# 588 Pound Swordfish Palm Beach



## recess (Oct 8, 2007)

Just leard of a 588# swordfish caughtsunday off palm beach. By chance does any one have information of the size that swordfish are around here? And just think the waters are connected. What prevents one that size to be swimming in our waters. Good luck to those that fish for them.


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## Eastern Tackle (Jul 6, 2009)

Here is a link http://www.wflx.com/Global/story.asp?S=11383697



I think I saw another picture of it and it was right as dusk, so I'm thinking this was a daytime fish.


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## reel stripper 29 (Aug 19, 2009)

Thats a monster


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## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

> *recess (10/29/2009)*Just leard of a 588# swordfish caughtsunday off palm beach. By chance does any one have information of the size that swordfish are around here? And just think the waters are connected. What prevents one that size to be swimming in our waters. Good luck to those that fish for them.



Gene, it definately pleases me to see a little bit better fish grabbing some spotlight as opposed to a two hundred pounder. If you do little anatomical research on swords, you wil find that it is no problem for them to top a thousand pounds. Now, that being said, I would love if the minimum size requirement on them went up. These things grow as big as marlin! They get huge! And not to take away anything from those harvesting smaller, average gulf of mexico swords (100 to 200 pounders), but when was the last time you heard of someone getting super excited over killing a 100 to 200 pound blue marlin? From what I understand, longliners took a big toll a few years ago on gulf of mexico swords. They have made a terrific comeback, however. I have talked to some guys that work on various rigs offshore and they tell tales of huge swords swimming by their cameras underwater. That being said, you KNOW there are some big ones out there. Again, I would love to see the minium size requirement go WAY up on swords, in an effort to really start seeing better numbers of truly large fish.


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## Deeplines (Sep 28, 2007)

That must have been hell on a rod and reel. Great catch.

The largest Sword they caught on that show "SWORDS" was like 638 pounds and they are long liners.


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

Woody, the reason you don't see many swords like that in the gulf is because the gulf is classified as a "nursery" for them. Most giant swords live in much colder parts of the world like the north Alantic and far southern pacific waters. A 400-500lb sword is considered a "nice" one in NZ where they routinely catch fish of that size. That area off south florida is like a perfect highway for feeding and if you look at the area on a 3D chart it becomes apparent why. Its a deep, narrow channel between the bahamas and florida where the gulf stream swings through full bore, kind of like an inlet almost. It makes sense why more swords would gather there than the Northern gulf. I think we have a terrific fishery here for them and I don't bat an eye or get any less excited sinking a gaff in a 100lber than I do a 200lber. 

Its just 2 different fisheries. I have customers that are proud as hell of the 6 1/2lb largemouth they caught last spring in Michigan, a big one for the north. At the same time a fish of the exact same age here would be about 9lbs or more.

Go on swordfishcentral.com and look at the reports on their forum. They catch a lot of 300+lb fish down there and the largest one taken in the last few years was 650lbs. It was taken on electric gear though so it didn't qualify as a state record. The reason all of those don't make news is that its just not a big deal for that area.


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## Eastern Tackle (Jul 6, 2009)




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## Travis Gill (Oct 6, 2007)

200lbs is a nice fish for our area. I disagree with Woody though I do not think we have real large swords around here and the reasons tuna popper stated sound right on. Ill sink the gaff in a 70lber everytime.


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## user6993 (Feb 15, 2009)

> *The Blue Hoo (10/29/2009)*
> 
> 
> > *recess (10/29/2009)*Just leard of a 588# swordfish caughtsunday off palm beach. By chance does any one have information of the size that swordfish are around here? And just think the waters are connected. What prevents one that size to be swimming in our waters. Good luck to those that fish for them.
> ...


Woody I too would like to see some larger fish taken here. Plus I am not in the know or do I hear alot that goes on at the docks. But I think that swords have been tag here and caught at the grand banks and tag at the grand banks and caught here would indieate that it is the same fisheries and not two.If we are lucky enough to catch one her e and it is 70 pounds for sure it will be coming home with us. Woody thanks for your take on this>Gene


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## 401 Cay (Sep 30, 2007)

The fish that took the Destin swordfish shootout this year was over 400lbs.. caught at the Spur.


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## BILL_MONEY (Feb 17, 2009)

the boel weavel out of zeke's caught 256 about a month ago.... my buddy mark chartered the boat at the last minute cause the bama lady stood him up !!!!!!! mark was a deck hand at zekes forever .... david jones was running the boat and marks son in law and his buddy's that went all fought the fish for about 15 minutes each and the other 3 hours was mark and david.... i was supposed to go on the trip but had to come offshore early....... i have 4 sword steaks waiting on me at home.... vacume sealed and calling my name.......


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