Caribbean Sword Fish Record

 

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As you probably already know, swordfish can come in all shapes, sizes and weights. As we mentioned earlier, the swordfish is one of the largest and strongest fish in the world. This goes without saying that swordfish fishing can be quite a rewardable experience once a swordfish fisherman has caught a record-breaking fish. Here is a list of the most recent Cayman Island Swordfish Records to date:

Sword Fish Record 2016:
Cayman Swordfish Challenge Catches 3rd Largest Swordfish in Cayman History!

The event fishermen have been waiting for all year has just concluded. With 8 swordfish caught and 11 boats participating in the event, local legends were out in force. Even a celebrity, Captain Bouncer, flew in from Florida to compete!

Incentives of a staggering $20,000 in prizes brought out each fisherman’s competitive spirit. Each team brought their best fishing techniques, and a multitude of winners left the event in high spirits. The biggest prizes went to the highest overall weight and the biggest fish. The MoreTime team brought in the most overall weight with two swordfish, and Yuya Aki won the largest fish award, which set the record for the largest swordfish of the event and even the year. Weighing in at a massive 232 lbs, Mr.Aki’s swordfish is the 3rd largest swordfish caught in Cayman Island history. The Cayman Islands swordfish record still stands, after 4 years, at 395 lbs.

Day one of the competition set the stage for Mr.Aki’s winning catch. He caught the record fish off Seven Mile Beach late March 18, 2016 on 80 lbs test line. Through an exhausting 2 hour and 35 minute fight, the fish was landed. After bending their gaff, the four person team struggled for 15 minutes to haul the massive fish into the boat. Interestingly, during this battle, a second larger swordfish followed its hooked brother to the surface, as spotted by the captain. A huge crowd gathered at Barcadere Marina weigh-in station to gasp at the enormous swordfish.

What is the local secret to catching these record swordfish in the Cayman Islands? We broke down the data and found an interesting pattern. The biggest fish were all caught off Grand Cayman at night, while higher volumes of fish were caught off Cayman Brac during the day. Location, location, location!

Participants agreed that year after year this event gets better and better, with this year being no exception! If you want to join this event next year please contact the Cayman Swordfish Challenge staff.

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Sword Fish Record 2012

In 2012, a record was broken at Barcadere Marina in February, 2012 when a record-breaking swordfish was caught off South Sound in the Cayman Islands. The swordfish weight 392 pounds and took 14 hours to catch. Jason Begg-Smith caught the record breaking fish, and at the time, it was the largest catch of the species in history. The swordfish was so heavy that it had to be carried by machinery in order for it be lifted off the boat. This by far is the heaviest swordfish ever caught in the Cayman Islands. Begg-Smith explains below how long it took to reel in the massive fish:

“We were out on Wednesday night at 8pm, off the shelf of the Ritz-Carlton,” Begg-Smith said. “I used squid bait and it was hooked at midnight on an 80lb test. I didn’t bring it in until 2.30pm on Thursday, it was a 14.5-hour fight. It dragged me along Seven Mile Beach until I was able to land this catch. I also got one that was 90lbs on Monday actually, in a similar area. I got lucky I guess. I got strained muscles, I’m shaking, dehydrated and I got a few war wounds.”

For more information on the 2012 record-breaking catch:

http://www.compasscayman.com/caycompass/2012/02/13/Jason-reels-in-record-swordfish/

http://www.cayman27.com.ky/2012/02/10/anglers-reel-in-record-swordfish

http://www.fishhound.com/article/record-swordfish-reeled-grand-cayman-islands

Sword Fish Record 2009

In 2009 Chris Briggs, Charles Ebanks and Curtis White broke the record once again for the biggest and heaviest swordfish caught in the Cayman Islands. In September 2009 the team reeled in a 205 lb swordfish on a 50lb test off of the Cayman Islands. The record-breaking crew hooked the fish at precisely 6:20pm and it took almost 90 minutes to successfully catch.

Sword Fish Record 2007

The Cayman Islands Swordfish Challenge in October, 2007 saw one of the largest swordfish ever caught. Charles Ebanks won three cash prizes in 2007. Out of the 17 boats that were in the competition, Ebanks walked away with 10k in prizes for his 189 pound swordfish.

For more information:

http://www.caycompass.com/cgi-bin/CFPnews.cgi?ID=1026275

If you would like to get on this record-breaking list, it’s time to learn more about Swordfish fishing in the Cayman Islands and start practicing! Once you feel that you have enough knowledge and experience under your belt, register for one of the major tournaments and you will experience swordfish fishing with the best.