A sunny sky and a light breeze were a welcome change for tournament participants on Day Two in the 2020 MidAtlantic and 143 boats headed out early this morning. Sea conditions were reported to be a bit “sporty” and while the billfish bite seemed to have cooled off a bit from the red-hot action of the days leading up to the tournament, several boats found a decent pick of white marlin and numerous blue marlin were hooked as well. The tuna bite got off to a fast start and although big eyes were scarce, numerous yellowfins were weighed. Several dolphin were also weighed on Day Two at both venues.
The evening’s weigh-in session got off to an early start as Doug Allen’s Big Oil from North Cape May, New Jersey with Captain Tim Tanghare at the wheel was waiting at the scale at Canyon Club Resort Marina in Cape May prior to the 5 p.m. opening with a white marlin to weigh for angler Jay Allen. Moments after the scales opened Big Oil’s marlin was offloaded and placed on the scale and took to the early lead in the white marlin category at 77 pounds! In other news in the white marlin category Bishopville, Maryland’s Russ Garufi aboard his Effie Mae with Captain Steve Castellini at the wheel weighed a white marlin of 65 pounds for Garufi, who was also the angler, to move into second place in the category.
It was a wild day at the scales at both venues with regard to tuna weighed as dozens were brought to the scales. The big news from Day Two in the tuna category came from Canyon Club Resort Marina in Cape May where Mike Yacco’s MJ’s from Jupiter, Florida leads the pack in the tuna category after weighing a big eye tuna of 189 pounds for angler John Arceri. Second place is currently held by Ocean City, Maryland’s Jeremey Blount aboard his Wrecker after weighing a yellowfin of 63 pounds. Third place belongs to Jamison, Pennsylvania’s Jay Mascaro aboard his Meraki after weighing a 62-pound yellowfin today.
In the dolphin category, Potomac, Maryland’s Steve Summers aboard his Christine Marie weighed a 33-pounder to take the lead. Second place currently belongs to New Castle, Delaware’s Michael Peete aboard his No Quarter with a 32-pounder. Charley Pereira’s Sushi based out of Nags Head, North Carolina sits in third place with a 21-pounder.
No qualifying blue marlin has been weighed and the category remains wide open. Additionally, no wahoo has been weighed and that category also remains open.
Some of the boats with significant billfish releases on Day Two include Buell Polk’s Sharee and Sean O’Donnell’s Got Game with five white marlin releases each and Rob Manetta’s Tra-Sea-Ann with one blue marlin and three white marlin released. Boats with two white marlin released on Day Two include Scott Stapleford’s Game On; Joe Roberts’ Love Boat; Ryan Putman’s Is That So; Bobby Ricks El Cazador; Sid Gold’s Can Do Too and Adam Youschak’s Reelin’ Feelin’.
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. All local, state and federal procedures with regard to Covid-19 are being followed to ensure the health and safety of all tournament staff, sponsors and participants.
For further information contact Tournament Director Aaron Hoffman at 609-884-0177. Be sure to visit the tournament’s official web site at www.themidatlantic.com where you’ll find all the facts, figures and information about the 2020 MidAtlantic including a complete rundown of calcutta payouts, rules, points, tournament records and an event schedule. You’ll also find a link to purchase official tournament merchandise. Additionally, each night you can follow the weigh-in session with live video feed from both marinas via a link on the tournament’s web site. You can also follow all the action on Facebook at The MidAtlantic Tournament; on Twitter; @midatl and on Instagram; @themidatlantictournament.
