Big blue marlin could net Pipe Dreamer over $1M in Mid-Atlantic tournament
It's no pipe dream. Chip Caruso is staring at a check for $1.18 million if the 889-pound blue marlin he and his crew landed Wednesday in the prestigious Mid-Atlantic tournament holds up.
If it does, it will be the second time in two years, that Caruso's boat Pipe Dreamer hit big pay dirt in the tournament. In 2021, Caruso, who's from Colts Neck, landed the two heaviest tuna in the tournament, which netted him $1 million in cash prize payouts.
Day three of the five-day tournament held in Cape May and Ocean City, Maryland saw a trio of blue marlin landed. Jay Keller's Tighten Up was the first boat to come in when the scales opened at 5 p.m. and for a fleeting moment his 528-pound blue marlin had the lead. However, Jeff Merrill at South Jersey Marina said rumors had reached the marina earlier in the day of an even larger billfish.
Moments later, those rumors were confirmed when Capt. Rich Fernandez pulled Caruso’s Pipe Dreamer into the dock with a massive blue marlin stretched across the cockpit. Remarkably, Merrill said it only took Andy Confortini 20 minutes to land the big blue on a 130-pound class outfit. When stretched out, the huge marlin measured 133 ½ inches and moved Pipe Dreamer to the top of the leaderboard.
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That was not it for the day. Capt. Danny Veid wheeled Shon Craig’s Amarula Sun out of Tarpon Springs, Florida to the scale with a 548-pound blue marlin, that currently sits in third place.
Caruso's fish was leading at the time of this story's deadline but it is no lock. Two years ago, a 985-pound blue marlin was leading the tournament when on the last day Jon Duffie's Billfisher came to dock with a tournament record 1,135-pound blue marlin.
If there's anything in Caruso's favor, it is the weather. The offshore forecast was not good for Friday, the last day of the tournament. South winds are supposed to kick up and seas could be formidable. In total, 181 boats are competing for $5.76 million in cash prizes.
Bluefish
The blues were not as easy to catch Wednesday for the boats running up the beach. It was one of the few off days in what has been a pretty good run in the shallow water over the rocky Monmouth coastline. The pace wasn't fast enough for the Jamaica. Capt Howard Bogan Jr. said they went further out for mackerel and sea bass and ended up with a decent catch of macks, which were biting again.
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The Golden Eagle stayed with the blues all day. Capt. Rich Falcone said the last three drifts were the best as they read the blues on the scope and were able to hold fish on. The fish were running 2 to 4 pounds and at least a few of his fares caught their 5-fish bag limit.
When Jersey Shore native Dan Radel is not reporting the news, you can find him in a college classroom where he is a history professor. Reach him @danielradelapp; 732-643-4072; dradel@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Pipe Dreamer's blue marlin could be worth $1M in Mid-Atlantic tourney
