The Caribbean Sea, with its deep offshore trenches and immediate access to bluewater, has long been a proving ground for anglers chasing one of sportfishing’s most elusive targets: the swordfish.
For Billy Desmond, vice president of the Golden Hook Fishing Club, this trip carried more weight than most. It was his first day back on the water following the loss of a close family member.
Running his 27-foot Grady-White 272, Wicked Wench, powered by twin 200 hp Suzuki Marine outboards, Desmond and crew Ryan Sneff, Jason Sneff, and Andrew Allen-Bach set out off St. Croix on a clean Caribbean morning.
The day started with action. A big bull dolphin came first on spin, followed by a raised white marlin that never committed. By noon, the crew shifted gears and committed to a swordfish drop.
A quick setback followed. While rigging, they realized they were missing strobes, a key piece of the program in 2,000-plus feet. They ran back in, regrouped, and reset.
Their first drop hit the water at 12:45 p.m. It came back clean. One more drop, they agreed, then they’d call it.
At 2:59 p.m., just as the clock was about to run out, the rod gave a subtle tap. Then another. The line came tight.
Game on.
The fish showed its size immediately. It made multiple deep runs, each sounding to over 1,000 feet. The crew settled in for a grind that would last more than three hours.
At 6:05 p.m., color finally came into view.
A big one.
They brought a 469-pound swordfish boatside, but the job wasn’t finished. The fish wouldn’t clear the transom door. They turned it, tied it off, and worked it carefully alongside as sharks began to show. It took four gaffs and a coordinated effort to secure the fish.
Only a third of it would fit through the door at a time.
For Desmond and his crew, the moment went beyond the numbers. After the kind of day they had already lived through, it was the kind of catch that stays with you.
A final drop. One last shot.
A 469-pound swordfish off St. Croix.
The one you don’t forget.
Written by Trish Rhodes edited by InTheBite
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