Day Four of the 2024 MidAtlantic dawned sunny and cool though the stiff breeze of the past two days dropped out considerably overnight and sea conditions improved dramatically. A string of vessel navigation lights stretched from both of the tournament’s host marinas to their respective inlet early this morning as 196 boats made the trek offshore. The change in weather conditions had a direct impact on the fishing as it was a busy evening at the weigh stations of both host venues and numerous changes to the leaderboard occurred.
After four days of fishing, we now have a qualifying blue marlin on the board as Captain John Griffith pulled John Conrad’s Lititz, Pennsylvania-based Grett’s 3 J’s into Sunset Marina shortly after the scales opened at 5 PM with a big blue marlin stretched across the cockpit that angler Tom Preston had bested. It took a team effort to hoist the huge billfish from the cockpit of the boat to the dock where a measurement taped the fish out at 128-inches. An equally herculean effort hoisted the billfish up onto the scale where Weighmaster Frank Ingram relayed the weight of 638 pounds and put Grett’s 3 J’s atop the category! Second and third place remain vacant.
The other big news on Day Four came in the white marlin category where a major shake-up took place shortly after Grett’s 3 J’s pulled away from the scale. Captain Chester Sims maneuvered Bill Haugland’s Lights Out from Bishopsville, Maryland to the scale with a white marlin to weigh for angler Dan Caliente which measured 71¼-inches and tipped the scale at 81 pounds putting Lights Out atop the leaderboard. Moments later, Charles Rodriguez of Camden-Wyoming, Delaware pulled his Par Five to scales with a white marlin that measured 71¾-inches for angler CP Townsend and weighed 75 pounds and put Par Five in third place in the category. The 77-pound white marlin Anthony Alves’ of Millstone, New Jersey weighed on Day Two from his Kaarmaa is now in second place.
We have a new leader in the dolphin category after Paul Crampton of Hagerstown, Maryland aboard his C-Boys weighed a 32-pounder for angler Lance Compton. Second place currently belongs to JC Cleare of Miami, Florida abord his Remix Main Stage with a 28-pound dolphin angler Nick Carullo bested today. Charleston, South Carolina’s William Garmany aboard his Reel Current is now in third place the 22-pound dolphin weighed on Day Three.
The wahoo division saw a shake-up today too as two 54-pounders were weighed and are currently tied for second place. One was caught aboard the Jenny Poo owned by Jennifer Pastorius of Ocean City, Maryland by Pastorius and the other was caught aboard the Prime Hook of Hank Draper from Milton, Delaware by angler Richard Fischer.
Jupiter, Florida’s Mary Naylor aboard her Lil’ Crum still leads the category with her 76-pounder caught on Day Two.
Jamie Diller’s Canyon Lady from Stone Harbor, New Jersey weighed a 61-pound yellowfin tuna today for angler Scott Zurowski and moved into third place. The tuna leader is still Steven Pilipauskis of Harwood, Maryland aboard his Reel Tight with the 180-pound big eye weighed on Day One. Val Fichera of Cape May, New Jersey aboard his Warden Pass remains in second place with a 174-pound big eye weighed on Day One.
Some of the boats with notable billfish releases on Day Four include Pat Healey’s Viking 82 and Ed Dunn’s D.A. Sea with seven white marlin released. Joe Zerbo’s Fishaholic, Martin Judge’s Judge and Dave Anderson’s Krazy Salts each released four white marlin while Bill Haugland’s Lights Out, Charles Rodriguez Par Five, Kirk Kellog’s Following Seas and Michael Tickle’s Waste Knot each released three white marlin. Anthony Sciandra’s Reel Development released three white marlin and a blue marlin. Ed Katzainer’s Wish You Were Here released two white marlin and one blue marlin.
As a reminder, you can follow all the weigh-in action via live stream from Cape May and Ocean City by visiting the tournament’s web site www.themidatlantic.com. beginning at 5 PM each night.
Please note the MidAtlantic tournament is a private event. Nightly weigh-in sessions at Canyon Club Resort Marina and Sunset Marina as well as other tournament venues are not open to the general public and require credentials for entry.
For more information on this year’s MidAtlantic contact Tournament Director Aaron Hoffman at 609-884-0177 or visit the tournament’s web site at www.themidatlantic.com where you’ll find all the facts, figures and information about the event including a complete breakdown of calcuttas, rules, points, and a Tournament Week schedule. You can also follow along on social media Facebook at The MidAtlantic Tournament; on Twitter @midatl and on Instagram @themidatlantictournament.