545 Pound Swordfish Wins Tournament Record

On June 21st Capt Bouncer Smith with mates Steve Huddleston and John Herndon headed out from Miami Florida to fish the "Hydro Glow Summer Swordfish Slam" tournament. Capt Smith's anglers, Clarence Flowers and Buster McLean had flown up from the Cayman Islands to see how Florida swordfish tournaments were run in preparation for their second annual "Cayman Swordfish Challenge". At 7 PM 80 pound lines raced from their Penn 70 International. A big swordfish had taken the bait 1940 feet below the boat. The fight was on. The swordfish came to the surface only 30 feet from the boat 45 minutes into the fight. As the fish circled the boat 3 times everyone aboard realized they were hooked up to a monster swordfish. The fish selected 150 to 300 feet down to wage it's battle. 2 hours into the fight a thunderstorm's thunder and lightening drove the fish to run 500 yards back into the depths. Five and a half hours after the hookup the efforts of all five fisherman and the power of that Penn 70 International had brought a tournament record 545 pound swordfish alongside Bouncer's Dusky 33.