The 11th annual Boothbay Region Fish & Game Association Saltwater Fishing Tournament was held this past Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 8 and 9, and the sunny weather drew a good crowd of enthusiastic entrants.

The fishing for mackerel and pollock was very good, although catching a legal-size striper over 28 inches proved to be somewhat of a challenge for many anglers.

The winning striper in the Adult Division was a 34.5-incher caught by Connor Tagg, who received a check for $200. Troy Cushing caught a 32.75-inch fish, good for second place and $100. There was no third-place striper entrant, and no bluefish were entered again this year.

The Junior Mackerel Division was hotly contested, with several dozen fish entered. When the dust settled, Andrew Meader had the largest, a whopping 15-incher, good for $50. Joey Gray came in second with a 13.5-incher and took home $10. Courtney Meader came in third, and Drew Stevens and Tommy Gray took third and fourth respectively, all good for $10 prizes.

The Junior Pollock Division was won by Danny Gray, who took home $50 cash for a 13-incher. Liz Ochs came in second with a 12.75-inch fish good for $10, and Tommy Gray took the third-place pollock, also good for $10. Sam Ochs and Matt Ochs came in fourth and fifth respectively, and each took home $10 cash.

Area businesses responded with a number of terrific door prizes, including two $50 gift certificates from Robinson’s Wharf, a rod and reel combo from Grover’s Hardware, four passes from the Boothbay Railway Museum, and $25 from Harold Bishop Insurance. A number of rod and reel outfits were donated by the Fish & Game Club, and Sam Ochs won the Junior Grand Door Prize, a brand-new bicycle donated by Stephen Rubicam Photography and Shark Six Charters.

Tournament organizers would like to extend their appreciation to Todd and Kim Simmons of the Boothbay Lobster Wharf for hosting the weigh-ins on both Saturday and Sunday, to Doug and Elise Roberts of Oak Street Outdoors for handling the registrations, and to Grover’s Hardware and the YMCA for displaying the Junior Grand Prize bicycle in the days leading up to the tournament.

Proceeds from the popular event benefit the Fish & Game Association’s Clayton Dodge Scholarship Fund as well as many other association programs.