Every year Gloucester becomes the center of the tuna fishing world when it hosts the Bluefin Blowout – the largest Bluefin tuna tournament in the world.
Once again the Bluefin Blowout had a record breaking year with 117 boats – an all new high number. Those boats accounted for 15 total tuna and 7,686 total pounds of tuna. The event was hosted at Cape Ann Marina and presented by the Lyon-Waugh Auto Group. Jimmy Rig Charters took home the first place prize and was led by Captain Eric Vargas aboard their 27’ Cobia center console. The crew hauled in a 728-pound bluefin tuna that weighed in on Day One and held first place for the rest of the tournament. Jimmy Rig Charters earned $150,000 in prize money and plans to donate a portion to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Second place was won by Outcast with a tuna weighing in at 653 pounds. Third place was won by Backstabber with a tuna weighing in at 614 pounds. The remainder of the tunas weighed in under 600 pounds.
The tournament began on July 15 when competing captains enjoyed a kick-off dinner, then pulled out from the docks at 10 p.m. to get in position to start fishing at midnight. Over the next two days, boats returned with their catch to the official weigh-in station at the Cape Ann Marina’s Resort, where eager spectators lined the railings to see the giant fish.
While funds are still coming in from this year’s event, the hope is to reach the goal of $500,000 this year. The annual event has raised over $2 million for the Alzheimer’s Association since 2016. The event’s mission is to be a rallying point for those touched by Alzheimer’s disease by raising funds and awareness.
The Bluefin Blowout began in 2012 as the project of businessmen and amateur fishermen Drew Hale and Rob Bouley. The event grew steadily every year until, in 2017, longtime sponsor Lyon-Waugh took over coordinating the event, transforming it into a fundraising powerhouse for the cause of Alzheimer’s research. Warren Waugh’s late wife suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, so the cause is very personal to him.