After a week of fishing that saw white marlin bite in record numbers, it was another down to the wire finish at the 2010 Mid Atlantic $500,000! Over the years the tournament has a history of producing final day heroics and 2010 would be no different. With just minutes before the scales would close at 9 p.m. on Day Five, Matt Kriedel’s Impulse IV based out of Newington, Connecticut backed to the scales at Canyon Club Resort Marina in Cape May with what would be the last fish to be weighed at the tournament. Moments later, weighmaster Chris Booth yelled out the weight to the large crowd which had left the tournament tent and gathered around the scales when word spread of a big fish on the way in. At 177 pounds, Kriedel’s big eye tuna sealed its spot atop the leaderboard in the tuna category and won the crew $168,812!
A cold front accompanied by thunderstorms and steady rain covered Cape May though only a light, occasional drizzle was felt in Ocean City, Maryland and much of the fleet reported light winds and light drizzle offshore as 77 boats headed to the canyons on Day Three of the 2010 Mid Atlantic $500,000. Several changes occurred to the leaderboard in the major categories.
In Ocean City, Maryland, Scott Steele’s Toplesss weighed an 80-pound white marlin and moved into third place in the category. Jonathan Duffie’s Billfisher is still the boat to beat with his 88-pounder and Chris Shultz’s Cracker is still holding on to second place with his 82-pounder.
Afternoon showers cooled the area today for those who were dockside but had little impact on the 79 boats that gave it a go on Day Two of the 2010 Mid-Atlantic $500,000. Light variable winds were the order of the day and produced mixed results for the fleet including a new tournament record dolphin (mahi mahi)!
Jonathan Duffie’s Billfisher continues to lead the white marlin category with his 88-pounder and Chris Shultz’s Cracker remains in second place with his 82-pounder. A three-way tie for third place at 69 pounds still includes Jeff Citron’s Singularis, Steve Dayton’s Lil’ Man and Scott Steele’s Toplesss in the mix.
The blue marlin category remains vacant as no qualifying blues have been caught.
Day One dawned sunny and bright and 63 boats of the field of 134 headed offshore today and found the billfish in a hungry mood. The tournament committee worked late into the night after Sunday’s captains meeting tabulating entries and when all the cash was tallied up the tournament total purse is set at $1,781,550.
The tournament got off to a great start as Jonathan Duffie’s Billfisher took the early lead in the white marlin category after weighing an 88-pounder while Captain Scott Walker put Chris Shultz’s Cracker in second place with an 82-pounder. A three-way tie for third place includes Jeff Citron’s Singularis, Steve Dayton’s Lil’ Man and Scott Steele’s Toplesss as each weighed white marlin of 69 pounds.
Tournament week has finally arrived and if the events of the past few days are any indication, we could be in for a wild week of fishing at the 2010 Mid-Atlantic $500,000! Participants began arriving yesterday at the event’s host marinas including Canyon Club Resort Marina and South Jersey Marina in Cape May and Sunset Marina in Ocean City, Maryland. While some crews spent the day readying tackle, others used the time to pre-fish the waters off the south Jersey coast and they weren’t disappointed with what they saw. No less than 21 white marlin and one blue marlin release flags were flying from the ‘riggers of the handful of boats that fished out of Cape May and those we spoke to were pleased with the conditions they saw offshore.
