463-Pound Swordfish: The Monster of Islamorada

Some fishing trips are memorable. Others are legendary. On January 7th, 2023, Team DirtyBoat experienced the latter—a battle with a true sea monster that would make Keys Weekly headlines and cement our reputation as Islamorada’s premier swordfish hunters.

The Setup: 15 Minutes From Calling It

Captain Kit Carson Mobley was moments away from ending the trip. The waves were stacking up, daylight was fading, and we were 26 miles offshore with six anglers on board. We’d given it our best shot, but sometimes the ocean says no.

Then Jack Philip, visiting from Washington State, offered a prayer. Call it coincidence, call it faith—we call it the bite that changed everything.

The Fight: 2.5 Hours of Pure Adrenaline

When the swordfish first surfaced, we estimated 200-300 pounds. We were wrong. Very wrong.

The Battle Timeline:

• Hour 1: Steady pressure, the fish swimming up and down
• Hour 2: The monster woke up—800 feet from the boat, the real fight began
• Final 30 minutes: Harpoon shots, waves fighting waves, a 3-mile drift

Mate Jose Boza was on the rod, working an Islamorada Swordfish Baits rod paired with a Lindgren-Pitman SV-1200 electric reel from Tackle Center in Islamorada. This wasn’t sport fishing—this was war.

The Moment of Truth

When the head finally broke the surface, Captain Mobley knew: “We had close to a 500-pound fish.”

Mate John McConnell delivered the harpoon shot, and the real struggle began. The harpoon line flew out of the bucket “like crazy” as the swordfish fought the waves, the current, and six determined men.

“It was a mean fish,” Mobley recalled. “She’d come up and fight the waves. We were drifting with that fish for 3 miles.”

The Victory: 463 Pounds of Glory

It took seven minutes to bring the monster onto the boat. Then came the high-fives, the shouts, the pure celebration.

“We were thankful,” Mobley said. “It was a gift.”

A three-hour ride brought us to Bud N’ Mary’s Marina in Islamorada for the official weigh-in: 463 pounds. A true sea monster.

The Aftermath: Feeding Families, Creating Art

The Harvest:

• 400 pounds of meat total
• 114 pounds shipped to Washington State for Jack Philip’s family and friends
• Enough swordfish steaks to feed an army

The Legacy:

• Lisa Lee Herman of Islamorada’s Gallery of the Arts created prints of the rail
• Gray’s Taxidermy crafted a mount to preserve the memory
• Keys Weekly featured our catch, sharing the story with all of the Florida Keys

The Gear That Made It Possible

This wasn’t a lucky catch—it was a technical victory:

Rod & Reel Combo:

• Rod: Islamorada Swordfish Baits custom build
• Reel: Lindgren-Pitman SV-1200 electric reel
• Source: Tackle Center, Islamorada

The DirtyBoat Advantage:

• 38.8’ Liberty: Stable enough for the 3-mile drift battle
• Experienced crew: Mates who know how to fight big fish
• Local knowledge: 26 miles offshore isn’t just a location—it’s our office

Captain Mobley’s Reflection

“I’ll be lucky if I see a fish like that again,” Mobley said after the catch. “It just goes to show there are some true sea monsters.”

But here’s the truth: at DirtyBoat, we don’t rely on luck. We rely on:

1. Preparation: The right gear, the right crew, the right mindset
2. Persistence: Fishing until the last minute
3. Expertise: Knowing how to fight a fish that fights back

Your Chance at Glory

The same boat that landed this 463-pound monster is available for your swordfish adventure. We offer:

Swordfish Specialties:

• Deep-drop expeditions: Targeting monsters like this one
• Daytime swordfishing: The new frontier in big game fishing
• Overnight trips: Maximizing your chances at a trophy

What You Get:

• Tournament-proven gear: The same equipment that caught this legend
• Expert crew: Mates who’ve fought 463-pound fish
• Local knowledge: We know where the monsters live

Ready to write your own legend? Book your swordfish expedition on the DirtyBoat—the boat that landed a 463-pound Keys Weekly headline-maker.

This catch was featured in Keys Weekly: “Florida Keys Crew Catches Nearly 500-lb. Swordfish Off Islamorada”