Fishing Swordfish Without Killing?

A Swordfish on deck
It's all about fishing. The dark side gladiator of the ocean. The swordfish. Have you ever tried landing a big swordfish on deck? After a 5-6 hours fight with a 1000 pound swordfish that had no intention of giving up without a fight. This great fish is a legend living in its own time.

Killing a record fish.
How many of you would cut the line because you knew you had a large female breeder on the line of any fish? I guess you would cut the line because you would feel bad if you caught and killed it; even though you were allowed to catch it. How about a record swordfish weighing more than a 1000 pounds, and it was hanging at the end of your line. Would you kill it then? Even if it was a female breeder? Well some would and some wouldn't. Myself, I couldn't do it.

An old swordfish fisher ones told me, that the only difference between a commercial fisherman and a sport fisherman is that one of them takes pictures of his catch. I have come to realize that he was wrong and that some sport fisherman will kill for records, pictures and sponsors.

Fish with no table value
To kill any record fish that has no table value is just sinful in my book. We have caught so many bigger than hell Hammers on my boat and when we get them to the gunnels we hold them for awhile to stare at this amazing creature and then cut them loose. You feel a hell of a lot better watching it swim away, and when we get to the dock we can still tell everyone we caught a huge Hammerhead.

On the other hand I would definitely plant the pond in any big Swordfish, because there is a lot of meat there and they are a true trophy fish and a proud catch by anyone's standards.

Guys fishing for the world record, they release most of all fish and only keep the one that counts. Their gear is such that they only target larger fish, practice catch and release, tagging fish, not catch and kill. These guys do less harm to the overall species I think.

And what about the guy who fish swordfish for food and money? He keeps every thing large and small. How do you compare? Who is good and who is bad?

I think when a record is caught it brings more people to the great sport of sword fishing and attention to preserving the species due to the positive media attention, not the negative attention of the killing some do out there.

Anyway good luck, tight lines and clear water to you all.

Thank you for your time.