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Mid Atlantic $500,000 Record Setting Week; Kridel's Big Eye Tuna Tops The Leaderboard

After a week of fishing that saw white marlin bite in record numbers, it was another down to Big_eye the wire finish at the 2010 Mid Atlantic $500,000! Over the years the tournament has a history of producing final day heroics and 2010 would be no different. With just minutes before the scales would close at 9 p.m. on Day Five, Matt Kriedel’s Impulse IV based out of Newington, Connecticut backed to the scales at Canyon Club Resort Marina in Cape May with what would be the last fish to be weighed at the tournament. Moments later, weighmaster Chris Booth yelled out the weight to the large crowd which had left the tournament tent and gathered around the scales when word spread of a big fish on the way in. At 177 pounds, Kriedel’s big eye tuna sealed its spot atop the leaderboard in the tuna category and won the crew $168,812!Earlier in the evening, also in the tuna category, Anthony Matarese of Pennsville, New Jersey aboard his Reel Chaos shook-up the category a bit when he weighed a 105-pound tuna in Ocean City which would take second place and earned $100,265. Don Pyle of Annapolis, Maryland aboard his Fin-Ness finished in third place with his 84-pound yellowfin caught on Day Three and earned $78,893.

In other news on the day, a major shakeup occurred in the white marlin category when Ocean City,
Maryland’s Steve Ramsey aboard Lady Luck weighed an 88-pound white marlin in Ocean City and moved in to a tie for heaviest billfish in that category. In the end however, it would be Bill Zimmerman, also of Ocean City, aboard his Billfisher that would be the big winner in the category as he was entered in all the calcuttas. Billfisher received $791,442 for their 88-pound white marlin which was caught on Day One and Lady Luck received $298,514. Chris Shultz’s Cracker, based in Ovieda, Florida, finished in third place with his 82-pound white marlin, which was also caught on Day One.

For the first time in the tournament’s 19-year history, the blue marlin category went unfilled. Although several blue marlin were caught and released, the 400-pound minimum weight was tough to crack and all the prize money for the category was rolled over to the white marlin category and equally divided among winners.

Russell Baiocco of Glenn Mills, Pennsylvania aboard American Lady held on to win the dolphin category with the tournament record 56-pounder he caught on Day Two and won $10,000. Don Haines of Berin, Maryland on Shelly II won the wahoo category with a 49-pounder caught on Day One and received $10,000.

Some of the boats with significant white marlin releases on Day Five include Anthony DellaSalla’s Andiamo with 11 while Charlie Horning’s Fish Whistle and Ron Bennett’s The Legasea each released nine. Bob Bocchino’s Mehl Ticket and Billfisher released seven while Pat Healey’s Viking 70 and Ed Dunn’s D.A. Sea each released six. Reel Chaos, Steve Hotz’s Deal Breaker, Mike Ackley’s Foray, Bill Haugland’s Lights Out, Marty Judge’s Judge, Don Spiecher’s Spike’s Boat and Mike Dugan’s Osprey each released five. Boats with four white marlin releases on Day Five include Jeff Citron’s Singularis, Steve Castellini’s Uncle T and Paul Spencer’s Secotan as well as Fin-Ness, Cracker, Dan Burt’s Pumpin’ Hard, Nick and Trish Rodriguez’s Par Five. Brian Sullivan’s Emanon released a blue marlin on Day Five.

It’s worth noting that the tournament record 558 white marlin caught during the tournament by the 134 boats equates to an average of well over one white marlin per-boat per-day!

The tournament concluded on Friday evening with a lavish buffet dinner and awards ceremony at Canyon Club Resort Marina in Cape May and Sunset Marina in Ocean City, Maryland where the total cash purse of over $1.7 million was distributed to the winners. Bob Glover and Rick Weber thanked all participants at their respective venues and said plans are already in the works for next year’s tournament which will mark the 20th anniversary of this most prestigious event.

FINAL STANDINGS
Weight Standings

Heaviest White Marlin – tie - 88 lbs. Billfisher – Bill Zimmerman - $791,442
Lady Luck – Steve Ramsey - $298,514
3rd Heaviest White Marlin – 82 lbs. – Cracker – Chris Schultz – $204, 573
Blue Marlin – No qualifying blue marlin were caught so prize money was rolled over to the white marlin category and divided equally among the winners.
Heaviest Tuna – 177 lbs. – Impulse IV – Matt Kriedel - $168,812
2nd Heaviest Tuna – 105 lbs. – Reel Chaos – Anthony Matarese - $100,265
3rd Heaviest Tuna – 84 lbs. – Fin-Ness – Don Pyle - $78,893
*Heaviest Dolphin – 56 lbs. – American Lady – Russell Baiocco - $10,000
Heaviest Wahoo – 49 lbs. – Shelly II – Don Haines - $10,000
*Denotes new tournament record.

Boats receiving calcutta money but not receiving tournament purse money for various catches during the week include the following:
Toplesss – Scott Steele - $27,427
Tar Heel – Mike Chrysanthopolis - $24,510
Singularis – Jeff Citron - $20,425
Krazy Salts – Dave Anderson - $15,172
All In – Curtis Maycomber - $12,255
Lil’ Man – Steve Dayton - $12,255
Canyon Lady – William Diller - $7,002

Point Standings
Most Points White Marlin – 1575 pts. - Judge – Marty Judge
2nd Most Points White Marlin – 1350 pts. – Shark Byte – Peter Cherasia
3rd Most Points White Marlin – 1200 pts. – Viking 70 – Pat Healy
Most Points Blue Marlin – 300 pts. – Fin-Ness – Don Pyle 2nd
Most Points Blue Marlin – 300 pts. - Emanon – Brian Sullivan
3rd Most Points Blue Marlin – 150 pts. – Reel Joy – Susan McCart
Most Points Tuna – 214 pts. Krazy Salts – Dave Anderson
2nd Most Points Tuna – 98 pts. – Tar Heel – Mike Chrysanthopolis
3rd Most Points Tuna – 96.5 pts. - Toplesss – Scott Steele
Most Points Overall – 1575 pts. – Judge – Marty Judge
*Please note that point ties were broken based on time of catch.

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