If you live in Florida, you've likely heard rumors of swordfish being caught during the daytime. Well, here's the skinny: It's for real. And it's quite a trip!

For months, we had heard a similar buzz around the offices of Sport Fishing. So I picked up the phone and called Richard Stanczyk, owner of Bud N' Mary's Marina (800-742-7945, www.budnmarys.com) in Islamorada. To my delight, Richard invited my wife and I down to his place in late-June, where we spent two days fishing the swords alongside Richard's brother Scott (captain of the Catch 22), his son Nick (captain of the B n' M) and Vic Gaspeny, a longtime Keys guide and the man who put the idea of catching daytime swordies into their heads.

The trip was nothing short of incredible. We landed 11 broadbill in 2 days, participated in some cutting-edge satellite tagging efforts and left Islamorada with unforgettable memories of new friends and high-flying swordies! Here are some of the early pictures for your enjoyment.

 

The full story will run in the September/October issue of Sport Fishing. Apparently, these deep-water techniques could very well work in waters outside the Keys, so pick up a copy at the local newsstand and give it a try for yourself. Or you might give the Stanczyks a call at Bud N' Mary's. They have not yet started daytime swordfish charters, but they're an accommodating group, and it's certainly worth inquiring. If you do decide to go it alone, you'll likely have to experiment a bit to figure it out — but the payoff of seeing a big swordfish catapult out of the water into a blue sky will make you glad you did!

Good fishing,
Mike Mazur
Associate Editor, Sport Fishing

 

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