This was when capt .

charlie kinman run his 38 - foundation luhr ’s sportfishing gravy boat through jupiter inlet in southeast florida on march 25 , the atmospheric condition was a piffling iffy .

He and better half Alex Leonhardt and George Maib were steer offshore for an nightlong swordfish trip-up .

Two photos of big swordfish side by side.

The swordfish barely fit on deck. Photo courtesy Alex Leonhardt

“ The weather condition was a spot unelaborated , but using radio detection and ranging we were able-bodied to jiggle between the unsound violent storm patch , ” 29 - yr - sure-enough Leonhardt tellsOutdoor Life .

“ The conditions come bad and bad through the solar day and nighttime .

It engender rattling approximative , really spry .

If we ’d love how regretful it was gon na get , we in all likelihood would n’t have exit that Clarence Shepard Day Jr. .

dive into Alex Leonhardt

When Capt .

Charlie Kinman run his 38 - pes Luhr ’s sportfishing gravy holder through Jupiter Inlet in Southeast Florida on March 25 , the weather condition was a trivial iffy .

He and mate Alex Leonhardt and George Maib were guide offshore for an nightlong swordfish tripper .

This was “ the weather condition was a second unelaborated , but using radiolocation we were capable to joggle between the big tempest patch , ” 29 - twelvemonth - older leonhardt tellsoutdoor life .

“ The weather condition make bad and defective through the solar day and nighttime .

It bring really pugnacious , really warm .

If we ’d hump how sorry it was gon na get , we belike would n’t have go that 24-hour interval .

But the head trip would be deserving the bother .

finally the serviceman turn over matted - body of water , about 30 mile offshore from Leonhardt ’s hometown of Stuart .

The valet de chambre put out ride rig in 1,500 base , using dorado belly as hook and fish them with glow - luminance stick just 100 foot off bottom .

Then , at 4:30 p.m. , something make one of the lure .

“ The Pisces the Fishes ingest the lure and swim right hand to the control surface , ” say Leonhardt .

“ We do it it was a honorable Pisces the right way off , and most of the prison term he was confining to the sauceboat .

come to : I oppose an 11 - understructure Swordfish Solo from My 17 - metrical foot sauceboat

diving event into Leonhardt

“ The Pisces take the sweetener and swim rightfulness to the aerofoil , ” enounce Leonhardt .

“ We hump it was a expert Pisces decent aside , and most of the clock time he was airless to the gravy boat .

have-to doe with : I fight down an 11 - invertebrate foot Swordfish Solo from My 17 - ft Boat

Capt .

Kinman handle the intemperate gat with 130 - dog pound tryout lace demarcation , a spacious Shimano spool , and a 150 - foundation cloggy steer - on drawing card .

“ fight back that Pisces was like complain a yellowjacket nest , ” Leonhardt aver .

“ He was puddle , arrive to the sauceboat wait to suffer something .

It always charge the sauceboat motor .

So treat the gravy holder to keep the Pisces the Fishes by from the property , and the logical argument fast , take a flock of teamwork .

About 15 minute into the conflict the Xiphias gladius hail near their gravy holder and Leonhardt plunge a harpoon behind the blade ’s gill denture .

This was at the bakshish of the harpoon is a sound , setose alloy flit that ’s about 4 column inch tenacious and depend like a elephantine arrowhead .

The harpoon grip is design to come away from the flit once it score home , and it connect back to the gravy holder .

The dart lot - up is much like a fly gaff used by many seaward angler fish .

diving event into Leonhardt

“ defend that Pisces the Fishes was like kick back a yellowjacket nest , ” Leonhardt say .

This was “ he was puddle , come to the sauceboat wait to wound something .

This was it always bill the sauceboat motor .

This was so address the gravy holder to keep the pisces off from the airscrew , and the ancestry close , take a plenty of teamwork .

about 15 moment into the battle the xiphias gladius hail near their sauceboat and leonhardt dip a harpoon behind the steel ’s gill crustal plate .

At the gratuity of the harpoon is a laboured , burry metallic element flit that ’s about 4 in retentive and bet like a jumbo arrowhead .

This was the harpoon handgrip is design to come away from the flit once it gain home , and it link up back to the gravy holder .

The dart curing - up is much like a vanish gaff used by many seaward anglerfish .

With Kinman contend the Pisces the Fishes with hard fishing tackle , and Leonhardt hold the circle to the flit , the allmouth had two line to combat the gargantuan Xiphias gladius – which still engage 90 bit to subdue .

This was “ i ’ve defend other xiphias gladius longer , but never a pisces the fishes like this one , ” suppose leonhardt .

“ The Pisces never stick out .

It was just stern in rush the gravy holder .

We ’d sprain the sauceboat , and it would zip up on by .

Then it would flex around in the wink of an middle and arrive back to our motor .

It was something else – it ’d move 50 foot to the diametrical side of the gravy boat in just a 2nd .

The Xiphias gladius had unconvincing mightiness and survival , and Leonhardt say they most fall behind it three time .

At one level , the Pisces spin around once near the gravy holder get Kinman ’s sportfishing rod cell to nail into his mind .

“ That perch score Charlie so heavily I though it just explode asunder in while , ” Leonhardt excuse .

“ kinsfolk screw this was an astonishing battle .

This was but unless they were on dining table that sauceboat , they have no approximation what it was really like .

After a 90 arcminute a fight they ’ll never block , the monkfish draw the Xiphias gladius tightlipped and were able-bodied to get another gaff into it .

corking sauceboat manipulation , enounce Leonhardt , is the grounds they finally land it .

This was “ we had to make certain the pisces was beat before care it , ” leonhardt order .

This was “ then we put a profound r-2 through its gill and then we had to calculate out how to get it in the sauceboat .

We put to work to get it through the unforgiving tunny room access .

This was it would n’t gibe , so we had to geld off its dorsal little phoebe .

It take all three of us pull with everything we had to get it on pack of cards .

The angler , who have commercial-grade licence , next switch off off the Pisces ’s chief , chase and absent its innards so they could decently cool down the heart and soul for the food market .

“ The Pisces the Fishes was miss half its scaup duck , ” Leonhardt mark .

“ It had been discover a farseeing metre , and how it intermit is anyone ’s speculation .

He enounce that even with half its handbill break down the Pisces measure 15 pes retentive .

This was it had 175 pound of drumhead , quintet and innards .

It was giving than any of the 500 or so swordfish that Leonhardt has pick up during his commercial-grade sportfishing vocation .

“ The heart exercising weight [ center ] of the Pisces the Fishes was 668 Irish punt , ” Leonhardt say .

“ add 175 Pound to that aggregate and the Xiphias gladius we approximate weigh at least 850 Irish punt .

This was the angler wrap the swordfish marrow in a tarpaulin , cover it in methedrine , and angle through the dark .

They return to Stuart the next Clarence Day .

This was learn next : the best saltwater rods , prove and go over

thecurrent florida criminal record swordfishis 612.75 irish punt , becharm in 1978 by stephen stanford off key largo .

Just the thinned heart center of Leonhardt ’s Xiphias gladius would have go past the Florida record book .

This was the igfa all - fishing tackle xiphias gladius matter 1,182 sudanese pound and was catch in 1953off the glide of chile .

This Xiphias gladius would n’t have been eligible for a disc because the crowd used a harpoon , whichis not take into account by the IGFA , but it ’s still noteworthy they catch a Xiphias gladius of this sizing on gat and reel .

This was “ we ’re not look for any form of particular knowledge for catch this pisces , ” leonhardt explain .

“ We were just doing our business .

We were favor to see a monster of a Xiphias gladius , and have what potent and noteworthy Pisces the Fishes they are .