florida

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fieldandstream-editor — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:00:00 -0500

You need a lot of line to get down to 1500 feet or more. You have to account for scope, or the angle of the line from boat to bottom, and you need line on the reel for the fish to run off after the hookset. That's why this Penn International 80 has more than a mile of line on it.

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fieldandstream-editor — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:00:00 -0500

No, it's not a homemade anchor for a johnboat. This is a swordfish sinker. To drop a bait through a quarter mile of water, the sinkers are made from concrete, and weigh 8 to 10 pounds. The system calls for breaking off the environmentally inert concrete sinker once a hook has been set on a sword.

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fieldandstream-editor — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:00:00 -0500

Stanczyk and Gaspeny perfected a deep-water baitfishing system in which they could hook and catch swordfish consistently during daylight hours-something that had been done with varying degrees of success off Venezuela and elsewhere. The two caught their first swordfish via this setup in January of 2003-and they kept on catching swords, nearly every time they went out. This fence behind Bud N' Mary's-constructed from bills of swordfish they caught--is testament to their success.

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fieldandstream-editor — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:00:00 -0500

When Stanczyk bought Bud N' Mary's in 1978, he brought with him a healthy obsession with swordfish. The ocean waters off the Florida Keys teem with scores of hard-fighting gamefish-marlin, sailfish, tuna, dolphin, king mackerel-but Stanczyk loved the challenge of swords. Early this decade, Stanczyk and his fishing partner, Vic Gaspeny, set out to find a way to catch swordfish consistently. Six years and a couple hundred thousand dollars later, they succeeded.

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fieldandstream-editor — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:00:00 -0500

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fieldandstream-editor — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:00:00 -0500

To hook a big fish, you need a big bait. They prefer using a 3- to 5-pound cero, Spanish mackerel or little tunny, butterflied to give it movement and flutter. The 10/0 or 12/0 hook is rigged externally to increase the chance of a solid hookup. A lightstick tied directly above the bait helps attract the sword.

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fieldandstream-editor — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:00:00 -0500

If you're not a sumo wrestler, you'll have to fight your swordfish from a fighting chair. This is the one mounted on the deck of Stanczyk's 52-foot Catch-22. When getting ready to fight a fish, the butt of the rod goes into the gimbal, and your feet go on the platform. Then you push off the platform while bringing the rod back with you. You gain line on the fish by then leaning forward and quickly reeling in what little slack you've gained. Then you do it again. And again. And again. And if the fish decides to take it all back, you start all over. When fighting a huge fish from a fighting chair you feel the incredible primitive strength of the creature not just in your hands, or your arms, but in your entire body. Your back aches. Your legs get shaky. You sweat and pant and wonder when it's going to be over-but at the same time, you're savoring every moment.

The Key To Catching Swordfish

fieldandstream-editor — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:00:00 -0500

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fieldandstream-editor — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:00:00 -0500