin Luhr, owned by Gary Wyatt of New Market, TN tagged a white marlin on Friday.
   Points for Governor's Cup tournaments are awarded as follows: 25 points for tournament participation, 1 point per pound for each landed billfish, 300 points for a tagged or released blue marlin, 150 points for a tagged or released white marlin, and 100 points for a tagged or released sailfish.
   Funds from each tournament are also used to support a broad range of marine fisheries research and conservation efforts each year. For more information on the South Carolina Governor's Cup Billfishing Series contact Tom DuPre' of DNR by e-mail at dupret@mrd.dnr.state.sc.us or by phone at (843) 953-9365 in Charleston.
   The next tournament in the Governor's Cup Series is May 4 through 7 at Bohicket Marina on Johns Island. Visit the Web site at http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/etc/govcup/govcup.html to learn more about the South Carolina Governor's Cup Billfishing Series, and to keep up with the standings.
   DNR law enforcement officers remind the public of Coast Watch, which was developed to better help citizens report violations of saltwater recreational and commercial fishing laws, as well as marine environmental laws. The Coast Watch hotline number (1-800-922- 5431) is toll-free and available 24 hours a day.
   Tournaments remaining in the 2005 billfishing series are:
* May 4-7 -- Bohicket Marina Invitational Billfish Tournament, contact: Bryan Richardson, 1880 Andell Bluff Blvd., Johns Island, SC 29455, (843) 768-1280, fax (843) 768-3481, bomarina@bellsouth.net
* May 18-21 -- 8th Annual Georgetown Landing Marina Blue Marlin Tournament, contact: Ricky Ferdon, PO Box 1704, Georgetown, SC 29442, (843) 546-1776, fax (843) 546-7832, glmarina@sc.rr.com, www.georgetownlandingmarina.com
* June 1-4 -- Charleston Harbor Boater's World Marine Centers Billfish Tournament, contact: Deidre Menefee, 19 Forde Row, Charleston, SC 29412, (843) 345-0369, fax (843) 406-4813, dpmenefee@aol.com
* June 29 - July 2 -- Megadock Billfishing Tournament, contact: K. C. Rennie, PO Box 759, Charleston, SC 29402, (843) 577-7702, fax (843) 577-7704, kcrennie@charlestoncitymarina.com
             

 - Written by G. Michael Willis -
 

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