OCEAN CITY- The 21st 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 got 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 in the signature Mako Division, angler Rich Galante on the “Jade II” weighed a 220.8-pounder that took the top prize and earned a tournament-high $52,340 in prize money. Dakota Bitner on the “Reel Nauti” took second with a 199.2-pounder worth $4,350, while Bill Brown, also on the “Reel Nauti” took third with a 182.5-pounder worth $2,990.
Angler Dave Schultz on the “Outnumbered” took fourth in the Mako Division with a 176.7-pounder worth $9,774 because of added entry levels. Angler Jamie Romero on the “Absolute Pleasure” took fifth with a 157-pounder worth $6,516.
The Thresher Division produced much of the drama in the 2016 Mako Mania tournament. Angler Jeff Green on the “Stripteaser” took first place with a 455-pounder worth $10,060. Angler Mike Moss on the “Captain Ike II” took second with a 407.8-pounder worth $4,536, while Kirk Thompson on the “Teaser” took third with a 318-pounder worth $3,024.
Bo Rites on the “Talk N Trash” took first in the Bluefish Division with a 12.2-pounder worth $6,031, while Sonny Snodgrass on the “M Keli Jean” took second with a 10-pounder worth $2,709. The W.W. Harman Award went to the crew on the “Marli” with six mako releases.
