With a group of anglers from the television show Pennsylvania Outback, the "Presstime" not only captured first place money, but boated the third place mako as well.
The first place mako, a 258 pounder, was caught by Jeff Booth, of Lancaster, PA, in 20 fathoms southeast of the lower part of the 20 fathom fingers. After it took a bluefish fillet, the shark was double hooked in its mouth and the side of its head near the gills and put up an incredible struggle that lasted over 4 hours on 50 pound tackle. For his efforts, Booth earned first place money of $5,000, plus $5,000
in the $500 calcutta,
$2,750 in the $200 calcutta and $1,525 in the $100 calcutta for a total of $14,275.
As the winner of the W.W. Harman Memorial Award, presented by Kathleen Harman
of Bahia Marina, Booth received an additional $500 and his name will be inscribed
on a permanent plaque with other winners of the tournament.Second place was captured by Bill Mullinix, of West Ocean City, who caught a 202 pounder while fishing on the "Wire Nut" with Capts. John Sippel and John Sippel, Jr, Ed Soth, David Kost and Randy Hensley, pictured at right. The shark took a mackerel bait at the 20 fathom "Sausages" and took just 20 minutes to bring to the boat. This is the second consecutive year the "Wire Nut" has finished in second place in the tournament. Mullinix and his fellow anglers and crew took home $3,000 in second place prize money, $3,000 in the $500 calcutta, $1,650 in the $200 calcutta and $900 in the $100 calcutta for a total of $8,550.
Denny Snyder, left, host of the Pennsylvania Outback
tv program, boated a 182.8 pound mako to capture third place money. Snyder,
of Lancaster, PA, was also fishing on the "Presstime" with Capt. Luke
Blume and Mate Chester Sadowski, and once again the shark took a bluefish fillet
four or five miles east of the Fingers. Third place prize money consisted of
$2,000, plus $2,000 in the $500 calcutta, $1,100 in the $200 calcutta and $600
in the $100 calcutta, for a total of $6,100.The tournament also offered a winner take all bluefish category, with prize money of $2400. With just a couple of minutes remaining on the last day of weigh-ins, the crew of the "Capt. Ike II" with Capt. Art Eisenhauer and Mate Dave Collins out of Indian River Inlet brought a 12.75 lb. chopper to the scales to capture the money. John Garity, of Lancaster, PA, was the lucky angler. The bluefish took a mackerel bait near Massey's Canyon.
A total of 45 boats entered the competition. Each boat was allowed to fish two of the three fishing days, but the first day presented itself with 15-25 mph northeast winds and 8 foot seas and only one boat braved the conditions. The "Hookin' Wubbas," a 23 foot center console, did manage to catch a 178 pounder in spite of the rough seas.
Tournament director Steve Harman said he wanted to thank all of the participants, the sponsors, including Bahia Marina, Phillips Seafood Restaurants, Budweiser and Sea Side Building Services, Walt Bozza, Robin and Harris Feldman, fish cutters extraordinaire and proud new parents of Jacob Feldman, the dock crew at Bahia Marina and weighmaster Ernie D'Eustachio. The 7th Annual Mako Mania tournament will take place on June 6, 7, 8, 2003.