During Derby, Grab a Rod or Be a Fish Out of Water
Mark Alan Lovewell

The 65th annual Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby opens Sunday morning at a minute past midnight. The fishermen are waiting.

George Moran of Oak Bluffs will be out there. At 64, he is almost as old as the derby. “For me it is wonderful being outdoors, being on the beaches, out at night with the stars and moon,” Mr. Moran said.

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Veteran Derby Leaders Land Big Prizes
Mark Alan Lovewell

A self-described “eel slinger” who had won the derby twice before and an avid angler from Carver were the grand winners in this year’s 66th annual Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby which came to a close last weekend.

More than 100 fishermen received awards at a joyfully raucous ceremony Sunday night at Nectar’s. But it was Stephen C. Morris and Richard A. Penney who took home the two top prizes.

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Go Fish, Then See Fish Go to Elderly: Derby Donations Benefit Seniors
Mark Alan Lovewell

During the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby, everyone lining up in the mornings at the Island’s councils on aging has got to love a fisherman. Every weekday during the derby, the Island’s seniors receive free fresh striped bass and bluefish and only occasionally get fresh Atlantic bonito. The program is a derby win-win.

A battalion of volunteers extending across the Island administers the program.

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It’s Lucky Derby Time, as Shack Turns Rich With Prizes and Pride
Mark Alan Lovewell

, The fishing is about to change big time, when the 66th annual Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby opens this Sunday. A week of wet weather, remnant of two tropical storms, has only stirred the waters around the Vineyard. The fish are here. Many anglers are poised and waiting.

The month-long fishing contest that offers more than a quarter of a million dollars in prizes is about to begin.

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