boat took the top prize in the Mid-
Atlantic $500,000 when the "Lights
Out" won the white marlin category
with an 83-pounder weighed at Sun-
set Marina to earn over $700,000 in
prize money.
ing events in the region with over $2
million in prize money doled out to
the winners in several categories.
Tournament headquarters has al-
ways been the Canyon Club in
Cape May, N.J., and that hasn't
changed, but the increased number
of boats fishing out of the resort
area has given the event a decided-
ly Ocean City flair in recent years.
ond port from which to fish and the
change was met with great enthusi-
asm. For the first two years, howev-
er, any Ocean City boat that caught
a qualifying fish had to transport it to
the official scaled in Cape May. Six
years ago, however, Sunset Marina
in West Ocean City was added as
an official sister port for the event
and the local anglers participating in
the MA500 began to weigh poten-
tially winning fish at their home port.
Sunset Marina finished first in the
signature white marlin category.
Angler Bill Haugland and the crew
on the "Lights Out" weighed an 83-
pounder mid-week and it stood up
the rest of the way to claim the top
prize despite some late challenges.
day, angler Scott Cohen on the "C-
Jam" pulled into Cape May and
weighed an 81-pounder to take sec-
ond place and earn $101,890.
a 73-pound white marlin worth
$94,789.
Game" took first place with a 441-
pounder worth $236,522. Angler
Carmine Falcone on the "Cookie II"
took second with a 437-pound blue
marlin and earned $151,805. Be-
cause there were only two qualify-
ing blue marlin weighed, the third
place money rolled into the first- and
second-place purse in the category.
several lead changes throughout
the week as the remarkable big-eye
bite continued. When the dust set-
tled, it was angler Adam LaRosa on
the "Canyon Runner" taking first
place with a 243-pounder worth
$191,214. Angler Michael Yocco on
the "MJ's" was second with a 213-
pounder worth $82,157. Angler Jim
Jensen on the "Plane Simple" was
third with a 203-pounder worth
$67,142.
"Gina Lisa" with a 77-pounder worth
$9,360. The "A1A" took first place in
the dolphin division with a 38-
pounder worth $9,360. A total of 252
white marlin were released during
the tournament, while 14 were boat-
ed. A total of 16 blue marlin were
released and two were boated,
while 16 tuna, five wahoo and three
dolphin were weighed.
Atlantic $500,000 and check for over $700,000.
Day White Marlin Tournament offi-
cially got underway today with the
first of three official fishing days.
lin Open, the Ocean City Marlin
Club's 55th Annual Labor Day White
Marlin Tournament trumps all others
in terms of history and prestige.
Called the "granddaddy" of the re-
sort-area fishing tournaments, the
annual Labor Day White Marlin
Tournament is the oldest among the
tournaments held in and around the
resort area each summer. The first
was held in 1958 and the annual
event has endured for five-plus
decades and several generations of
local anglers.
fishing days. As the name implies,
the focus of the tournament is on
white marlin, but unlike other high-
dollar tournaments in recent weeks,
there won't be any billfish weighed
at the scale at host Sunset Marina.
The tournament's winner will accu-
mulate the most release points over
the three days of fishing.
meatfish divisions for tuna, dolphin
and wahoo.
and the weigh-ins will be held each
day, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
event got underway last night with a
captain's meeting and registration.
took first place with 1,600 total
release points. The crew on the "Par
Five" was second with 800 points
and was awarded $4,265 in prize
money. The "Reel Joy" took third in
the Billfish Release division with
650 total points and was awarded
$1,539. The crew on the "Last
Straw" collected 400 points and was
awarded $1,026 in prize money.
points and earned another $1,350 in
prize money. The "Par Five" crew
earned 500 points in the Daily
Billfish Division and also earned
$1,350.
ing first place with a 54.8-pounder
worth $5,750.
54.2-pound tuna and earned $2,233
in prize money.
took first place with a 13-pound dol-
phin worth $2,871. Troy Graham, al-
so on the "Reel Desire" took second
with a 11.6-pounder worth $1,114.
"Salty Sons" also had a junior ang-
ler, Nathan McGinnis, who self-
hooked his own fish. The total Cal-
cutta money awarded during the
tournament came to $22,500.
turning to the sports pages of The
Dispatch this fall as the Seahawks
prepare to face off against Washing-
ton High tonight in the season open-
er at home.
glamour guys, the golden-armed
quarterbacks and fleet running
backs who put points on the board
and thrill the crowds, but the weekly
"Tough Guy" award is handed out to
the Decatur player who most exem-
plifies the spirit and Seahawk foot-
Hammond, the weekly ATP "Tough
Guy of the Week" award acknowl-
edges the efforts of an individual
player, or sometimes a unit on the
team, that do the little things to help
the team win that don't necessarily
show up in the box score.
Decatur game, Hammond presents
a trophy to the tough guy of the
week. At the end of the season, a
"Tough Guy of the Year" award is
presented to the player who best
represented the qualities of the a-
ward week in and week out during
the season.
tur High School and the Decatur
Athletic Boosters, is set for next Sat-
urday, Sept. 7, at the Berlin school.
open to runners of all ages and skill
levels with the proceeds benefiting
boosters. The course begins and
ends at Decatur High School and
the event gets started next Saturday
morning at 9.
after Sept. 3 is $30. Participants can
also sign up the day of the race at
Decatur High School.