Deep Drop Eels

In this rigging segment, we visit with commercial swordfishing captain Corey Burlew as he shares his method for setting up a daytime deep drop rod and electric reel for swordfish.

"Tell Bait Peckers to Eff Off."

Deep Drop Sword Eels:

Purpose-built for daytime swordfishing, the 18-inch Hogy Perfect Sword Eel delivers a large, lifelike presentation without the hassle of frozen bait. Its inline-molded tandem rig eliminates open cuts and glued seams, while the UV-infused, iridescent soft-plastic body remains supple and serpentine at depth—even after squid attacks, bait peckers, and missed strikes.

Built and Rigged to Last: Tandem 9/0 Mustad 7691S Knife Point hooks are connected by flexible, bluewater-grade braided cable. This heavy-duty construction provides big-game strength while helping keel the long body for a controlled, full-length swimming action.

Always Ready to Drop: No freezer space, thawing, sewing, or advance preparation is required. Keep it aboard with your offshore tackle, add scent if desired, and deploy it whenever an opportunity presents itself. An optional squid- or octopus-style skirt can be added to stabilize the bait, conceal the leader connection, and retain scent.

How to Fish It:

Controlled Descent: Lower the rig in stages, pausing periodically to let the eel, leader, and weight straighten. This helps prevent spinning and tangles on the way down.

Work the Strike Zone: Touch bottom, then retrieve enough line to suspend the eel approximately 100 feet above the seafloor. Periodically return the weight to bottom and reset your depth as current and line angle change.

Use the Rise and Fall: Each reset sends the flexible body swimming and undulating through the strike zone. Stay alert for subtle taps, a stalled rod tip, changes in pressure, or sudden slack—often the only signs of a swordfish bite at depth.

Sword-Durable Protail Plastic

A heavy iridescent glitter finish creates deep-water shimmer, while the tuned plastic blend stays soft and serpentine yet roughly four times tougher than the original material.

Bluewater Grade Construction

The inline-molded braided-cable rig eliminates open cuts and glued seams. Its flexible tandem construction adds big-game strength while preserving full-body movement.

Proven Sword Grade Rigging

Tandem 9/0 Mustad 7691S Knife Point hooks provide two secure hook positions and help keel the 18-inch body for a controlled presentation at depth.

Field Proven

528 Pounds of Proof

528lb NC Swordfish on the Hogy Deep Drop Eel! Congratulations to the crew aboard F/V Horseplay out of Oregon Inlet landing a whopping 528lb Sword while daytime deep dropping using a Hogy 18" Deep Drop Swordfish Eel topped with a Squid Tube.

Keany was fishing on an 18-inch Hogy Eel on a two-hook bottom rig, with a squid tube on top and a rubber skirt around the bait to give it more appeal when it bounced off the bottom. The swordfish struck, and there was no doubt about the bite. “It was a suicide bite,” Keany said. “One tap, and the rod doubled over. He didn’t play with the bait at all.”

Keany was on the rod, and two hours and 35 minutes later, he had the fish at the side of the boat, where it was harpooned and hit with the flying gaff before it came aboard.

Built for the Deep

Perfect Sword Eel Specifications

Charter-grade construction, deployment-ready rigging, and a durable 18-inch profile purpose-built for daytime swordfish deep dropping.

Length

18-inch soft-plastic body

Application

Daytime swordfish deep dropping

Construction

Inline-molded tandem rig with no open cuts or glued seams

Hooks

Tandem 9/0 Mustad 7691S Knife Point hooks

Rigging

Flexible, bluewater-grade braided cable

Choose Your Deep-Water Color

Four UV-infused, iridescent patterns built to shimmer at depth: Amber Squid, Black Purple, Pink Squid, and Glow—a customer favorite since day one. Pick your confidence color and send it down.

The Deep Drop Eel:

Pre-Rigged 18" UV Tandem Sword Rig

$44.95

4.9

Salt Water Sportsman — “DaytimeSwordfishing” (Hogy Eel Featured)

The clearest Virginia Beach connection. Writer Ric Burnley profiles Capt. Justin Wilson, partner at Oceans East Bait and Tackle and a pioneer of the mid-Atlantic daytime fishery. Wilson’s team fished the original Hogy eel for seasons and reported it took peckers and missed bites without damage, with Wilson noting: “Tournament anglers like it because they can fish a J hook.”

SOURCE: Salt Water Sportsman | “Daytime Swordfishing”

Sport Fishing — “Soft Plastic Lure Fishing Tips” (Hogy Eel Featured)

The put-away-the-bait argument, straight from a commercial fisherman. Sport Fishing reports that swordfish have an appetite for eels, that the boat’s rocking provides all the action a soft-plastic imitation needs, and that a single artificial can take more than one fish. Capt. Corey Burlew, a commercial fisherman from Deerfield Beach, Florida, found soft-plastic eel imitations just as productive as naturals, recalling that his first day trying the 18-inch Hogy eel produced “five bites and two swords landed.”

SOURCE: SportFishing Magazine | “Soft Plastic Lure Fishing Tips”

Marlin — “Daytime Swordfishingon the East Coast” (Hogy Eel Featured)

A detailed look at the growing East Coast daytime fishery, and the durability claim in national print. Marlin lists the skirted soft-plastic Hogy among proven daytime swordfish baits, calling it “more durable than the real thing” and noting it stands up to attacks by hordes of squid. The article also documents the birth of Virginia’s tournament scene: the November 2019 Rudee Inlet event where 29 boats landed 50 swordfish in a month.

SOURCE: MarlinMagazine | “Daytime Swordfishing on the East Coast” | Updated May 2023

“Natural squid were getting pecked apart on every drop, so down went the Hogy. We came tight on all three drops and stuck her on the third! Can’t argue with success—I picked up four more.”

DOCK TALK

Quick answers for most commonly asked questions about the Deep Drop Swordfish Eel and fishing applications.

What is the Hogy Perfect Sword Eel designed for?

Daytime swordfish deep dropping. It is purpose-built for that fishery.

How big is it, and does it arrive rigged?

The soft body measures 18 inches, and it ships fully rigged: an inline-molded tandem rig with two 9/0 Mustad 7691S Knife Point hooks on bluewater-grade braided cable.

Does it require frozen bait?

No. The Perfect Sword Eel replaces frozen bait entirely. There is nothing to freeze, thaw, sew, or prepare, and it can stay aboard with your offshore tackle for unplanned trips.

What is different about this version?

Everything about the durability. Earlier Swordfish Eels were rigged by hand into a cut bait body. The new version is inline-molded, so there are no open cuts or glued seams to fail, and the plastic blend is tuned to stay soft and serpentine while being roughly four times tougher than the original material. Many say the new version is 20 times more durable overall.

Why a tandem-hook rig?

The tandem configuration provides two hook positions while helping stabilize and keel the long soft body, supporting a controlled, serpentine presentation at depth. The hooks are connected by a braided cable rig engineered for strength and durability without sacrificing the flexibility that drives the full-length swimming action.

Does it come with a skirt?

No. The Perfect Sword Eel ships as the tandem-rigged bait alone. Many anglers slide a squid-style or octopus-style skirt over the nose before crimping to the leader, typically 300-pound premium monofilament.

Why do anglers add a skirt?

A stabilizing skirt keeps the bait centered and tracking in line, helps prevent tangles, and protects and conceals the crimp connection. The skirt can also retain menhaden oil or another compatible scent attractant. Scent is optional; the primary advantages remain durability, action, portability, and readiness.

Can I add scent?

Yes. Menhaden oil is the recommended option, though other compatible scent additives work. Apply it directly to the body, and up under the skirt if you are running one, before deployment.

Is it UV-enhanced?

Yes. The body is molded from UV-infused material and finished with a heavy coating of iridescent glitter that evokes the flash and shimmer of eels and other swordfish prey.

Is it tournament legal with a J-hook?

The eel is a fully artificial bait. Federal billfish tournament rules permit J-hooks in artificial lures, while natural baits and natural-artificial combinations require non-offset circle hooks. Always confirm with your tournament director.

How do I recognize a swordfish bite?

Watch for subtle taps, a stalled rod tip, changes in pressure, or unexpected slack. Swordfish often take the eel and swim upward, making the line feel lighter or go suddenly slack.

Why is this a limited run?

The eel lasts so long that reorders were rare, and we retired it in 2024. The supply out there has finally dwindled and the requests have not stopped, so we are producing a limited relaunch run. Going forward, this will be a once a year event or by special request.

TIPS & TECHNIQUE

DEEP DROP SWORDFISH EEL

How To: Daytime Deep Drop Swordfishing with Hogy Lures

Capt. Mike Hogan heads to Jupiter, Florida for an hands-on approach to Daytime Deep Dropping with multi-winning tournament angler Capt. Corey Burlew. This how-to guide covers step by step instructions for fishing the Hogy Deep Drop Eels.

Watch Full Video

Deep Dropping Lures For Swordfish - How To Fish For Daytime Swordfish

Capt. Corey Burlew shares his proven techniques using Hogy Soft Baits for daytime deep dropping for swordfish.

Watch Full Video

In the Field Blog

Deep Dives

Gear Deep Dive: Hogy Deep Drop Swordfish Eel

“The magazines wrote it up. The tournament fleet adopted it. The forums would not let it die. Now it is back as the Hogy Perfect Sword Eel, in a limited run. Get yours before the fleet does.”