Lights Out Wins MA 500

For Immediate Release –
 August 2013

Much like Day Four, Day Five, the final fishing day of the 2013 Mid-Atlantic $500,000, dawned overcast though the rain stayed away and the 88 boats heading offshore found comfortable conditions. While Day Five’s weigh-in session was brisk as numerous fish were weighed at both ports and a few changes in the standings of the My Port Calcutta which awards cash for the three heaviest white marlin, blue marlin and tuna from Cape May and Ocean City took place, only one significant change to the leaderboard occurred.

The highlight of last night’s weigh-in session took place in Cape May when Scot Cohen’s C-Jam from Somers Point with Ron Kozlowski at the wheel backed to the scale and weighed a white marlin of 81 pounds and moved into second place. Cohen’s billfish held that position and won $101,890. William Haugland of Key Largo, Florida took the top prize in the white marlin category with his 84-pounder aboard Lights Out caught on Day Two and received $654,416. Mike Murray of Toms River, New Jersey finished in third place with his 73-pounder on Caitlin Taylor which was caught on Day Three and pocketed $94,789.

Sean O’Donell’s Got Game from Cape May held on to take the top prize in the blue marlin division with his 441 pounder taken aboard Got Game on Day Three and walked off with $236,522. Carmine Falcone’s Cookie II from Staten Island, New York finished in second place with his 437-pound blue marlin and won $151, 805. Since no qualifying 3rd place blue marlin was caught, the unwon prize money in the category was divided proportionately between 1st and 2nd place winners.

The tuna category was hotly contested all week as the daily barrage of big eye tuna that came to the scale at both ports kept scorekeepers busy, participants on edge and spectators cheering. In the end Adam LaRosa’s Canyon Runner from Point Pleasant, New Jersey would prevail as the 243-pound big eye caught on Day Three took the top prize of $191,214. Mike Yocco of New Providence, New Jersey finished in second place with his 213-pound big eye caught aboard his MJ’s on Day Two and won $82,157. Jim Jensen’s Plane Simple from Satellite Beach, Florida finished in third place with his 203-pound big eye caught on Day Two and won $67,142.

Gina Addeo’s Gina Lisa from Staten Island, New York took the Heaviest Wahoo award with a 77-pounder caught on Day Three and won $9360. A1A of Nantucket, Massachusetts won the Heaviest Dolphin award with their 38 pounder caught on Day Two and received $9360.

Richard McCann of West Chester, Pennsylvania with his Sea Slammer won the Most Points White Marlin award with 819 followed by Ed Dunn from Grasonville, Maryland aboard his D.A. Sea with 750. The Third Most Points White Marlin award went to Irish Ayes with 600 points.

The Most Points Blue Marlin award went to Robert Baker of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida aboard his Reel Pushy with 450 points. Right behind was Got Game with 220.5 points followed by Cookie II with 218.5 points.

Canyon Runner won the Most Points Tuna award with 271 followed by Michael Peete of New Castle, Delaware on No Quarter with 158.5. MJ’s finished with 131.5 points and took the Third Most Points Tuna award.

Sea Slammer won the prestigious Most Points Overall award with 819.

Some of the boats with billfish releases on the final day of the tournament include John Aramendia’s Give it Away, John Casciano’s Casworth Express and Richard McCann’s Sea Slammer with three white marlin releases each. C-Jam and Dean Shacklett’s Flying Label each released two white marlin while Gina Addeo’s Gina Lisa and Don Gentilini’s Super Crew each released a blue marlin and a white marlin. James Foulke’s Trust Me Too released a blue marlin.

Special thanks to Pipe Dreams Marine for sponsoring Thursday night’s Docktale Party in Ocean City. Additional kudos to South Jersey Yacht Sales and the all new Makaira for sponsoring Friday night’s Awards Dinner.

Catch Report

• White marlin boated “ 14
• White marlin released “ 252
• Blue marlin boated “ 2
• Blue marlin released “ 16
• Tuna weighed “ 16
• Wahoo weighed “ 5
• Dolphin weighed “ 3

* One point-earning sailfish was released during the tournament.