http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2004/10/04/fishermen_net_502_pound_swordfish/

Was in Edgartown the other day...has an eye as big as a softball!!

They got a few offers to buy the fish, Ross said. But it didn't feel right. "We have a lot of friends and hungry mouths here on this island," he said.

men were busy yesterday gutting, cleaning, and chopping steaks for about 70 family members and friends.

now thats what it is all about

the best of the best , lucky you say??
:D maybe.. but i can almost taste it
i hope they get another some day:cool:

Nice to hear that there are a few fish over 100# left.

There was a picture of the fish in the Globe today.
Man, that was one heck of a fish.
Who'd think that would be a one of the "other" fish (bycatch) you'd get when fishing for tuna?
Way to go!

man what an atricle...
finally get near the end and they say the weight!

what a cliffhanger.

And, the magic weight is...


%)@#s

mike t the weight was in the headline ;P and also a couple lines down "the boat creaked under the weight of the 502 lb fish"

I can't believe that the fish only fought for 45 minutes given their reputation..do they tire that easily?
:confused:

ya gotta love guys that do what they feel is the right thing

Years ago we would cut the eye socket out of the fishes head and clean out the cup shaped cartilige like eye socket. After drying it for several days in the sunshine we would paint clear lacquer on it, several coats, and sell them.
Interesting to me was the part in the Globe article that mentions Albert Little who caught the Mass State Record back in the 70's. I remember seeing that fish weighed in at The First International Swordfish Tourney at Cuttyhunk.
Back in those days we fished for the Swordfish during the day, baiting them with Eels, Squid and Mackeral as well as some other small fish, local to the area. Fighting them in the daytime sometimes on the surface and other times deep was a really exciting battle. The will tailwalk and grayhound across the surface in great long runs and then dive deep. Sometimes they die way down deep and the fishermen need to know how to guide them to the surface by slowly going ahead on the boat until the fish rises and then back down and reel in, sometimes taking as long as an hour to bring them up.
Sometimes the dreaded Mako Shark would attack a swordfish while it was being fought by an anglar and the Mako makes a mess out of the carcass of the Swordfish.
Oh those were the grand old days!

Great article, I lile how the guys decided not to be selfish and kept the fish to share.