These are the results of the OC, MD tuna tournament...as posted in the coastal fisherman(
www.coastalfisherman.com)
"For several years the Ocean City Tuna Tournament has been a "battle of the bluefins", but this year there was another fly in the ointment as Atlantic bigeye tuna made an appearance in the Baltimore Canyon and changed the leader board in both the largest single fish category and the total weight category.
On Saturday, the second day of fishing, the "Intents" came to the weigh station just before the end of the festivities and slid a 220 pound bigeye up on the dock. Chris Davis, of Plymouth Meeting, PA, had fought the tuna for 2 hours and 20 minutes on 30 lb. test stand-up gear after it hit a ballyhoo behind a blue and white Islander lure in 100 fathoms at the Baltimore Canyon. Davis was fishing with Capt. Harry Glah, Mark Lamborn and Gregg Yaroschuk, pictured at right. The "Intents" was only entered in one Level A daily calcutta, however, so the fish brought a total of $15,695.
The Ocean City Tuna Tournament awards equal prize money in two divisions, the Largest Single Fish and the Most Pounds Overall. Each boat is allowed to weigh up to five tuna for each of their two fishing days, or a total of up to 10 tuna. Boats may win in only one division, however.
Second place in the single largest fish division went to the charter boat "Out of Bounds" with Capt. Gary Stamm and Mate Scott Miller out of Sunset Marina. Angler Vernon Summers, of Finksburg, MD, caught a 186 lb. bluefin after a two hour struggle on the first day of fishing. Since the "Out of Bounds" was entered "across the board" in all of the calcuttas, the tuna was worth a total of $71,487.00. Summers is pictured at left with Gary Sansburry, Bill Wagner and Ryan Summers. The fish hit a ballyhoo just east of the Lumpy Bottom.
Third place in the Single Fish Division went to another bluefin, a 177 pounder caught by Mark Mascola, of Juneau Beach, FL on the "Triple Crown" with Capt. John Brandt and Mate Jim Carr. The tuna took a ballyhoo south of the Parking Lot and brought a total of $25,358.00 in tournament prize money and calcutta winnings. Mascola is pictured below right with the crew and fellow anglers Don Borislow, Frank Grattola, and Ozols Sig.
In the Most Pounds Division, the charter boat "Reliance" with Capt. John "Jersey" Canning and Mate Clint Bradley out of the Ocean City Fishing Center set a new tournament record for total weight with an incredible 1,010 pounds, including 581 pounds for four bluefin tuna on their second day of fishing. Anglers Cliff Peet, Paul Evans, Mark Grillo, Jack Gouty, Marino Gialamas and Bill Heatley, of Baltimore, MD, also known as the "Big Red Dog Fishing Team," reeled in the big bluefins, most of which were caught on trolled ballyhoo near the Lumpy Bottom. Since the "Reliance" was also across the board, their efforts brought them an impressive $85,445 in prize money.
Second place in the Most Pounds Division went to the "Fish Whistle" with Capt. Charlie Horning and Mates Bill Gebhart and Walt Schrade out of Indian River Inlet, pictured at left. Anglers Denny Kinsinger, of Lancaster, PA and Jerry Dowd, of Philadelphia, PA, hit the bigeye jackpot on Sunday, the last day of fishing. They caught one out of three bigeyes that hit at one time, then went two for two on another double strike. Their three bigeye tuna, the first time any boat has brought in three bigeyes to the tournament, weighed 169, 172 and 183 pounds, for a total of 524 pounds. Their two day total of 696 pounds brought them $42,837 in prize money.
Third place in the Most Pounds Division went to the anglers on the "Water Dog" with Capt. Tom Henry and Mate Jack Long. Anglers Mike Nichols, Buddy Nichols, Larry Warder, Dr. Greg Kapanoske and Joe Titus boated a total of 648 pounds of tuna worth $35,858.00 in prize and calcutta money. They are pictured below right.
Since not all of the top three boats in each division were entered in all of the added entry levels, several other boats shared in the prize money. The charter boat "Bite Me," with Capt. Jay Kavanagh and Mate Eric Holmes out of the Ocean City Fishing Center, with anglers Tim Dawson, Joe Cougar, Sam Thorpe, and Frank Myers, of Chesapeake City, MD, below left, boated 641 pounds to take a total of $12,000 in Levels C and D. The charter boat "Huntress" with Capt. Bud Tingle and Mate Steve Smyth out of Sunset Marina took third place money of $9,000 in the Level E Calcutta with 587 pounds.
The tournament also offers a $1,000 prize for the most tuna tagged and released. Three boats, the "Tee Pee II," the "Endeavor" and the "Lucky Lin," tied in this category with three fish and shared the prize money. In the Most White Marlin Tagged and released, the "Lisa" and the "Intents" split the $1,000 prize with one release each.
The heaviest dolphin of the tournament, a 32 pounder, was worth $1,000 for Edward Laurence, of Fallston, MD, below right, who was fishing on the "Backlash" with Capt. Steve Selander and Mate Rich Sies.
Finally, the tournament instituted a new division this year, the Top Junior Angler. Ryan Summers, 12, of Finksburg, MD, took the $1,000 prize and several other awards by catching a 96 lb. bluefin tuna on the charter boat "Out of Bounds" with Capt. Gary Stamm and Mate Scott Miller out of Sunset Marina.
Anglers on the "Intents" and the "Reliance" will be invited to fish the Rolex/IGFA Offshore Championship in May 2003 in Costa Rica.
At the awards ceremony, Tournament Chairman Charles Nichols of the Ocean City Fishing Center thanked all of the tournament sponsors, including Coors Light, Froggy 99.9, Delmarva 47 TV, Martek Marine Electronics and Furuno, Toyota, MBNA, Cummins Marine, Costa Del Mar sunglasses, Coca Cola, Coastal Fisherman, Texaco, Capt. Mac's Bait & Tackle, Luhrs/Lippincott Marine, and The North Atlantic Marine Group. He also thanked weighmaster Bill Runkle, master of ceremonies Dave "Coconut" Hedges, and the rules committee, which consisted of Bob Gowar, Jack Kaeufer, Dave Hedges and Bruce McGuigan. Special thanks went to the tournament committee, including Charlie Vanarsdale, Nicole Pike, Theresa Mosier, Dave Hedges, Karen McMillan and Bob Gowar."
hows this for big tuna in the northeast... 
