OCEAN CITY- The 19th Annual Mako Mania shark tournament gets underway today with dozens of boats and teams of anglers participating in the first of three official fishing days.
With sharks showing up in good numbers in recent weeks, the early offshore fishing season is starting to heat up just in time for the annual Mako Mania tournament hosted by Bahia Marina. Sharks of all sizes and species are typically the first game fish to arrive off the coast of Ocean City and this year has been no different.
Curiosity seekers will cram into Bahia Marina this weekend for a chance to see a potential winning shark hoisted at the scale in what has become a festival of sorts celebrating the arrival of another summer offshore fishing season. Makos are the featured species in the tournament although there are also divisions for threshers and bluefish. Like most tournaments in the area, conservation of the various species is paramount and to that end, an award and a check for $1,000 is given out for the most shark releases called the W. W. Harman Award.
The tournament underway yesterday with registration and a captain’s meeting and the action gets underway offshore on Friday, the first of three fishing days. Weigh-ins are held each of the next three days beginning around 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. at host Bahia Marina.
Last year, angler Timmy McGuire and the crew on the prolific tournament boat “Nontypical” took first place in the Mako Division with a 223-plus pounder worth a $38,030. Angler Matt Frank on the “Top Dog” took second in the Mako Division with a 138-pounder worth $11,478. Angler Ron Marquette on the “White Lightning” was third in the Mako Division with a 135-pounder worth $7,652.