Posted on August 16, 2019 Party boat blues break open Bluefish have been hard to come by most of the time this season, but there was finally a breakthrough today as the Golden Eagle from Belmar reported “Super Crazy Bluefishing” today. To be sure, they were only 2-4-pounders, but any-sized blues in quantity are unusual these days. That fishing was on jigs, and they also had chub mackerel, bonito and sea bass. The Jamaica from Brielle also had blues yesterday mixed in with bonito, chub mackerel,  Spanish mackerel, and a few sea bass. They recommend epoxy jigs and A-17 diamonds. Vinny D’Anton reported some 3-pound blues were caught this morning in Shark River on poppers. He hooked the only small striper among them. Capt. Vinny Vetere had a good day with stripers upriver on Wednesday. His Katfish from Great Kills may be available for charter or open boat on Saturday. Call 917 393-8908. The surf at Manasquan was still rough and fishless this morning, but with light winds forecast the surf should be calm and clear tomorrow. Nick Honachefsky of Saltwater Underground reports tropical waters have moved in within three miles of the Jersey Shore. He used Williamson Flash Feathers to catch both Spanish mackerel and “chicken” dolphin out there today. Southeast winds at just 5-10 knots are forecast for tomorrow. Sunday should be south at 5-10 knots with patchy fog and 3-foot seas. The JCAA new format fluke tournament is underway, and the MidAtlantic has its captains meeting in Cape May on Sunday. The official  results from the recent White Marlin Open at Ocean City, Md. are in, and they set a high standard for the MidAtlantic . You’ll notice that several Brielle boats were in the money, but Frank Criscola’s tuna champ Crisdel was listed as from Ocean City rather than  Brielle Yacht Club. The official release follows: AUGUST 11, 2019 Final Tournament Summary The 46th White Marlin Open can be considered the most successful tournament yet for a number of reasons: 404 boats fishing for a World Record $6,186,870 in prize money is a good start. The red hot billfishing set a tournament record for the number of billfish caught and released. The prize money paid included two anglers that each won over $1,500,000, a blue marlin won $962,165, a tuna that took $935,915, a dolphin that won $74,900, and a shark that won $231,300. As impressive as the payouts were, equally remarkable was the huge number of marlin caught & released. By definition nobody saw them at the scales, but the release flags flew all week. The tournament record was 1,358 whites caught in 2016 but the anglers toped that by over 100 fish. The final count was 1,459 whites caught with 1,429 released with the top release boat, “Big Deal” out of Brielle, NJ breaking a 39-year-old record for most billfish releases by boat. The previous record was 26 white taken by the “Escapade” in 1980. In addition to the white marlin, the boats took 47 blue marlin with 46 released, and 13 sailfish were released as were the 2 spearfish caught. The total number of all billfish caught in the 46th Open was a staggering 1,521. In the money divisions, basically, the big fish in most categories on Thursday held their spots after the last day of fishing. Ocean City, Maryland native Tommy Hinkle weighed a 79.5-pound white marlin on Thursday while fishing aboard the “Fish Whistle out of Indian River DE. The fish took 1st place and netted Tommy $1,504,720. Hinkle had also won the top white marlin in 2008 making Tommy the first angler in tournament history to win the top white marlin twice! The “Backlash” out of VA Beach, VA kept their $1,502,450 for the 73.5-pound white caught on Monday by angler Michael Wagner from La Plata, MD. “Chasing Tails” with angler Nate Walker, both from VA Beach, VA caught their 74-pound white on Monday and earned $135,000 (they were entered in fewer added entry levels than Backlash). The 465.5-pound blue marlin caught on Tuesday by Craig Dickerson from Pasadena, MD aboard the “Haulin N Ballin” out of Ocean City, MD was the only qualifier in that division and Dickerson won $962,165 for his blue. The “Crisdel” out of Ocean City, MD weighed in a 201-pound bigeye caught by Russell Garufi from Bishopville, MD on Monday and stayed in first the whole week to kept $935,915. The “Seakeeper” from Wilmington, DE weighed a 150.5-pound Allison tuna on Friday. The angler was Andrew Semprevivo from Mystic Island, NJ who took 2nd place and won $135,432 for his efforts. Ocean City native Ronnie Fields weighed a 145.5-pound tuna off the “Mjolnir” out of Bay Point, FL on Tuesday and held on to win $128,675. The 277.5-pound mako shark caught Monday by Greg Robinson aboard the “Polarizer” out of OC, MD was the only shark weighed and held onto $231,300 won from the “Big Fish” pool. The “Give It Away” out of Jupiter FL took over 1st place in the wahoo division with a monster 91-pound fish caught by Anne Aramandia from New Braufels, TX who won $24,475. Other winners in the wahoo division were the “The Natural,” who won $23,475, “Keepin It Reel” who won $20,475 and the “Nighthawk” out of Brielle, NJ with angler Jay Monteverdi, also from Brielle who won $20,475. The big winner in the dolphin division was the “Miss-Tress” out of Brielle, NJ with Randy Drozd also from Brielle. The “Miss-Tress” was in the small boat dolphin division and the 38-pound dolphin weighed on Friday won $74,900. The 1st place 41-pounder taken off the “Playmate” out of OC, MD won $20,380 while the 2nd place dolphin was caught off the Stewart, FL boat “Irene”. Angler Frank Sinito form Jupiter, FL won just $3,000 as the boat was not entered in extra added skill levels. In the Small Boat Division, it was Tommy Hinkle with the top white which helped his winnings grow to $1,504,720. The heavy fish was taken by the “Reeldiculous” angler Graham Ward who caught a 121-pound yellowfin good for $108,000. Top Release Anglers White Marlin Open Grand Champion Ed Russo from Carlstadt, NJ Fishing on “Big Deal” out of Brielle, NJ 1,190 points, 17 white marlin released 2nd Place Angler Robert Wedeking from Princeton, NJ Fishing on “Override” out of Brielle, NJ 910 points, 13 white marlin released 3rd Place Angler Victor Roof, Jr. Fishing on “Game On” out of Charleston, SC 875 points, 10 white marlin and 1 blue marlin released 4th Place Angler Nicholas Rodriguez from Dover, DE Fishing on “Par Five” out of Dover, DE 735 points, 8 white marlin and 1 blue marlin released 5th Place Angler Dante Rodriguez from Egg Harbor, NJ Fishing on “MJs” out of Cape May, NJ 735 points, 8 white marlin and 1 blue marlin released Top Release Boats 1st Place Boat “Big Deal” out of Brielle, NJ 1,960 points, 27 white marlin released* $84,150 2nd Place Boat “Uno Mas” out of Ocean City, MD 1,785 points, 23 white marlin and 1 blue marlin released $31,860 3rd Place Boat “Tar Heel” out of Wanchese, NC 1,750 points, 25 white marlin released $28,800 * Broke a 39-year-old Tournament Record for most release points by a boat. The previous record was 1,949 billfish pts. by the “Escapade “ in 1980 which consisted of 24 white marlin released and 2 boated. The “Big Deal” out of Brielle, NJ caught and released 27 white marlin to earn the WMO top release boat ever.