Shark tourney goes without a hitch

70 boats take part in shark tournament

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The cool, foggy morning and choppy seas were a big concern for officials of the 45th Annual Shark Tournament hosted by the Freeport Hudson Anglers last Saturday. Many participants hung out at the Guy Lombardo Marina before 5 a.m., waiting for FHA President Dave Gross to make the call whether the competition would be held, worried that a thunderstorm prediction would ultimately put a stop to it.

“They have a fog advisory, and yet from [the Guy Lombardo Marina], you can see the Meadowbrook Bridge fine,” Gross said. “The other thing is that the forecast for today is 5- to 10-foot seas out of the south or southeast. Normally 5 or 10 mile an hour winds don’t push that kind of sea.”

Fortunately, the weather held, and the tournament went off as planned, with more than 70 boats competing.

The FHA has hosted the shark tournament for 45 years, with participants annually reeling in a substantial number of sharks, which are cut into steaks and donated to local food banks and soup kitchens. Prizes totaling $200,000 in cash and goods are offered in a variety of categories.

With their families and friends, participants attend the Captain’s Night Dinner on the Friday before the tournament. Freeport Village Mayor Robert Kennedy and State Sen. John Brooks were among the attendees this year. The evening was full of beers, cheers, hugs and, of course, fish tales.

By 5:15 a.m., with no sign of a sunrise on the horizon, the lead boat, steered by FHA members Greg and Mike Pelinsky, headed past the Meadowbrook Bridge to the starting line. They were followed by the competitors, who headed 30 to 40 miles into the Atlantic, where the bigger sharks swim. Fog shrouded the water farther out to sea, and saltwater splashed over the lead boat as it cut through the chop. By 6 a.m., all of the competitors were off.

The first boat arrived back at Guy Lombardo Marina around 3:30 p.m., with a mako shark. As the clock ticked toward 6 p.m., the other competitors started heading back to the marina, radioing as they reached the check-in point near the Meadowbrook Bridge. Any fisherman who checked in with the committee boat after 6 would be disqualified.

At the marina, National Marine Fishery Service volunteers were on hand, helping FHA members to weigh and measure the sharks to ensure that they were large enough to keep. Nancy Koler, a NMFS representative, said, “They caught mostly thresher and mako at this tournament, and they’ve brought in one blue shark.”

At the “National Marine Fisher Service … we examine the basic life history of sharks,” Koler continued. “So we look for stomach contents, feeding ecology, age and growth. We look at the backbones and any tag fish they may have. We look at the reproductive conditions and at the lengths and weights to monitor the population.”

The tournament is an opportunity for her group to collect biological samples and measurements for research, Koler added. Also, the fishermen participating worked with NMFS representatives to tag and release sharks that did not meet size requirements, which helps the NMFS to track the growth, migration and location of sharks at different times of the year.

Winners were announced at the end of the evening. Spectators cheered as the captains of each of the boats and their crews stood in front of the winning catches. The boat Hannah Grace, captained by Russell Guarineri, beat out all competitors, winning the tournament with a 347-pound thresher. Guarineri’s crew took home $36,024 in total prize money, which is based in part on betting.

Coming in second place, the boat Born Free, captained by John Glasser, won with a 301-pound thresher. Glasser and crew won $21,216 in prize money.

Rounding out the top three was the boat Slim Shady, captained by John Areceri, with a 265-pound Thresher. Areceri and crew earned $41,875 in prize money.

“It’s fun,” Gross said. “I’m happy that we got what we got, considering. The weather got better, but it got better late.”

For more information about membership to the Freeport Hudson Anglers, email fhanglers@gmail.com