Harpooned Swordfish: Precision Fishing, Zero Bycatch, and a Vanishing Art

If you've ever had a chance to try harpooned swordfish, you already know it stands apart. Pristine in quality, firm in texture, and harvested with precision, this is not your average catch.

At Get Hooked, we source swordfish from one of the most selective, traditional, and sustainable fisheries in California—a method practiced by only a handful of people today. It's called harpooning, and it’s as much an art as it is a job.

What Is Harpooning?

Harpooning is exactly what it sounds like—spear-fishing from a boat—but it's also one of the oldest and most sustainable fishing methods in the world. The core principle remains the same: a fisherman targets a single fish at the surface and strikes with precision. But the technique has evolved.

Today, harpoon boats are outfitted with long bow planks that extend out over the water, and spotters—either onboard or in small planes above—help locate swordfish basking at the surface. Once a fish is spotted, the harpooner positions themselves on the plank with a long, heavy pole tipped with a bronze dart. With one precise throw, the dart hits its mark. The pole detaches, and a float is thrown overboard, allowing the fish to tire itself out.

There are no nets. No bycatch. No second chances.

Swordfish: The Apex Predator

Swordfish are fascinating creatures. Like tuna, they’re one of the few fish capable of maintaining elevated body temperature, which gives them the edge to dive deep and strike fast. They use their long bills not to spear, but to slash—cutting through schools of fish to stun or kill prey. Most of their feeding happens at night, but during the day they often rise to the surface to warm up in the sun. That’s when harpooners move in.

And here's the wild part: in a good season, a harpooner might catch just 20 fish.

Meet the Hermanns: A Family Craft

Marc Hermann (left) started harpoon fishing in the 1980s. He and his brother Eric grew up in Ventura and Oxnard and were introduced to the trade at a young age. Today, Marc fishes aboard his meticulously maintained vessel, the Sharon G, joined by his son Blake (right), who’s taken on a big role in both the fishing and advocacy side of the industry.

For the Hermann family, harpooning is a calling. Marc calls it “the thrill of the hunt,” something closer to big game hunting than commercial fishing. It’s a high-skill, low-yield pursuit that demands patience, precision, and deep respect for the fish and the ocean.

Why Harpooned Swordfish Matters

In most of the world, swordfish are overfished. But here in California, they're actually considered underexploited, thanks in large part to strict state and federal regulations. Many traditional fishing grounds are off-limits, and only highly selective gear types—like harpoons or experimental deep-set buoy gear—are allowed.

That makes this one of the cleanest fisheries in the world:

• Zero bycatch: No turtles, sharks, or unintended species caught.
• No habitat damage: No bottom trawling or nets.
• Single-fish precision: One fish at a time, one dart at a time.
• Top-tier quality: The best swordfish you'll find anywhere, period.

A Vanishing Practice

Today, there are only a handful of harpoon boats still operating in California. It’s a disappearing art form—one that survives thanks to passionate, generational fishers like the Hermanns, who balance old-school technique with modern conservation.

The next time you cook up a piece of harpooned swordfish from Get Hooked, know this: it wasn’t just caught. It was earned. By a crew that waited hours for the right moment. By a throw that had to be perfect. By a fish that was hunted with purpose and respect.

And that makes it something truly special.