Pre-Rigged 18" UV Tandem Sword Rig

Built for daytime swordfish deep dropping, the fully rigged 18-inch Hogy Perfect Sword Eel delivers a durable, deployment-ready alternative to frozen bait. Its inline-molded tandem rig eliminates open cuts and glued seams, while a specially tuned soft-plastic blend produces a fluid, serpentine action without sacrificing toughness.

The UV-infused body and heavy iridescent glitter finish create a visible, meal-sized profile at depth. Tandem 9/0 Mustad 7691S Knife Point hooks are connected with flexible, bluewater-grade braided cable, providing big-game strength while allowing the entire bait to bend and swim naturally.

Keep it in your offshore kit, add scent if desired, and send it down whenever an opportunity presents itself—no freezing, thawing, sewing, or bait preparation required.

Inline-Molded Construction: The rig is molded directly into the bait, eliminating the open cuts and glued seams found in the original hand-rigged design. The result is a cleaner, more durable Sword Eel built to withstand bait peckers, squid attacks, missed strikes, and repeated drops.

Soft Yet Exceptionally Durable: A specially tuned plastic blend keeps the entire 18-inch body soft and serpentine in the water while providing roughly four times the material toughness of the original. It delivers the fluid action of natural bait without the same short lifespan.

Tandem Mustad Hook Rig: Two 9/0 Mustad 7691S Knife Point hooks provide dual hook positions while helping keel and stabilize the long body at depth. The tandem configuration maintains a controlled presentation without restricting the eel’s full-length movement.

Flexible Bluewater-Grade Cable: The tandem hooks are connected with braided cable engineered for big-game strength and durability. Its flexibility allows the body to bend, swim, and undulate naturally through each drop, lift, and reset.

Deep-Water Visibility: UV-infused soft plastic and a heavy iridescent glitter finish create a visible, meal-sized profile in low-light conditions. The flash and shimmer evoke eels and other elongated swordfish forage without relying on a rigid imitation.

Deployment-Ready Convenience: No freezer space, thawing, sewing, or advance bait preparation is required. Keep the fully rigged Sword Eel in your offshore tackle, add scent if desired, and deploy it whenever the opportunity develops.

Optional Skirt Compatibility: Slide a squid- or octopus-style skirt over the nose before crimping the eel to your leader. The skirt helps center the presentation, improve tracking, prevent tangles, conceal the crimp, and retain scent at depth.

Purpose-Built for Daytime Swordfish: Every component is selected for deep-dropping applications, from the 18-inch profile and tandem-hook layout to the flexible cable and durable body. It is designed to remain controlled and lifelike as it rises and falls through the strike zone.

Limited-Production Relaunch: Retired in 2024, the Perfect Sword Eel is back by demand for a limited production run. Future availability is expected to be limited to annual releases or special requests.

Retrieve: Working the Zone

This is less a traditional retrieve than a controlled sequence of drops and resets:

1. Periodically lower the weight back to bottom, then wind up approximately 100 feet to confirm the eel remains in the strike zone.
2. Allow each drop and lift to animate the bait. The flexible body produces a natural undulation as it rises and falls.
3. Watch the rod closely for light taps, a stalled tip, an unexpected pressure change, or sudden slack.
4. After light contact, raise the eel slightly before returning to bottom and resetting the presentation.
5. After a pronounced strike, drop immediately to bottom and lift the bait back into the zone. This often encourages the fish to return.
6. Once the line comes tight, maintain pressure and adjust your presentation for current, depth, line angle, and boat movement.