Canyon Kickoff One For The Books

OCEAN CITY- The Ocean City Marlin Club’s 30th Annual Canyon Kick-Off last weekend was one for the books with several 200-pound-plus big eye tunas highlighting the weekend-long event.

The annual tournament, held each year on or around the Fourth of July weekend, is the first significant event of the Marlin Club’s summer-long tournament series and serves as a precursor of sorts to the more high profile tournaments in the resort including the Ocean City Tuna Tournament, which gets underway next week, and the White Marlin Open in August. A total of 53 boats competed in the Canyon Kick-Off last weekend and nearly $29,000 in prize money was doled out to the winners in several categories.

The big story all weekend was the number of giant big-eye tuna weighed during the tournament. The crew on the “White Lightning” took first place in the tuna division with a 224-pound big-eye worth $8,482. The “Lucky Duck” crew took second with a 219-pounder worth $2,452 and also weighed a 218.2-pounder to take third place.

In the Billfish Release division, the “Double Trouble” took first with 250 points, but was not entered in all of the added entry levels. Consequently, the “Billfisher” took second in terms of points with 200, but was awarded $3,195 in prize money because it was entered across the board. The “Nontypical” took third, also with 200 points, and was awarded $702. Rounding out the Billfish Release division was the “Drillin and Billin” ($468), the “White Lightning” ($405), and the “Dawg Haus” ($270).

In the Dolphin Division, the “Shadowfax” crew took first with a 24.2-pounder worth $8,077. The “Dawg Haus” was second in the dolphin division with a 20.8-pounder worth $1,741, and the “Salty Sons” was third with a 19.6-pounder worth $918.

The “Miss Emily” took first in the Bluefin Division with a 79-pounder, but it was the crew on the “Jezebel” taking the division’s top monetary prize with a 78.4-pounder worth $2,205. The “A Salt Weapon II” took third in the division with a 36.8-pound dolphin worth $315.