Sports & Recreation
Ocean City Today July 15, 2022
Page 68
www.oceancitytoday.com
Record payout for 35th Ocean City Tuna Tournament By Lisa Capitelli Managing Editor (July 15, 2022) If everything lined up, Ocean City Tuna Tournament organizers expected the 35th annual event to be a record breaker. They did and it was. This year’s event drew 109 boats competing for a new tournament record of $1,121,450. “Overall, we are super thrilled with the turnout and how it came together,” said Ocean City Fishing Center Assistant Dockmaster Hunter Dortenzo. “If the bite was right and the weather cooperated – the weather was solid at least Friday and Saturday – and everything aligned and fell into place, we knew it could be a record breaker.” For the first time since its inception, the Ocean City Tuna Tournament broke the million-dollar payout mark in 2021. A total of 106 boats registered for the 2021 tournament. The overall payout was $1,019,690. Three more boats entered this year and an additional $101,000 was awarded. The largest tuna of the tournament was caught by Wes Cromer aboard Reel Crazy. The 275-pound bigeye earned the crew $307,852.50. The size was also a new tournament record. “It was 77 inches. It was just an incredible fish to be brought back here to the scale,” Dortenzo said. The group entered the Level H Pro Tuna Jackpot, which is a winner-takeall pool for the largest single tuna. That pot totaled $229,500. It costs $5,000 to enter and 51 of the 109 tournament boats registered for the calcutta. Talkin’ Trash angler Steve Sylvester landed a 256-pound bigeye, good for second place. The crew also came in first place in the heaviest stringer division - with their total weight topping the scale at 535 pounds. The group took home a total of $316,042.50. A large portion of that money – $145,800 – came from the Level G Heaviest Stringer Jackpot. Fifty-four out of 109 boats registered for the calcutta. The Fin Planner crew came in third place for single largest tuna. Kevin Sutton’s 224-pound bigeye was worth $53,707.50. A total of 12 bigeyes were brought to the Ocean City Fishing Center scale
PHOTO COURTESY OCTT FACEBOOK
last weekend and eight of them weighed over 200 pounds each, Dortenzo said. “That’s the most we’ve had in the last couple years,” he added. “It’s only the second time in tournament history that multiple tuna over 200 pounds were weighed; 2013 was the last time.” The Sea Hag team finished in second place in the heaviest stringer division with a total weight of 508 pounds. They received $106,627. The Take Em’ crew placed third in the stringer division. Their total fish weight of 473 pounds earned them $79,140. The heaviest bluefin tuna was caught by Ryan Earls aboard Shorebilly. The 70-pound fish was worth $58,050. About $31,000 of that money was rolled over from the last two tournaments, because no qualifying bluefin were weighed in 2020 and 2021, Dortenzo said. Jase Weaver was the top junior angler, reeling in a 57-pound tuna while fishing on Reel Fin Addict. He was presented $1,000 and prizes. FFMD (Fishing for Muscular Dystrophy) junior angler, Danielle Robertson, landed 56- and 55-pound tuna. She received $750 and prizes. Reel Trips angler, Kallie Lucas,
won first place in the women’s division. She was awarded $1,500 for her 57-pound tuna. Azora angler Shari Swope and Robertson tied for second place with their 56-pound yellowfin tuna. They both were presented $750. Fifty boats entered the Level Q Charity Donation division, which this year benefits Fishing For Muscular Dystrophy (FFMD), a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit and offshore fishing team that has a strategic alliance with the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) whose purpose is “Fighting Muscle Disease.” FFMD and Talkin’ Trash each received $4,500. Teams could fish two of three tournament days. A total of 108 boats went offshore Friday. One hundred and two fished Saturday, leaving nine eligible to compete on Sunday. Hundreds packed the Ocean City Fishing Center each day to catch the fish being weighed. “We had an awesome crowd. The action was non-stop at the scales. There was just a constant line of boats waiting to weight fish,” Dortenzo said. In total, 12,296 pounds of tuna were weighed, Dortenzo said. For more information, visit https://octunatournament.com/
The largest tuna of the 35th annual Ocean City Tuna Tournament was caught by Wes Cromer aboard Reel Crazy. The 275-pound bigeye earned the crew $307,852.50. The size was also a new tournament record.
OCMC presents 18th annual Kid’s Classic this wknd. By Lisa Capitelli Managing Editor (July 15, 2022) Young anglers will be the stars of the show this weekend during the Ocean City Marlin Club’s 18th annual Kid’s Classic. Final registration for the 2022 tournament, which benefits the WishA-Fish Foundation, will begin today, Friday, at 6 p.m. at the Marlin Club on Golf Course Road in West Ocean City. A captains’ meeting will kick off at 7:30 p.m. and will also be available on Facebook and the Marlin Club’s website, www.ocmarlinclub.com. The tournament is open to anglers 19 and younger, many of whom participate annually. The cost is $200 per boat, with an unlimited number of anglers. See OPEN Page 69
