Despite a resume that includes helping pioneer daytime swordfishing (probably one of the greatest discoveries in the recreational fishing industry in the last decade), Nick Stanczyk is just 27 years old — and sometimes feels like a child during his day’s work.

Nick Stanczyk, who helped pioneer daytime swordfishing in the Florida Keys, guides anglers from the U.S. and many other locales in Upper Keys waters. (All photos courtesy of Nick Stanczyk and Bud N' Mary's Marina)

“Every time I see the smile that comes to a kid’s face when he catches a fish, it brings me back to the days when I was a young kid fishing off the dock of the marina,” Nick said. “I feel like I was one of those kids just the other day, and it’s a good feeling.”

As the son of fishing legend Richard Stanczyk, who has owned Islamorada’s landmark Bud N’ Mary’s Marina since 1978 (which, FYI, is seven years before Nick was born), Nick Stanczyk is a true “Conch” or Florida Keys native.

Raised in the Keys and an angler all his life to date, he spent most of his childhood hanging around Bud N’ Mary’s, fishing after school and on days off. Later, after high school, he followed in his father’s footsteps by attending the University of Miami.

“For as long as I can remember I’ve been catching and eating fish,” Nick said, “but I still can’t cook or clean them.”

A second-generation captain, Nick skippers the B n' M out of Bud N' Mary's Marina in Islamorada.

Led by his father, Nick and the team at Bud N’ Mary’s are perhaps best known for discovering a large body of broadbill swordfish off the coast of Islamorada.

Before the amazing 2002 discovery, few broadbill swordfish had ever been caught — and typically they were targeted only at night. The Stanczyks and their crew discovered how to fish for them during the day, and have turned Islamorada into a top destination for catching the species.

“We spent a few years trying to figure out how to target these swordfish, and some days we still scratch our heads,” Nick said. “If you look at fishing in the United States in the last decade, I can’t think of another fishery that’s been newly developed like this daytime swordfishing.”

In the last few years, Nick has captained swordfishing charters for visitors from around the world. Hailing from places like Australia, Germany, England and other distant locales, they all came to Islamorada just to fish for swordfish.

Nick has led his anglers to remarkable catches of swordfish and other prized gamefish.

These days, the young captain can be found fishing for anything on the Atlantic Ocean side of the Keys aboard his 34-foot Crusader — appropriately named the B n’ M.

A true family affair, Bud N’ Mary’s Marina is home to 40 different fishing captains. As well as Nick’s father, it’s run by Nick himself, his brother Rick and his Uncle Scott.

“I love that fishing is a family atmosphere,” Nick enthused. “It’s something a family can all do together.”

He hopes to carry on the Stanczyk family tradition, keeping the name of Bud N’ Mary’s Marina alive, living and raising a family in Islamorada — and spending time on the water fishing with kids of his own one day.