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.

Four weeks into the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby, the leaderboard remains static and the fish remain fickle, as Island anglers struggle with scarce catch and some scary weather.

Some kids believe in the tooth fairy. The kids in the Kleeman family believe in the fish fairy. So far, the Kleeman kids have landed on the junior leaderboards multiple times and have been battling each day to remain at the top.

The fish are beginning to climb their way up the scales as the 74th annual Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby approaches the halfway mark. More than 3,500 anglers have registered and 665 fish have been weighed in.

Five days into the 74th annual Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby, all over the Island fishermen are hauling their packs of tackle along the shoreline or heading out in boats.