strikezone31
08-18-2008, 11:26 AM
South Amboy angler wins $500,000
By JOHN H. OSWALD • STAFF WRITER • August 15, 2008
Capt. Robert Lockwood and his crew aboard the Last Run took the top prize of $499,853 in the blue marlin category of the Ocean City (Md.)White Marlin Open.
The blue marlin was 935-1/2 pounds and fell just seven pounds short of the Maryland state record. The Last Run, a 38-foot Henriques, sails out of Morgan. The White Marlin Open ran from Aug. 3 to 9.
"The adrenaline is still pumping," Lockwood said earlier this week. "We could barely fit him in the boat for the trip in."
Lockwood and his crew, Brian Walczak and Robert McKeon of Morgan, brother and boat co-owner Capt. Mike Lockwood of South Amboy and George Boulieris, of Perth Amboy, landed the giant on their second day of fishing, Tuesday, Aug. 5.
"We were out fishing the Washington Canyon the day before and saw marlin," Lockwood said. "Following the old rule that you don't leave fish to find fish, we returned to the same spot the next day and started fishing at 8:30 a.m.
At around 11:30, the Last Run and just finished releasing a white marlin and was getting the lines back in the water. About 15 minutes later, the blue marlin showed up.
"He was chasing bait on a rod with a Penn 30 on it and we wanted to get him on a bigger reel." Lockwood said. With a little maneuvering, the crew got the fish onto a Penn 130 that holds about 1,300 yards. The fish hit, Lockwood took the rod and the fish took about 700 yards of line.
"We had a meeting beforehand and it was decided I would be in the chair if we got a big fish," Lockwood said.
He was in the chair for more than two hours.
"We've been fishing with the same crew for nine years," Lockwood said. "It's like a
vacation for us."
The crew had no plans on how they were going to spend their winnings as yet, nor did know if they would enter the Mid-Atlantic $500,000 starting Sunday.
"We're going to let all this sink in first," Lockwood said.
Another big winner was the Canyon Runner out of Point Pleasant which took third place in the white marlin category with an 80 1/2-pound fish that was worth $69,465. Brad Burgess was the angler. I asked owner Adam La Rosa if the fact they lost the top prize of nearly $1 million by only -1/2 pound bothered him.
"It happens all the time," La Rosa said. "We've fished the tournaments for year, and the winning fish are always very close."
What La Rosa thought was really remarkable was the the boat they were aboard, a 60-foot Richie Howell. "Out of 300 boats fishing in the tournament there were only five Ritchie Howell's and three of them placed in the money — that is a huge accomplishment," La Rosa said. He and his crew will be participating in the Mid-Atlantic $500,000.Other are anglers that place in the money were Andrew Confortini from Colts Neck aboard Pipe Dreamer who won $11,930 for his 57-1/2 pound dolphin and Bob Hoste who won $2,000 for a $47-pound wahoo. The 2009 White Marlin Open is schedule to begin on Aug. 3
By JOHN H. OSWALD • STAFF WRITER • August 15, 2008
Capt. Robert Lockwood and his crew aboard the Last Run took the top prize of $499,853 in the blue marlin category of the Ocean City (Md.)White Marlin Open.
The blue marlin was 935-1/2 pounds and fell just seven pounds short of the Maryland state record. The Last Run, a 38-foot Henriques, sails out of Morgan. The White Marlin Open ran from Aug. 3 to 9.
"The adrenaline is still pumping," Lockwood said earlier this week. "We could barely fit him in the boat for the trip in."
Lockwood and his crew, Brian Walczak and Robert McKeon of Morgan, brother and boat co-owner Capt. Mike Lockwood of South Amboy and George Boulieris, of Perth Amboy, landed the giant on their second day of fishing, Tuesday, Aug. 5.
"We were out fishing the Washington Canyon the day before and saw marlin," Lockwood said. "Following the old rule that you don't leave fish to find fish, we returned to the same spot the next day and started fishing at 8:30 a.m.
At around 11:30, the Last Run and just finished releasing a white marlin and was getting the lines back in the water. About 15 minutes later, the blue marlin showed up.
"He was chasing bait on a rod with a Penn 30 on it and we wanted to get him on a bigger reel." Lockwood said. With a little maneuvering, the crew got the fish onto a Penn 130 that holds about 1,300 yards. The fish hit, Lockwood took the rod and the fish took about 700 yards of line.
"We had a meeting beforehand and it was decided I would be in the chair if we got a big fish," Lockwood said.
He was in the chair for more than two hours.
"We've been fishing with the same crew for nine years," Lockwood said. "It's like a
vacation for us."
The crew had no plans on how they were going to spend their winnings as yet, nor did know if they would enter the Mid-Atlantic $500,000 starting Sunday.
"We're going to let all this sink in first," Lockwood said.
Another big winner was the Canyon Runner out of Point Pleasant which took third place in the white marlin category with an 80 1/2-pound fish that was worth $69,465. Brad Burgess was the angler. I asked owner Adam La Rosa if the fact they lost the top prize of nearly $1 million by only -1/2 pound bothered him.
"It happens all the time," La Rosa said. "We've fished the tournaments for year, and the winning fish are always very close."
What La Rosa thought was really remarkable was the the boat they were aboard, a 60-foot Richie Howell. "Out of 300 boats fishing in the tournament there were only five Ritchie Howell's and three of them placed in the money — that is a huge accomplishment," La Rosa said. He and his crew will be participating in the Mid-Atlantic $500,000.Other are anglers that place in the money were Andrew Confortini from Colts Neck aboard Pipe Dreamer who won $11,930 for his 57-1/2 pound dolphin and Bob Hoste who won $2,000 for a $47-pound wahoo. The 2009 White Marlin Open is schedule to begin on Aug. 3