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The 33rd MidAtlantic Tournament provided a nail-biting finish and showcased the rich fishery of the US’ eastern seaboard during the late summer months. The tournament kicked off on August 18 at the Canyon Club Resort Marina in Cape May, New Jersey, and the tournament’s satellite location at Sunset Marina in Ocean City, Maryland. This year’s tournament saw an impressive fleet of 198 boats and a total purse of $ 5.7 million. Per tournament rules, teams were able to fish any three of the five designated fishing days.
On Day One, 88 boats opted to endure the sporty conditions from the distant Hurricane Ernesto and headed offshore. Pachanga led the pack, releasing two blue marlin and four white marlin, followed by Max Bet with seven white marlin, and Mama Who and Pipe Down with six white marlin releases. At the scales, angler Mike Bradley aboard Leslie Ann weighed in a 74-pound white marlin and Stephen Pilipauskis on the Reel Tight the weighed in a 180-pound bigeye tuna, each taking the lead in those respective categories.
Cool, breezy conditions and a promising forecast later in the week kept many boats at the dock on Day Two, with 62 boats heading out of the host marinas. Fishing was slower for many boats, however FFMD released four white marlin, and Hog Wild and Double R each released three. Kaarmaa weighed in a 77-pound white marlin at Canyon Club Marina, jumping to the top of the leaderboard and moving Leslie Ann’s 74-pounder to second place. Angler Mary Naylor aboard Lil’ Crum weighed-in the tournament’s first wahoo; a quality 76-pounder that took the lead in that category.
Day Three brought the lowest participation from the fleet and the slowest fishing; however, the 50 boats that decided to fish produced some changes to the leaderboard. The dolphinfish category received its first entry with a 22-pounder caught by angler James Pruitt aboard the Reel Current. Two wahoo were weighed to fill up all three spots on the leaderboard; a 29-pounder from angler Keith Culler aboard Talkin’ Trash and a 25-pounder from Luke Redder on Moore Bills.
With the tournament past its mid-way point and almost all boats fishing the final two days, anticipation was high entering Day Four. The 196 boats that headed offshore were met with improved sea conditions, and the fishing followed suit. Viking 82 and D.A. Sea each released seven white marlin to lead the fleet in releases, and the scales were equally as busy after fishing came to a close. Grett’s 3 J’s weighed in the first blue marlin of the tournament, a 638-pound fish to take the top spot on the leaderboard. Lights Out weighed in an 81-pound white marlin caught by Dan Caliendo, moving them to first place, and Par Five weighed in a 75-pound white marlin for the third-place spot. A 32-pound dolphinfish caught by Lance Compton on C-Boys took the lead in that category.
With 197 boats fishing the final day, and the best weather conditions of the week, the energy entering the final day was intense and the stage was set for an exciting finish. The radio was busy throughout the day but after the call for “lines out,” reports of multiple boat blue marlin began to circulate and garner attention. Dem Boys, captained by Reid Bost, was the first boat the scales and the crowd at Sunset Marina erupted when the scale stopped at 760 pounds. Now in the lead with more than $1 million on the line, Dem Boys waited anxiously as Deadicated, captained by Brian Boyle, pulled into Canyon Club Marina to weigh their fish. After hoisting the fish, the sizeable crowd that had gathered at the marina celebrated alongside the crew of Deadicated as the official weight was announced at a tournament-winning 795 pounds.
At the awards ceremony, the MidAtlantic paid out $5,752,760, the third-highest in the tournament’s 33-year history, to over 30 different winners. Lights Out was the biggest winner, taking home $1.4 million for their 81-pound white marlin. Deadicated’s 795-pound blue marlin earned them $1.1 million, with Dem Boys’ second place fish taking home just under $500,000. The heaviest tuna and $720,442 went to Reel Tight for his 180-pound bigeye, while Lil’ Crum won $85,974 for their 76-pound top wahoo. The dolphinfish category was split between two 32-pound fish caught by Reel Joy on Day Five and C-Boys on Day Four. Reel Joy received $66,654 and C-Boys took home $57,270, due to difference in calcutta participation.
In the billfish release category, Max Bet, 66-foot Spencer captained by Austin Robins, won first place and with 17 white marlin releases for 1,275 points. Pachanga, a 62-foot Viking, released three blue marlin and nine white marlin for 1,125 points and second place, followed by D.A. Sea, a 65-foot Paul Mann captained by Mark Stephens, with 1,050 points from releasing one blue marlin and 12 white marlin.
“We had a fantastic turnout for the 33rd annual MidAtlantic Tournament and continued our tradition of spreading the winnings amongst this year’s participants,” said Tournament Director Aaron Hoffman. “More winners, nightly dockside hospitality and exceptional customer service is what makes the MidAtlantic Tournament a unique experience for friends, family, and professional crews. As always, we look forward to having everyone back for another exciting year in 2025!”
