A Red, White(s) and Blue(s) Celebration!
While the July 4th weekend featured backyard barbecues, block parties, parades and fireworks for much of the country celebrating America’s 250th birthday, many celebrated in a different way at the offshore canyons where plenty of fireworks were on display as the bite really started to come together at several canyons! The Baltimore Canyon was the place to be for billfish as there were numerous reports of white marlin and blue marlin released with several boats catching upwards of eight white marlin and one boat reported releasing two blues and a white marlin on a day trip! A bit to the north, the tuna bite went off at the Toms Canyon where big eyes and yellowfins were both caught while a little further to the north the Hudson Canyon also gave up big eyes and yellowfins as well. Numerous gaffer-sized dolphin were also decked in all three locations. All in all a nice spread of fish for those looking to hone their skills as the summer tournament season swings into high gear along the mid-Atlantic coast!
Speaking of tournaments, the 35th edition of The MidAtlantic will be held the week of August 16-21 and early registration has been brisk as crews want to be sure they’re in the field. “We’ve seen an uptick in registrations over the past week or so and the good fishing is no doubt helping add to the numbers,” notes Aaron Hoffman, the event’s tournament director who added at the very least those considering fishing in the event this year should secure transient dockage ASAP." Last year we had quite a few boats drop out at the last minute due to the unusual weather and many of them rolled their base entry fee over to 2026 and they too have already reserved slip space at the tournament’s host marinas in Cape May and down in Ocean City, Maryland.”
While the base entry fee of $3,500 covers all dockside activities for a crew of six, the event’s prize money is tallied from several calcuttas and there are 11 of these “side bets” to choose from with fees ranging from $1,000 to $35,000. Obviously the higher the risk, the higher the reward. Excluding last year, which despite a smaller field still saw over $3.2 million paid out, four of the last five years have seen cash purses well over $5 million including 2021’s record payout of $5.929 million! Cash payouts from the calcuttas varies but all of the tournament’s eligible species including white marlin, blue marlin, tuna, wahoo and dolphin can potentially win cash. There’s also a calcutta for billfish points tallied from released white marlin and blue marlin as well as qualifying billfish weighed in.
It’s important to note in order to win cash all eligible species must meet the tournament’s minimum weights. Any white marlin must measure 69 inches and weigh 65 pounds while blue marlin must measure 102 inches and weigh 400 pounds. Lengths of billfish are measured are from the tip of the lower jaw to the fork in the tail. Only big eye, yellowfin and true albacore are eligible to win tuna cash and there is a minimum weight of 50 pounds for those species while wahoo and dolphin minimum weights are 20 pounds.
The 35th Annual Mega Marlin Calcutta sponsored by Caterpillar has a fee of $35,000 and the total pot is split between the two heaviest white marlin and two heaviest blue marlin. Four Overall Calcuttas are available and payout for the three heaviest white marlin, blue marlin and tuna and the single heaviest wahoo and dolphin. The Jupiter 50’ and Under Overall Calcutta has a fee of $2,000 and is offered for those vessels that are 50’ and under as stated by the boat’s model name. The In Deep Overall Calcutta has a $6,000 fee while the Volvo Penta MidAtlantic Overall Calcutta has a $3,000 entry fee. The United Rentals Home Port Overall Calcutta is port specific and has a fee of $4,000. This calcutta is unique in that participants are only competing against boats sailing from their home port for the tournament, Cape May, New Jersey or Ocean City, Maryland. Three Pro Jackpots are offered and these winner-take-all calcuttas include the Roff’s White Marlin Pro Jackpot with a $5,000 fee, the Blue Marlin Pro Jackpot and the Everglades Tuna Pro Jackpot which each have a $4,000 fee. Atlantic Tackle sponsors the Billfish Points Calcutta which is port specific and pays out for the top three point winners in Cape May and Ocean City respectively. Meatfish win some serious cash each year at The MidAtlantic thanks to the Hank’s Sauce Tuna, Dolphin and Wahoo Calcutta which has a fee of $2,500 and awards cash for the three heaviest of each of the named calcutta species. Finally, with a fee of $3,000 the Christi On the Board reward pays out each time a participant has the heaviest, second heaviest or third heaviest white marlin, blue marlin or tuna on the scoreboard at the official close of the day’s weigh-in session. For full rules covering all of the above calcuttas please consult the tournament’s website at www.themidatlantic.com.
Registration for this year’s MidAtlantic is open and can be easily and securely completed. The website www.themidatlantic.com has a registration tab in the middle of the Home Page that takes you to a secure site where all entry fees can be paid. The South Jersey Tournaments App also provides a safe and secure way to enter. Download the South Jersey Tournaments App for your Apple and Android device and scroll down to The MidAtlantic tournament then follow the instructions for registering. Dockage at both host marinas is filling up quickly so act NOW to secure your spot.
For more information contact Tournament Director Aaron Hoffman at 609-884-0177 or visit the tournament’s website at www.themidatlantic.com where you’ll find all the facts, figures and information about the 2026 MidAtlantic including a complete breakdown of calcuttas, rules, points, and a Tournament Week schedule. You can also follow the tournament on Facebook at The MidAtlantic Tournament, on Twitter @midatl and on Instagram @themidatlantictournament.