Re: Record breaker, Swordfish/ Gulf. Check this bad boy out!
Boys.. Swordfish were about wiped out by longliners (commercial fishing, like in the film, The Perfect Storm).. If regulations had not changed, well, yikes!..... In the last few years lot of regulations have been put in place and swords are definately on teh rebound as far as numbers of fish and average size...
The average Joe that wants to keep them has to get a permit (NOAA, HMS permit, i need to get one).. If you are lucky enuff to bag one there is a call in requirement to report the catch, which helps NOAA track how well the species is doing... excellent comeback, BTW.8)
Swords are double tuff critters, but i'd be willing to wager that after 3 or 4 hours of fighting, that fish was probably about finished and would have been shark food if released...