This massive, 412-pound swordfish just broke the Gulf of Mexico record for Texas The fish was hooked more than 1,300 feet below the ocean's surface, the angler said.

Emil J. Krejci Jr., 54, set a new state record with his 412-pound, 97-foot swordfish catch June 29 when he was fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. Emil J. Krejci Jr., 54, set a new state record with his 412-pound, 97-foot swordfish catch June 29 when he was fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. Photo: Courtesy/Emil J. Krejci Jr. Photo: Courtesy/Emil J. Krejci Jr. Image 1 of / 47 Caption Close This massive, 412-pound swordfish just broke the Gulf of Mexico record for Texas 1 / 47 Back to Gallery

When a 412-pound swordfish caught this angler's line and proceeded to jump in and out of the water and dart back and forth for more than two hours, he didn't feel tired or scared. He was excited.

Emil J. Krejci Jr., 54, set a new state saltwater record with his 412-pound, 97-inch swordfish catch June 29 when he was fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. Krejci, who works in wastewater management in Matagorda, has been fishing for years, he said, but only swordfishing for six.

RELATED: 10-year-old Texas girl kills 13-foot, 800-pound alligator with crossbow

That Wednesday in June, Krejci, along with two of his friends, cast a line using an electric rod and a bonita belly, which is when fishermen take the stomach of a tuna fish to use as bait. Catching a swordfish, Krejci says, is different than casting a line in 5 or 6 feet of water.

The group "hooked (the fish) at about 1,350 feet" deep in the water, he said.

MORE: Corpus Christi man catches massive 13-foot-long hammerhead shark off the coast of Padre Island

Swordfishing is "definitely a different world," Krejci said, noting that when a fish that big bites a line that deep, it's very subtle, making his catch even more significant.

Before, the unrestricted record catch was 374.80 pounds and 95-inch-long and was made Aug. 30, 2013 in the Gulf of Mexico, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website. The unrestricted category includes a variety of methods of catching fish —spear gun, tort line, gig, or, like in Krejci's case, an electric rod and reel, said Josh Havens, director of communication for the parks department, in an email Thursday.

The current rod-and-reel record is a 493-pound, 145.75-inch long swordfish caught June 4, 2013 using squid as bait, according to the parks department website.

RELATED: Texas girl, 12, reels in record 30-pound catfish in Lake Ray Hubbard for the second time

Once Krejci felt the fish take the bait around 3 p.m., it took more than two hours to reel in.

"She came up numerous times. She made numerous jumps," Krejci said. "She was a good fish but you never know that until you get home."

Krejci said the group was "very impressed" by the quickness and speed of the fish.

"(You're) excited and panicking at the same time when the fish makes a jump," he said.

RELATED: New Braunfels man catches huge, record-breaking catfish, but it's not his first

And surprisingly, when trying to reel in a 412-pound fish for more than two hours, exhaustion doesn't kick in until later, he said.

"When you saw the weight of the fish, then you got tired," Krejci said, noting that adrenaline really helps in the moment.

Later that day, the group went back out after putting their catch on ice and hooked up to another swordfish but ended up losing it. But, it was no biggie, the group of friends will surely be out on the water together again.

"This is one of our little passions that we like to do," Krejci said. "It's just another challenge."

kbradshaw@express-news.net

Twitter: @kbrad5