Swordfish

     Xiphias gladius, or Swordfish is another type of bill fish, although it does not resemble any other bill fish. Swordfish can be many different colors such as black, grey, blue, brown, metallic-purple, and bronze. Swordfish used to average about 200 pounds but due to overfishing, the average weight has decreased. The largest swordfish ever caught weighed 612 pounds and 12 ounces.
     Many people would consider fishing a relaxing activity, that is if your not fishing for Swordfish. If you catch a swordfish, you should be prepared to reel for more than an hour. There are two methods to catching Swordfish, trolling and drifting. Either way works well and both ways use the same equipment. You should use live bait or specialized Swordfish lures to attract your Swordfish. Most people who fish for Swordfish fish at dawn and during the night. When you are fishing during these times it will be hard for the fish to see your bait after it smells the bait. A lot of anglers attach light sticks to their line near the bait to light it up. This light stick is also known to cause the fish to go into a feeding frenzy, making it more likely for you to catch a fish.
     Swordfish are known as offshore fish, meaning that you must travel many miles out into the ocean to catch them. Female swords are larger than males, unless it is spawning season. Female Swordfish are known to prefer cooler waters than male swordfish. If you are looking for bigger swordfish then you should fish in the cooler waters, as you would catch more females.
     Swordfish are constantly being hunted and even over fished due to the quality of meat they have. Here is a recipe courtesy of "allrecipes.com".

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup white wine
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 4 (4 ounce) swordfish steaks
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 4 slices lemon, for garnish
• 
  

Directions

1. Stir wine, garlic, and 1 teaspoon rosemary together in an 8 inch square baking dish. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Place in the baking dish, turning to coat. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the lemon juice, olive oil, and remaining rosemary. Set aside.
3. Preheat grill for medium heat.
4. Transfer fish to a paper towel-lined dish, and discard marinade. Lightly oil grill grate to prevent sticking. Grill fish 10 minutes, turning once, or until fish can be easily flaked with a fork. Remove fish to a serving plate. Spoon lemon sauce over the fish, and top each fillet with a slice of lemon for garnish.

Works Cited

"Grilled Swordfish with Rosemary Recipe - Allrecipes.com." AllRecipes.com - the Top Web Site for Recipes, Food and Cooking Tips. Web. 19 Oct. 2010. <http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Grilled-Swordfish-with-Rosemary/Detail.aspx>.

"How to Catch Swordfish | EHow.com." EHow | How To Do Just About Everything! | How To Videos & Articles. Web. 19 Oct. 2010. <http://www.ehow.com/how_2071385_catch-swordfish.html>.

"Swordfish, Fish Identification." Indian River County, Florida - Home Page. Web. 19 Oct. 2010. <http://indian-river.fl.us/fishing/fish/sword.html>.