By all accounts, the 69th Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby was a major success with records all around. But the number of striped bass was dramatically lower, with only 288 weighed in.
Bluefish carried the day this year at the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby, with two men taking home the grand prizes for bluefish caught from the shore and from a boat. The derby saw a record 3,282 registrants.
The last weigh-in Saturday night saw Helena Kirschenbaum win the grand slam with her striped bass while Seb Keefe brought in a shore bonito to take over top spot on the leader board. And then it was over. The derby awards ceremony is today at Farm Neck.
You can stock up on lines, lures and bait, but ultimately getting a top fish at the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby takes some luck and a lot of persistence. Anglers are working overtime.
Ten veterans and their families are participating in the sixth annual American Heroes Saltwater Challenge, hosted by Bob and Sarah Nixon. The veterans spend their mornings at sea, afternoons golfing and surfcasting. The challenge is full of gestures both large and small from the Vineyard community.
The kids are all right, at least as far as the derby is concerned. Seven-year-old Mason Warburton has held the top spot since the second day for his boat-caught false albacore.
At its halfway point, the 69th Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby is going strong, with 2,793 contestants and 1,481 entries as of Thursday, including 468 in the week ending Saturday.
The waiting is the hardest part.
Twice a day anglers bring their fish to derby headquarters to get weighed in. But there are always plenty more fishermen out there who haven’t caught a fish, or caught one big enough to bring in. Especially this year.
He is an educator, fisherman, shellfisherman, sports fan, son, husband and father. The trappings of John Custer’s third-floor office in the Tisbury School, where he has been principal for four years, say as much.
Children from all over the Island converged on the Oak Bluffs Steamship Authority dock at first light Sunday for the annual Kids’ Derby. Nine-year-old Myles Sprague took home the top prize for a 17.25-inch bluefish he caught, the largest fish of the day.
