It was past dark on the open ocean, and Boothbay captain Nicholas Morley and the crew of Locked n Loaded were in a fight with a fish the weight of a large grizzly bear. Matthew Burnham was on the bow with a spotlight, guiding the boat through a "minefield" of lobster traps while Morley’s father was at the helm. The others worked to bring in what would be a $50,000 bluefin tuna.

The Boothbay Harbor Tuna Challenge took place Aug. 31 through Sept. 4, with a shutdown day Sept. 3. According to organizers, the 100 boats in the tournament brought in 45 fish, totaling 25,058 pounds over the four days of fishing.   

The five-man Locked n Loaded crew hooked the winning fish around 6:30 p.m. Sept. 1, the second day of the fourth annual event. Halfway through the two-hour fight, the fish ripped off the metal rod holder as it surfaced and shook its head. The chaos forced Charlie Mayrer to relocate the rod under 40 pounds of drag, with Morley’s help. An hour later, Bill Clifford saw his chance.   

“He hit the fish with the dart when it came up. It was pitch black, and the fish rolled once. He put an unbelievable shot on it when we got it up next to the boat, and it sealed the deal,” Morley said.   

Morley and the rest of the crew worked for another hour to get the fish in the boat, and it was worth it. Officials weighed it in at 832 pounds. It was the largest fish ever caught in the tournament, and this year’s top catch, which came with a $50,000 prize.  

“It was definitely a group effort from all aspects on. If one guy didn't do what they had done, there'd be no chance we'd win,” Morley said. He added the prize money and earnings from its sale to the Whale’s Tail restaurant will be split amongst the crew.   

Cameron Thorp, and the Endorfin team from Harpswell earned the other winning honors after catching 2170 pounds of tuna between four fish, netting $25,000 for the top cumulative weight prize. Their fish weighed 560 pounds, 472 pounds, 622 pounds, and 516 pounds.

In the final single-fish standings, Cameron Murphy took second place on his boat, Blue Dolphin II, with a 794-pound fish, winning $20,000; Steve Morse won third, and $10,500, on Reel Estate with a 744-pound fish; Michael Leighton won fourth, and $3,500, on Restless with a 740-pound tuna, and Andrew Pellechia won fifth, and $2,000, on Elassona with a 724-pound tuna.    

In the cumulative weight category, Colin Yentsch placed second on Papa Jon with 1296 pounds of fish to win $10,000; and Tyler McLaughlin took third on Pinwheel, catching 1246 pounds of tuna for a $5,000 prize.    

However, the tournament doesn't just pay out to competitors. Part of the proceeds, including a benefit event, will go towards the Fishermen's Memorial Fund and a recently created commercial fishing casualty fund, which will be available for losses in the industry. Last year, the challenge donated $40,000. Morley said Tuna Challenge committee Chair Jax van der Veen, Carousel Marina Dock and Facility Manager Evan Hepburn, and event organizers deserve thanks.   

“The tournament brings a lot of people to town, and it's a super good event. There's so much work that goes in behind the scenes that Jax and Evan throw into it that,” Morley said. “I'd just like to thank them for putting on a great tournament like normal and, hopefully, it keeps going year-to-year because I think it’s a good event for the community. A lot of people look forward to it every year, and a lot like and follow it.”