Over the course of a 5-week long competition, roughly 3,000 fishermen brought in 1,590 bonito, bluefish and false albacore to derby headquarters: 62 of which were weighed on the last day after a few painfully slow weeks.
Carmelo Torres, who moved to the Vineyard in June to take care of a friend's mother, drew the winning key at the Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby awards ceremony Sunday.
More than 3,000 fishermen registered this year for the 79th annual Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass & Bluefish Derby. On Sunday, it comes down to six, as the winners of each category vie for the grand prize boat.
With just one week remaining in the 79th annual Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish derby, anything can happen, especially as the number of fish crossing the scales each day routinely reaches triple digits.
A steady stream of kids walked back and forth across the Oak Bluffs Steamship Authority wharf, their hands holding scup and sea bass. Fish caught at the annual kid's derby day, a long-running part of the annual Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby, are measured by length, and then returned to the sea.
