Elizabeth Thompson, an 11-year-old, sixth-grader at the West Tisbury school, broke the derby’s junior record for boat-caught bonito on Saturday with a 11.68-pound fish.

A possible record bonito did not cross the scales during the first week of action, as the fisherman had not registered for the derby.

Serena Ward, fishing in her first derby, earned bragging rights for the first fish, an 8.4-pound false albacore. Chuck Winter was second with a 4.44-pound bluefish.

The bell will ring and the first fish will cross the scale Sunday morning as usual. But beyond that, little will be as usual when the 75th Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby gets under way.

It was the fall of 1984 and striped bass were in trouble. Along the East Coast, states were beginning to take action.

The venerable saltwater fishing contest entering its 75th year, will eliminate striped bass from the competition this fall.

Ten-year-old Aubrey Warburton became the youngest angler in the derby’s history to take home the grand prize car, a brand new Subaru Impreza.

With 51 minutes to go during Saturday night’s final weigh-in for the 74th Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby, it seemed as if all the fish on the grand leaderboards were going to hold.

The final weigh in for the 74th Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby ends on Saturday at 10 p.m. The awards ceremony is Sunday at 1 p.m..

As the 74th Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby enters the final week, competition is picking up. Bluefish are one case in point.