OCEAN CITY- The 28th Mid-Atlantic Tournament that wrapped up last Friday finished in a flourish with leaderboard in several divisions erased and rewritten, but when the dust settled, Ocean City-based boats walked away with most of the significant prize money.
The Mid-Atlantic Tournament concluded in dramatic fashion last Friday after five days with the signature white marlin division ending in a tie and several big blue marlin brought to the scale on the final day. The Mid-Atlantic is one the late-season highlights of the resort’s summer offshore fishing tournament season, perhaps second only to the White Marlin Open in terms of prestige and payouts.
Heading into the final day last Friday, when 120 of the registered 156 boats heading out to the canyons in less than ideal conditions. With the top white marlin on the leaderboard sitting at 71 pounds, that division was still wide open heading into the final day. In addition, through the first four days, there were no qualifying blue marlin on the leaderboard and many of the boats fishing on Friday set their sights on that division.
That all changed quickly last Friday when the scales opened for business in Ocean City and Cape May. First to the scale at Sunset Marina in West Ocean City last Friday was the Moore Bills, based out of the Ocean City Fishing Center, with a white marlin to weigh. The big white topped out at 72 pounds and briefly took over the top spot in the white marlin division.
Shortly thereafter, the crew on the Intents arrived at the scale with a white marlin to weigh and that one also topped out at 72 pounds, putting into a first-place tie with the Moore Bills crew. When the dust settled, the Intents shared first place and earned $527,977 in prize money. The Moore Bills shared first place and earned $453,529, while the Uno Mas was third with a 71-pounder and earned $111,288.
The blue marlin leaderboard changed rapidly last Friday. In the end, it was the crew on the Haulin and Ballin taking first place with a 630-pounder worth $556,365 in prize money. The Trash Man was second in the blue marlin division with a 549-pounder worth $178,203. The Pipe Dreamer took third in the blue marlin division with a 473-pounder worth $91,253.
In the tuna division, the Stalker took first place with a 226-pound big-eye and second-place with a 207-pound big-eye and earned $807,275 in combined prize money, a new record payout in the tuna division in the Mid-Atlantic tournament. The Dem Boys took third with a 96-pounder worth $147,353.
In the wahoo division, it was the Chain Reaction taking first with a 35-pounder worth $1,410. The Special Situation was second with a 29-pounder worth $57,481, while the My Time was third with a 28-pounder worth $23,735. There was a first-place tie in the dolphin division with a pair of 33-pounders. The Top Dog earned $68,361, while the Reel Estate earned $34,474. The Sea Wolf was third with a 29-pounder worth $12,596.
