With more than a dozen and close to twenty fish landed in all…and eleven fish presented for official weigh-in…this year’s Bluefin Blowout was one for the record books. Long story short…if you didn’t make it down this year…be sure to make it next year. Eight fish came in Friday night (see post here) and three more came in on Saturday…those fish are show in the photos below.
Drew Hale and Rob Bouley were, as always, a huge presence and an integral part of the event’s massive success. Warren Waugh and his Lyon-Waugh Auto Group team, led by Cidalia Schwartz, took over the reigns (or reels) this year and pulled off four days of back to back tremendous events. The tournament is clearly geared to the captains and crews who pay for entry, but thanks to a million little (and big) details, the Bluefin Blowout is an event that all of Cape Ann can enjoy in a variety of ways. Food, drinks, music, vendors, family activities, games, contests, and more make Cape Ann’s Marina Resort the place to be all weekend long. On that note, anyone would be remiss to not mention Tobin and Drew Dominick, as well as, Joe Loiacano and their entire staff for being truly all hands on deck for this event. It should not go unnoticed just how much effort it takes to pull all of this off. Scott Marshall, the official Weigh Master from Compass Seafood, worked non-stop to clean the fish for official weigh-in for 4 hours straight on Friday and was back at it on Saturday. Ipswich Clambake, with some pretty spectacular teamwork, executed some giant meals for some pretty hungry crews. And…of course, Goslings, Titos, and Bud Light kept everyone well hydrated. A super important…and much appreciated job. DJ Scottie Mac, the official voice of the Bluefin Blowout, was there keeping the crowd enthusiastic all weekend long and it wouldn’t be the same without him. Ipswich Bay Cornhole League helped add to the fun during Saturday’s tournament hours.
Not only were the fish big, but the money raised for the Alzheimer’s Foundation was even bigger….and as exciting as it is to watch the giant bluefin back into the dock…at the end of the day, the charity is what matters the most. In the midst of some fantastic fishing and TONS of laughter…everyone was keenly aware that the real task at hand was to raise that money. So many people, most notably Warren Waugh of the Lyon-Waugh Auto Group, stepped up BIG time! I hesitate to list all of the amazing acts of kindness because I know I’ll miss some, but I watched captains donate dollars based on the size of their boats, I watched Captains donate the proceeds from the sale of their fish, and I watched winning captains donate back a portion of their tournament take. So many sponsors and vendors offered up unbelievably generous items for both the silent and live auctions….and as gifts for the captains and crews. Captain Steve Mscisz and his family donated their home on Nantucket to the live auction, Anthony Caturano and Tonno Restaurant along with Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken are providing two evenings of culinary perfection to the winning bidders, Lyon-Waugh auctioned off a weekend long Porsche rental to the two top bidders, and Three Lantern Marine and Fishing donated some pretty impressive tuna rods…along with so many other fishing supplies. Captain TJ Ott also offered up his boat, the Hot Tuna (of Wicked Tuna fame) for a private charter after production ends this season! The list truly goes on and on.
Several other people and organizations need to be thanked so please take a moment to check out the sponsor page at http://bluefinblowout.com/our-sponsors/http://bluefinblowout.com/our-sponsors/
Monies raised? you may ask….. Well, the live auction alone raised more than $21,000 for Alzheimer’s! The silent auction, while I’m not certain of the exact number yet, brought in a substantial amount more.
The money collected for the Tournament Daily Jackpot was $11,600 and 10% of that also went to the Alzheimer’s foundation.
The final results for the Bluefin Blowout look like this:
Sweet Caroline III, Captain Alan Murray and crew. 540 pounds
Took home $15,000 for their 1st place fish as well as a watch and a nautical clock both from Long’s Jewelers and a Zombait Lure. A two-year lease of an Audi A3…valued at $12,000 thanks to Lyon-Waugh.
Kelly Ann, Captain Mauro Dibacco and crew. 472 pounds
Took home $6500 for their 2nd place fish as well as a watch and a nautical clock both from Long’s Jewelers and a Zombait Lure. The Kelly Ann also won Friday’s Daily Jackpot equaling $5,000.
Final Offer, Captain Steve Mscisz and crew. 420 pounds
Took home $3750 for their 3rd place fish as well as a watch and a nautical clock both from Long’s Jewelers and a Zombait Lure.
Fat Tuna, Captain Bob Cook and Crew, 396 pounds
Took home won Saturday’s Daily Jackpot equaling $5,000.
Duck Soup, Captain Alan Petrucci Sr. and crew. 334 pounds
Shark Bait, Captain James Dolan and crew, 288 pounds
Whistler, Captain Kevin Granfield and crew. 285 pounds
Lily, Captain Bill Muniz (Hollywood) and crew, 282 pounds
Subdivider, Captain Johnny Johnson and crew, 276 pounds
Tonno, Captain Anthony Caturano and crew, 266 pounds
Rally Cap, Captain Alex Gonzalez and crew, 249 pounds
Here are some photos from Saturday’s festivities
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