penn-jersey saltwater anglers - 2005 Offshore Bragging Rights Tournament Results

	Tournaments

2005 Offshore Bragging Rights Tournament

Congratulations to the 2005 Winners: Ron Kovler (left) for Tuna, Brian Hunter for Shark (Club President Randy Alkins is holding Brian Hunter's Trophy) and Al Gillen for Marlin. Brian, unfortunately, was unable to attend due to an broken foot caused by excessive athletic activities.
Enjoying the PJSA 2005 OBR awards banquet in the forefont - Joel Harnick, Steve London (left) and Bob Ahrendt (right).
Talking about fishing after the banquet - from left: Dave Kirk, Al Gillen, George Plant, Bob Ahrendt, and Sam Geary.

Final Standings:

Tuna Division:

First Place: Ron Kovler and the crew of the Next Case

Yellowfin Tuna: 57.75 pounds
Yellowfin Tuna: 46 pounds
Yellowfin Tuna: 49 pounds
Total stringer weight: 152.75 pounds

Randy Alkins hands over the tuna trophy to Ron Kovler for a second time at the close of the 2005 tournament. Good going Ron!Next time you see Ron, remember to ask him about his the secret line of "Plumbers Luck" lures that his mate (or is it his admiral) runs behind his boat offshore.
Ron Kovler and one of his crew members with one of the three tuna submitted to put the Next Case into the running for the tournament.

Second Place: Bob Ahrendt and the crew of the Lucky Lady

Yellowfin Tuna: 51.8 pounds
Yellowfin Tuna: 47 pounds
Yellowfin Tuna: 42 pounds
Total stringer weight: 140.8 pounds

Bob Ahrendt's crew went 2 for 2 on YFTs in the Hudson Canyon the weekend of August 20-21. Congrats to Bob on boating his first YFT aboard the Lucky Lady! All we need is for the the camera operator to be as good as the anglers were!

Bob Ahrendt's crew completed its stringer of three with this 51.8 pound yellowfin taken on September 3 during an overnight chunking trip.

Third Place: Al Gillen and the crew of the Major Distraction

Yellowfin Tuna: 47 pounds
Yellowfin Tuna: 45.5 pounds
Yellowfin Tuna: 42.25 pounds
Total stringer weight: 134.75 pounds

Al Gillen's crew including Ken Bennett (l) and Dave Locandro (r), Art Zoda (background aboard boat) and Norm Beetham made good on a night chunking trip September 3-4 to go 7 for 7 on yellowfin tuna, and 1/1 on swordfish.
At the scale: weighing in the 47 pound fish that topped Al Gillen's stringer of three (as of September 4).

Honorable Mention: Kurt Henjes and the crew of the Hat Trick

Longfin Tuna: 38.5 pounds
Longfin Tuna: 37.5 pounds
Longfin Tuna: 34.5 pounds
Total stringer weight: 110.5 pounds

Norm Beetham, Kurt Henjes and Joel Harnick, fishing aboard Kurt's "Hat Trick" were the first crew to put a stringer of three fish together for entry into the tournament. How long will a 110 pound string of three fish hold up?

Pending Entry: Randy Alkins

Bluefin Tuna: 46 pounds
No entry
No Entry
Total stringer weight: Incomplete entry

Shark Division:

First Place: Brian Hunter, 285 pound thresher shark

[Picture to come]
Brian Hunter handily won the newly added shark division, and gets his name first on the list on the brand new trophy.
Showing them how it's done: Brian Hunter hoists up a trophy during a week where very few sharks were caught. On June 18, Brian's crew ran offshore and spent close to 3 hours to beat this 285 pound thresher shark. They also brought home one of the first tuna of the season, a school-sized bluefin.
PJSA member Dave Kho makes sure we know this is a PJSA shark!

Second Place: Open

Third Place: Open

Marlin and Swordfish Division:

First Place: Al Gillen and the crew of the Major Distraction

Blue marlin release (400 points)
Swordfish release (100 points)
Total release points: 500

Randy Alkins passes the Marlin category trophy over to Al Gillen during the awards ceremony.
Al Gillen hangs on to Mr. Pointynose for an official release.

Steve Greulich (left) and Al Gillen show off the only catch they along with Norm Beethan and John Berenato made on an overnight trip August 12-13.

Al Gillen hangs on to a 44" swordfish that Dave Locandro beat in short order on a 50 International standup outfit. The fish, which was caught during an overnighter to Tom's Canyon on September 3-4, was subsequently released. The headband being worn in the top photo resulted in considerable ridicule for the captain, but he kept it on all night.

Second Place: Ron Kovler and the crew of the Next Case

White marlin release (100 points)
White marlin release (100 points)
White marlin release on September 2 (100 points)
White marlin release on September 2 (100 points)
Total release points: 400
Ron Kovler's first white of the season smiles for Tom Jordan's camera.
Tom Jordan, Ron Kovler and another member of Ron's crew show off their first white of the 2005 season.
Two whites are better than one. Ron Kovler's second white marlin of the 2005 season.
Yet another white for Ron Kovler and his crew!
Close to dusk, and Ron's crew is still out there releasing the marlin!
A clean release and the official PJSA Tournament Logo on display.

Third Place: Bob Ahrendt and the crew of the Lucky Lady

White marlin release (100 points)
White marlin release, Tom's Canyon, Aug 14 (100 points)
Total release points: 200
Don't let Bob Ahrendt's "aw-shucks, I'm new to this" attitude fool you - he's helping set the pace in the marlin category with two releases so far this season. The following series of pictures came from the first release he and his crew scored.
Kurt Henjes tries his hand at leadering an billing a frisky white marlin.
Kurt, what's going on down there, do you have that fish under control?
Hey, wait, what happened to your arm?
Congrats to the Henjes brothers for the first NJ canyon marlin they got to catch and release!
A clean release - at least for the fish! Tetanus shots anyone?