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GLOUCESTER, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — More than five dozen fishing vessels are hitting the high seas in Gloucester, all for the chance to snag a whopper of grand prize in the 2022 "Bluefin Blowout," off the Cape Ann's Marina Resort.
Running from July 26 to 28, the Bluefin Blowout returned after a two-year hiatus with 67 boats casting out their lures to reel in the biggest fish, summoning some of the best giant tuna fishermen along the east coast for a chance to win the grand prize of $100,000. WBZ's Kendall Buhl spoke to an organizer of the Bluefin Blowout, Warren Waugh, who said that techniques and bait information is being kept under wraps.
"$100,000 for first place— when I told the captains and crews, they went bananas. They won't tell each other anything: what bait they used, what depth they caught it at, they won't tell you where they were, what the water temperature was— nothing," Waugh said.
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Waugh says that out of the little information shared between competitors, a lot of fisherman end up lying to each other. But it's all in good fun and for a good cause, as proceeds from the competition goes towards research into Alzheimer's disease at the Alzheimer's Association.
"On land they're like brothers and sisters, and that truly is the meaning of fundraising to me. The bar was very crowded at the end of day one, they watched the tuna get weighed in, listened to some great music, it was super entertaining listening to the captains and crews about their fishing experiences because they lie like thieves— they're just unbelievable," Waugh said.
Each boat could bring in one fish starting at midnight during each of the event's two days, after day one the greatest catch weighed in at 618 pounds.
According to the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, Atlantic bluefin tuna can reach ten feet in length and weigh up to 1,000 pounds. Bait typically used to reel in a bluefin include natural baits, artificial squid, of other bits of real prey like mackerel. It's a fish that's popular in sushi plates, as officials say the Atlantic bluefin's meat is the fattiest of any tuna species.
WBZ's Kendall Buhl (@WBZKendall) reports.
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