Jeff Merrill reports from Cape May that "We're just hours away from the kickoff of the 2014 MidAtlantic tournament and crews are busy at CanyonClub Resort Marina in Cape May, New Jersey and Sunset Marina in Ocean City, Maryland preparing for what's expected to be another exciting event. As the hospitality tents go up and last minute tasks are completed at both host marinas, crews continue to arrive by land, boat and air for the 23rd edition of theMidAtlantic that's slated for August 17-22. Registration, Calcutta Entries and a Welcome Cocktail Party will take place at both marinas on Sunday, August 17 from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. immediately followed by the Captain's Meeting. Fishing begins on Monday, August 18 and concludes on Friday, August 22. Boats willselect three days to fish the gamefish-rich canyons off the New Jersey and Maryland coasts and numerous spots in between during that timeframe in pursuit of white marlin, blue marlin, tuna, wahoo and dolphin. Last year's event saw 284 billfish caught during the tournament with 95% released! Bill Haugland of Key Largo, Florida aboard his Lights Out was the big winner and pocketed a cool $654,416 for an 84-pound white marlin! Numerous changes have been made to the tournament for 2014 including a reduced entry fee of $2500, which covers dockside dining, hospitality and entertainment for the week for a crew of six. Calcutta optionshave been expanded to allow boats of all sizes to enter and compete for cash prizes for as little as $4500! For those who wish to "go in deep" that's also still possible to do just as it was in previous MidAtlantic tournaments. In fact, the tournament has a history of more six-figure payouts than any other event of itskind and the variety of these "pay to play" side bets are projected to produce a total cash purse of over $2 million! That's a number sure to provide a lot of happy faces on the winner's stage come next Friday night's awards ceremony. In addition to the popular billfish calcuttas of previous years, several new calcuttas this year include numerous meatfish options with large payouts expected for tuna, dolphin and wahoo as well.Look for the same exceptional hospitality again this year as the MidAtlantic's warm, family-friendly atmosphere offers a setting for everyone from kids to grandparents. Nightly beverages, dining and entertainment are a long-standing tradition for this event and several special evenings and events are planned "For information call South Jersey Marina at 609 884-2400.