Three anglers landed the record-breaking fish on 80-pound test
From left: Mason Karafa, Ezekiel Cruz, and Dillon Houston with the new state-record swordfish. via Facebook
A few days before Halloween, a group of three experienced anglers headed off the southern California coast in search of broadbill swordfish. They left before sunrise on Oct. 27 and returned to Dana Landing in the dark with one the heaviest swordfish ever caught on the West Coast. The fish weighed 520 pounds, which shatters the previous California record of 452 pounds.
“The culmination of countless hours, days, years, a lifetime of hard work and mental dedication. Most see the end result,” Brothers Sport Fishing wrote in a Facebook post. “Few see the commitment and grit that preceded.”
That “end result” has now been certified as an official state record, according to Western Outdoor News. Capt. Ezekiel (Zeek) Cruz shared the…