OCEAN CITY- The 29th Ocean City Tuna Tournament last weekend certainly lived up to the hype with a strong bite providing plenty of drama in almost every category.
The crew on the “Fish Tricks” took first place in the heaviest single tuna division of the Ocean City Tuna Tournament last weekend with this 156-pound big-eye an earned $216,512.
Photo by Hooked On OC
What was not dramatic, however, was the single heaviest tuna category, the signature category for the event. The “Fish Tricks” hung a 156-pounder to take the lead in the category on Day One, but with two days to go and big-eyes and other big tuna lurking around, it didn’t appear on the surface the 156-pounder would hold up all weekend. However, despite 78 boats working the canyons for three days, the 156-pounder weighed by the “Fish Tricks” held on all weekend and took home the tournament’s largest prize.
In the single heaviest tuna category, it was the “Fish Tricks” taking first place with a 156-pounder worth a tournament-high $216,512. The “Blue Runner” was second with an 82-pounder and earned $62,200. There was a tie for third place with both the “Wrecker” and the “Talk N Trash” each weighing 78-pounders. “The “Wrecker” earned $34,174 and the “Talk N Trash” earned $17,087.
In the heaviest stringer weight category, the “Miss Annie” took first with a combined 408 pounds and earned $166,517. The “Billfisher” was second with a 364-stringer worth $46,360, while the “Fish Whistle” weighed a 349-pound stringer to take third and earned $22,507.
In the largest dolphin category, the “Foolish Pleasures” took first-place with a 23-pounder worth $2,500, while the “Liquid Rx” was second with a 20-pounder worth $1,000. The crew on the “M Kelliejean E” weighed the one and only qualifying wahoo during the tournament, a 48-pounder worth $5,040.
The “Miss Annie” crew weighed this 408-pound combo to take first place in the Ocean City Tuna Tournament’s heaviest stringer category last weekend. The 408-pound stringer was worth $166,517.
Photo by Hooked On OC
In the top lady angler category, Megan Kennedy on the “Wrecker” took first-place with a 78-pounder worth $1,500. J.L. Cropper on the “Myra HT” took second in the category with a 67-pounder worth $1,000. Annie Roe on the “Wayne’s World” was third with a 67-pounder worth $500. Roe was also the top junior angler with her 78-pounder and earned an additional $1,000. Walter Jordan on the “Let It Ride” was second in the top junior angler category with a 52-pounder and earned $500, while Jake Stuckey on the “Grasshopper” was third with a 51-pounder and earned $250.
There was also considerable prize money doled out in the sub-categories for various boat sizes. For example, in the boats 40-feet and under category, the single heaviest tuna award went to the “Fish Whistle” with a 78-pounder worth $4,725. First-place in the category for heaviest stringer went to the “Foolish Pleasures” with 271 pounds worth $4,725.
In the boats sized 41 feet to 54 feet category, the “Grande Pez” took first-place for the single heaviest tuna with a 74-pounder and earned $4.050, while the “Miss Annie” took first with the heaviest stringer totaling 408 pounds worth $4,050. In the boat 55-feet and up, the “Fish Tricks” took first in the single heaviest tuna category and earned an additional $12,600, while the “Billfisher” took first with the heaviest stringer and earned an additional $12,600.
