Tag: Swordfish

Angler shatters swordfish record after marathon battle

The recent catch of a 393-pound swordfish off Maryland, after an epic struggle, has shattered the state record by more than 90 pounds.

The recent catch of a 393-pound swordfish off Maryland, after an epic struggle, has shattered the state record by more than 90 pounds.

Jeff Jacobs, 38, fought the swordfish for more than five hours from the charter vessel, RoShamBo. He said the billfish “jumped out of the water and looked like a Volkswagen,” in reference to its size.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources, which announced the record Friday, stated that Capt. Willie Zimmerman was returning to port after an eight-hour charter off Ocean City when the swordfish struck a blue-and-white skirted eel.

Image courtesy of the Maryland DNR

Already exhausted, Jacobs sprung to action, fighting the fish with a two-speed Shimano reel. “Giving up wasn’t an option,” he said. “When we saw it we all knew it was a state record.”

ALSO: Red-footed booby grabs spotlight on whale-watching trip; video

The swordfish was weighed on a certified scale and the catch was confirmed by a DNR biologist.

The previous state record, involving the catch of a 301-pound swordfish off Ocean City, was set in 2021.

[listicle id=1956609]

Angler lands record swordfish after marathon battle

A Maryland angler who baited his hook with a dead eel has landed a state-record swordfish.

A Maryland angler who baited his hook with a dead eel has landed a state-record swordfish.

Peter Schultz, 36, caught the 301-pound swordfish July 23 after an eight-hour fight 50 miles off Ocean City. Schultz, a participant in the Huk Big Fish Classic, also helped his team aboard Real One net $542,648 in prize money.

ALSO ON FTW OUTDOORS: Angler jailed for harvesting a protected goliath grouper

The state record was announced Thursday by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, which explained that the Atlantic Division swordfish record category had been vacant with a qualification requirement of at least 300 pounds.

Schultz, who used a dead eel attached to a circle hook and 50-pound-test braid line with a 150-pound-test leader, described the catch as a “fish of a lifetime” and a team effort.

“We put so much effort into this,” the Annapolis resident said. “Everyone had a crucial role.”

The swordfish was weighed on a certified scale at M.R. Ducks at Talbot Square Pier.

–Image courtesy of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources