by Steve “Tuna” Tornovish
The signs are everywhere. Shorter days, football teams getting ready, the August Blues fishing tournament in full swing—yup, this summer is slipping away like a Don Henley song. So when I found myself with an open afternoon last week I decided to get out to the beach and see if maybe I could actually participate in the tournament by catching a bluefish. Seems reasonable, right?
I soon found myself on Great Point, my happy place. Nothing doing on the outside (eastern) edge. Not much happening at the point itself. I headed for Coatue. Tammy King, my fellow guide and one of the absolute best beach fishers around, was there with a couple of clients. “Fish are busting right there!” Tammy was so excited that it took a moment to process what she was saying. I pulled well past Tammy’s truck and her clients.
I quickly saw what she was referring to—terns were over some fish maybe 25 yards offshore. My favorite fishing rod was rigged up with a shiny metal lure (please note that my lure choices this time of year are basic: either an Island X 180 Hellfire or something shiny and metal). I casted just ahead of the birds and got that hunk of metal moving quickly. BANG! A big crash of water, followed by the sound of line getting ripped off of my ree—fish on! Only this thing didn’t seem like a bluefish at all. Nope, definitely a bonito.
For the next ninety or so minutes, it was all about those crazy bonito. Fast, aggressive, and fun to catch, the bones were everywhere, and they were chewing! Yes, I had a blast catching these speed demons. It was the kind of day that I’ll be thinking of during the long winter: a memory that will fill me with hope that the warm summer months will once again be back, along with the fish. But there was a nagging disappointment as well—where are the bluefish?
It’s been a strange fishing season, folks. The bluefish have been very sporadic around the island’s beaches. They’ve been particularly scarce in this month of August, a month somewhat dedicated to them! The blues that I’ve caught with my fishing clients have been pretty darn big, for the most part. That’s certainly exciting. One fish in particular measured 37 inches! That would have been the big fish for the tournament. Alas, it was caught in the last few days of July by one of my clients (he was justifiably thrilled). But no awesome Tedy Bruschi autographed Patriots jersey for him or for me. But there’s still time, right?
I am privileged to fish with the coolest kids in the world. This week’s crew included Finn, Cubby, and Andrew. My goal on each trip was to put them on some bluefish so that they could be automatically entered into the August Blues tournament’s junior division. I failed in the bluefish mission. They each caught bonito and, judging by their smiles, they couldn’t have been happier. And don’t get me wrong: I was happy as well. There was just that nagging feeling that I had failed each of them by not finding those August Blues for them, try as I might!
I needed something to pick up my fishing spirit, and it magically appeared on my text thread with the August Blues group. On Saturday, August 23, the tournament is holding the first ever August Blues Derby Day. This event will be held at Point ‘O Breakers Beach, located at the end of South Shore Road. It’s an ambitious plan, for sure, but one with worthy goals.
“The main emphasis of the Derby is to get juniors on the beach and participating in the August Blues tournament. We created the family team prize so the juniors can participate as part of their team and contribute to winning a prize. We picked the 23rd because it is one of the last Saturdays before the holiday weekend and when the kids start school. The Derby is a great reason to get families together on the beach.” Dr. Greg Chotkowski, tournament director, is excited about the Derby Day events. “We will have casting games for accuracy and potentially for the longest cast, if the wind cooperates! And there will be food, of course!”
Food, you say? Well ok, I know where I’ll be fishing on Saturday, 8/23! “We will start at 6 am with coffee and bagels. Then we’ll be grilling burgers and hot dogs throughout the day. We have had generous donations to support this event. From porta-potties, a tent, tables, food, and a generous cash donation by Hal Beacham to cover incidentals—this is going to be great!”
Dr. Greg has every right to be excited about the Derby Day. It’s dedicated to the next generation of fishers, and it’s about a very worthy cause: supporting the research to end Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The August Blues tournament is in its third year. The competition is fun and high-level. The current leaderboard shows that a mere two inches separate the top three leaders for the beach division. The top three leaders in the boat division are also just two inches apart! This competition will come down to the last day of the tournament. And who knows: maybe a dark horse contestant will come charging up the leaderboard… Yes, this is my Bill Murray Caddyshack Cinderella story dream!
Here’s hoping that the August Blues Derby Day will be a rousing success. Thanks to all who are stepping up to help make this event happen, from DJ Scott Capizzo to our two amazing fishing tackle stores (Bill Fisher Tackle and Nantucket Tackle) and all of the volunteers. Take a kid fishing today and change their lives forever! And please, bluefish, show up for this Derby!
Steve “Tuna” Tornovish is a Nantucket native who has spent his life fishing from the beaches of his beloved island. He loves to introduce clients to the joy of fishing with his Nantucket Island Fishing Adventures: stevetuna.com
