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Newest Hall of Famer has landed 49 of them
By Ed Zieralski, San Diego UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
November 24, 2002
One swordfish is considered a lifetime achievement for most saltwater anglers. But Ted Naftzger has landed 49 of them, a number thought to be a world record.
It was more than enough to earn him a spot in the International Game Fish Association's Hall of Fame. Naftzger, 72, was inducted last month at the IGFA headquarters in Dania Beach, Fla.
A Californian, Naftzger is past president of the Catalina Island-based Tuna Club and served as IGFA trustee from 1979-2002. In 1994, he was awarded the Elwood K. Harry Fellowship for his lifelong contributions to recreational angling.
Naftzger said he still fishes for swordfish. He's looking for No. 50.
Swordfish are said to be the most difficult game fish to catch on rod and reel because they rarely smack lures and often turn their snoots up to bait.
And once they're hooked, they've been known to drop anglers to their knees during epic fights.
"It's precisely this challenge that keeps me coming back," he said. "If it were easy, I wouldn't do it."
Naftzger's biggest swordfish weighed 503 pounds.
"The hunt for swordfish is absolutely magnificent," Naftzger said. "You take your boat and search the surface of the ocean for your quarry, constantly testing your mental ability to solve one of nature's closely guarded secrets."
By Ed Zieralski, San Diego UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
November 24, 2002
One swordfish is considered a lifetime achievement for most saltwater anglers. But Ted Naftzger has landed 49 of them, a number thought to be a world record.
It was more than enough to earn him a spot in the International Game Fish Association's Hall of Fame. Naftzger, 72, was inducted last month at the IGFA headquarters in Dania Beach, Fla.
A Californian, Naftzger is past president of the Catalina Island-based Tuna Club and served as IGFA trustee from 1979-2002. In 1994, he was awarded the Elwood K. Harry Fellowship for his lifelong contributions to recreational angling.
Naftzger said he still fishes for swordfish. He's looking for No. 50.
Swordfish are said to be the most difficult game fish to catch on rod and reel because they rarely smack lures and often turn their snoots up to bait.
And once they're hooked, they've been known to drop anglers to their knees during epic fights.
"It's precisely this challenge that keeps me coming back," he said. "If it were easy, I wouldn't do it."
Naftzger's biggest swordfish weighed 503 pounds.
"The hunt for swordfish is absolutely magnificent," Naftzger said. "You take your boat and search the surface of the ocean for your quarry, constantly testing your mental ability to solve one of nature's closely guarded secrets."
