Memorial Day Bluefish Tourney A Big Success

Memorial Day Bluefish Tourney A Big Success
last call bluefish tournament winners

OCEAN CITY- The Ocean City Marlin Club’s 5th Annual Memorial Day Bluefish Tournament was once again a big success, if not for the size of the fish caught and weighed but the amount of money raised for a very worthwhile cause.

The tournament was held last weekend in and around the resort with 15 boats participating and one angler competing from shore. In the spirit of the Memorial Day holiday weekend, proceeds from the event were dedicated once again to the Catherine and Charles Kratz Memorial Foundation and Scholarship Fund. Catherine and Charles Kratz are long-time members of the Ocean City Marlin Club who recently started a foundation to provide support, encouragement and a better way of life for the men and women who served in the armed forces.

For the record, Robin Ritter and Ron Vito, fishing aboard the “Sea Hunt 26,” captured first, second and third place in the tournament with bluefish of various sizes and were awarded $495 in prize money. However, angler Chris Evans on the “Last Call” finished fourth and was awarded $3,735 in prize money because of added entry levels.

More importantly, the tournament raised a significant amount of money for the Catherine and Charles Kratz Foundation to support veterans. Through the first five years, the tournament has now raised over $8,800 for the foundation. Incidentally, local fishing enthusiasts will recall Kratz was the skipper on the “Five C’s,” the fishing boat that landed the largest white marlin ever caught in the state of Maryland. The whopping 135-pounder was caught by angler George Pierson aboard the “Five C’s” back in 1980 with Kratz at the helm. It is now permanently displayed at the foot of the Boardwalk after Kratz donated it to the town in 2008.