[Surfrat]

Re: O.B. Monster Shark 2004 Results

Well,... I just checked Capt. Tom's site and sure enough, he posted the results of this weekend's Tournament. A new MA State Record was landed 548# Thresher!

Hey Capt. Tom, were you in it this year?

I was supposed to get in on a boat with a few buddies but one of 'em dropped the ball.

It's my understanding that ESPN filmed the Tournament this year,... if anyone knows when they will broadcast or re-broadcast, please post the times!

 

[Surfrat]

Re: Oooppss,....

Here are the links:

http://www.newenglandsharks.com/shark.htm

http://www.bbgfc.com/monster_shark_2004.htm

Tight lines!

 

[Capt. Tom]

OB tournament

Hi SR
I was in the tournament. Best yet. 156 boats.

Unpresidented total coverage by ESPN. They put 32 cameramen on different boats ;sent out 4 film crew boats and had a helicopter filming.
The tournament will be shown on 4 seperate one hour shows each tuesday starting Sept. 28th.
ESPN was very impressed with the action shots they got and think it will be the best shark action ever seen by the general public.

This is a tournament with big minimum weights. 300 lbs for a blueshark.(9feet to the fork) and 200 lb min weight on all other species. Although over a thousand sharks were caught only about 40 were brought in to the scales. The rest were released. (you get penalized if you bring in an underweight shark)

We had a cameraman onboard,the 45 Cabo "Perfect Timing" and when we started releasing bluesharks 8 to 8-1/2 feet to the fork he was impressed. He called in a film crew boat and they arrived just as we hooked up on a 337 lb thresher. What a battle! Went on for 2 hours on 80 lb gear.

I was the designated wire man, and 20 diferent times I went for the wire and the thresher took off. One run he went close to the swim platform and threw his tail over it and against the boat. They then called the helicopter in to film the end game.
We pulled the thresher into the cockpit. It got its long tail over the gunnel and jumped off the floor to the height of the gunnel. The helicopter crew told their film man onboard it was a great shot and we will definately be in the 4 hour segmnent this fall.

This tournament is two days; you can only weigh in one fish per day so we were in good position ,having weighed in a fish on the first day.

Day 2 we struggled again with blue sharks that would not make the weight. An hour before lines out we decided to troll to avoid the bluesharks and try to get a mako or thresher.

At 3:10 PM, 20 minutes before lines out we hook up on a mako. It is a great feeling to hear the outrigger clip snap open and watch the rod in the gunnel pull down and see a mako skyrocket out of the water behind the boat. the mako was big enough to weigh in.
One jump and two long runs and it was gone. Frantically we went back through the area trying to hook up again before 3:30 but no takers.

There are plenty of stories of battles in that tournament only now they will be on film for the world to see.

The second place finisher is from my dock here in Scituate. He bested a 340 lb mako the first day in about an hour. On the second day he took 5-1/2 hours on a 357 lb thresher. Like most of us Scituate sharkers he used 50 lb gear. The boat I was on uses 80 lb gear in tournaments. Most tournamnet boats do.

I am looking forward to seeing the ESPN show the end of September.
It should be the most fishing action seen yet. - Tom

 

[Surfrat]

Re: Good 'goin Capt!

Awesome,... (I was away for the past few days)!

I look forward to the ESPN broadcast. Huh,... the Winner was out of Palm Beach, FL? I heard a rumor that the boat had some connections to the owners of the Murray Bros. Company! Jezzzzzzzz.

In any case, sounds like you had a great time and congrats to your Buddy for 2nd. 'Yup the restrictions are pretty tight for weigh-ins, I know severla experienced Charter Boat Capt.s out of Edgartown, that have been in it for many years, and they only manage a few Blue Shraks (undersize), and very very few weigh-ins.

Tight lines!

 

[Capt. Tom]

Hi SR

It is the same Murray Bros. Probably the most famous bluefintuna fishermen in the world.

What happened was the owner of the Javelin, Dan Tortora, was going to have them fish with him, since he is a regular participant in that tournament.

His new boat wasn't ready for the tournament so the Murray Bros. used their boat and he fished with them.

In order to beat my friend they would have to come in with a 433 lb fish, on the second day, a very difficult feat.

They came in with a 548 lb thresher, won the tournament, and set a new state record. Quite a feat.

ESPN was thrilled that the last boat to weigh in, comes in with a new state record thresher and combined with the previous days weigh in wins the tournament.

This, and more will be on ESPN-TV this fall starting Tuesday Sept. 28th. - Tom

 

[Surfrat]

Re: Huh,....

Sweet, Capt. T!

Can't wait 'til the broadcast!