Six stripers over 30 pounds each were weighed in in the first 36 hours of the Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby, and if the early catch is any indication it is going to be an exciting 35 days of fishing.

With six days left to catch the winning fish, a new name was scrawled in chalk atop the leaderboard, capturing the hearts and minds of all in the waning moments of the 60th annual Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby.

Striped Bass Derby at Mid-Term: Fish Scarce, Competition Light By MAX HART As the 61st annual Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby rounds the corner into the second half of the tournament, the big story this week has been - well, that there is no big story. "There's been a whole lot of standing around, waiting," derby headquarters volunteer Martha Smith said yesterday morning. "We're all waiting for the conditions to change, waiting for the big ones to arrive."