Author: Adrian Gray

Longtime Islamorada, Florida, captain and friend, Vic Gaspeny has caught nearly 200 swordfish during the day on conventional tackle — no electric reels. Learning the ways of giant downtown Islamorada bonefish was his passion in the 1980’s, but catching swordfish from 1,500 feet below a sportfisher on 80-pound tackle consumes his daily thought patterns and midnight dreams these days. Vic probably knows more about the science and history of swordfish than many of the biologists that study them, mainly because of his appetite to learn as much as he can about the species. In fact, he has a catch-log scrapbook…

The International Game Fish Association recently added a 100-percent, all-release world record category. Unlike the typical world records, where a fish must be caught and weighed on land, this new category is based on length rather than weight. IGFA’s All-Tackle Length category will make 60 freshwater and 67 saltwater species eligible for new world records while requiring the fish to be returned to the water alive after measurement. With 127 new world record vacancies available at the beginning of 2011, the IGFA’s World Records office received a flurry of competition for these records. “The new All-Tackle Length record category is…

Florida Swordfish After years of perfecting the process of catching swordfish during the day, the crew at Bud N Mary’s marina has this fishery completely dialed in. Jumping Daytime Swordfish Not many anglers can say they’ve caught a swordfish during the day. If you want to add this experience to your bucket list, head to the Keys and book a swordfish trip. To book a trip with BD Pro Staffer Nick Stanczyk, visit www.floridakeysswordfishing.com or call 305-664-2461. Swordfish IGFA IGFA President Rob Kramer (second from left) and IGFA Conservation Director Jason Schratwieser (fourth from left), along with Australian outdoor writer…