Nick Stanczyk

Captain Nick Stanczyk is obsessed with fishing, swordfishing to be exact. So much so that he wakes up at night screaming about fishing. And he’s no ordinary fisherman – he and the Stanczyk family pioneered daytime swordfishing in the United States, proving that these nocturnal fish can be caught any time of the day. He calls them “gladiators” because they are one of the hardest fighting fish in the ocean and he was once challenger and champion against a 757 lb swordfish off Islamorada, FL.

Capt. Nick grew up on and around the water – he spent all his childhood free time with a fishing rod in hand, from fishing with friends to mating with his uncle as a teenager. He won many Jr. sailfish and dolphin tournaments growing up and got his captain’s license at age 18. Upon graduating college, he returned home and has been an offshore charter fishing captain ever since.

Today, Capt. Nick runs “Broad Minded” an offshore fishing charter out of Bud N’ Mary’s. He takes anglers out to the deep water for all the species the Florida Keys has to offer – sometimes it is for the “easier stuff”, but mostly it is for his specialty - swordfish. The swordfish grounds are anywhere from 25-45 miles from Islamorada about 1,400 – 1,900 feet of water along the continental shelf. You get there, you drop line, and then you wait.  He warns “fishing for swordfish is boring; but catching them is great”. There is no indication of the size of the fish when it hits the bait. It may be 50 lbs or it may be 500 lbs! A lot of the swordfish swim to the surface when hooked, and once they see the daylight the fight begins! The fight can last 15 minutes or go on for hours!