A routine fishing trip turned into the catch of a lifetime for a Birmingham angler. Robert Fritze set a new Alabama state record when he landed a massive 550.3-pound swordfish. The fish broke the previous record of 448 pounds caught by Del Sawyer aboard the Sea Reaper with Captain Randy "Goat Roper" Howland in 2006. What started as a simple deep-sea fishing adventure became an epic battle lasting over four hours.

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The incredible catch happened during a three-day trip from August 14 to 16. Fritze was fishing with his father Ron and four friends aboard their 60-foot boat called Trade Desk. The group had planned to target marlin and sailfish in the Gulf of Mexico waters near Orange Beach.

The crew was fishing near the Delta House oil platform in 4,500 feet of water. They had spent the day catching dolphin fish, Wahoo, and barracuda with little success. As night fell, they decided to try fishing for tuna and set out some nighttime bait.

Around 1 AM, Fritze set out a swordfish line with squid and a light. The massive fish took the bait about 300 feet below the surface. What followed was an exhausting 4.5-hour fight that tested both man and equipment.

"I grabbed the rod and got in the chair," Fritze said. "It took about 30 minutes until we saw the fish the first time." The swordfish made several runs, diving as deep as 800 feet before Fritze could slowly work it back up.

The crew faced a major problem when the fish finally came to the boat. They had left their large fish bag at the dock and had no proper equipment for landing such a huge catch. The team had to get creative using regular gaffs, ropes, and even rod leashes.

"We had no flying gaffs, nothing to handle a fish of that caliber," Fritze explained. The crew worked together to secure the massive swordfish and somehow managed to get it through the tuna door. Fritze collapsed from exhaustion once the fish was safely aboard.

Getting the giant fish back to shore presented another challenge. The swordfish was too large for their ice box, so they had no choice but to head straight back. A storm between their location and Orange Beach added four extra hours to their return trip.

Word spread quickly about the massive catch heading to Orange Beach Marina. A crowd gathered to watch as the fish was hoisted onto the scales. Dockmaster Jimmy Beason announced the weight at 550.3 pounds, officially breaking the state record.

"The entire time, it was never in my mind about beating a state record," Fritze said. "I was just ecstatic to weigh something that big with Dad and my buddies." The moment became emotional as Fritze immediately hugged his father after hearing the weight.

The fish was preserved at J&M Tackle while waiting for official inspection by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The state record application process requires verification from the Marine Resources Division before the catch becomes official.

Rather than celebrate on shore, the dedicated anglers refueled and headed back out to sea. They caught more fish including barrelfish and tilefish. The trip ended perfectly when crew member Jamie Boyd caught his first sailfish.

For Fritze, the record-breaking catch represented more than just a big fish. "It was the fish of many lifetimes," he said. "Doing it with my dad meant a lot. He bought his first saltwater boat when I was 5."

The new Alabama swordfish record stands as proof that sometimes the best catches happen when you least expect them. What began as a search for marlin and sailfish ended with a place in the state record books.