A Maryland angler who baited his hook with a dead eel has landed a state-record swordfish.
Peter Schultz, 36, caught the 301-pound swordfish July 23 after an eight-hour fight 50 miles off Ocean City. Schultz, a participant in the Huk Big Fish Classic, also helped his team aboard Real One net $542,648 in prize money.
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The state record was announced Thursday by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, which explained that the Atlantic Division swordfish record category had been vacant with a qualification requirement of at least 300 pounds.
Schultz, who used a dead eel attached to a circle hook and 50-pound-test braid line with a 150-pound-test leader, described the catch as a “fish of a lifetime” and a team effort.
“We put so much effort into this,” the Annapolis resident said. “Everyone had a crucial role.”
The swordfish was weighed on a certified scale at M.R. Ducks at Talbot Square Pier.
–Image courtesy of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources
