by Steve “Tuna” Tornovish
Wow, it feels so great to win a fishing tournament. What tournament did I win, you ask? Well, not to brag, but I won the Spring Sea Run Opener tournament. In fact, I’ve won it every year that I’ve fished it. And so did every other participant. This tournament has done an amazing job of getting the local beach fishing community involved in supporting a wide variety of Nantucket charities and scholarship funds. Thus, we all win. Big time!
For twelve years now, Rafael Osona has organized and managed the Spring Sea Run Opener. It’s been a labor of love for Rafael. It’s a very dialed-in event now but Rafael still has to invest a lot of time and effort to maintain the level of success that the Opener has achieved. From searching for sponsors to updating the leader board, Rafael selflessly keeps this machine rolling. We’re all grateful. The tournament is a blast. The team division is competitive. And the annual awards ceremony gathering is one of my favorite events of the year.
“I find great joy in organizing this event to help local charities and provide an arena for those that like to fish in a fun and competitive way,” said Osona. “But the ones that really make a difference in this whole thing are the ones that donate and participate year after year. Every year, we give out thousands of dollars in gear, gift cards, and other island services. Our sponsors happily donate these things time and time again. Everyone that has signed up has a hand in these fundraising efforts and that’s an amazing thing!
“In terms of fishing, this was probably the toughest year we’ve ever had for the tournament, but the participants were unwavering in their efforts. The closing party and awards ceremony this year was by far my favorite one ever. It felt more like a community, a family, than any year prior. I hope to expand this family in the years to come. So if you haven’t been a part of this tournament yet, come join us!”
You’ve got to love a tournament that really doesn’t take itself too seriously. The tournament begins when someone lands the first sea-run striped bass. A sea-run striper will have sea lice on its body. That differentiates it from a holdover striper from a pond. The tournament will then run for thirty days after that first catch. Participants can earn a total of three points. One point is awarded for catching a sea-run striper. Another point is awarded if that striper is bigger than 28 inches (the legal minimum for a keeper-sized striped bass). And finally, the third point is awarded if the angler lands a bluefish during the contest period.
The points get each participant an equal number of chances to win a variety of cool prizes. I won a great fishing multi-tool this year! Fishing plugs, apparel, and gear make every participant a winner. It’s such crazy fun!
Twenty-nine anglers submitted catches during the tournament period that ran from May 15, when Homer Ray IV caught the first sea-run striper. Only two anglers managed to obtain the full three points during the 30-day window. Yeah, bluefish sure are hard to find from the shore again this year. Yikes!
The team contest involves the cumulative total of the biggest striper caught by each member of the three-person squad. My team, the Irredeemable Irrelevants, finished an irrelevant sixth place in the 2026 tournament. The team Terrible Husbands and Timmy won the team event with a great score of 114.75. That means that the average size of their striped bass submission was an amazing 38.25 inches! The second-place team, Chainsaw Island, had a very respectable score of 111.5.
Barynn Boucher had herself a great tournament. She won the award for smallest striper caught at 20 inches. Her name was pulled for a beautiful new fishing rod. And she got to fish with her dad, Paul Boucher. Barynn messaged me the following: “I would like to let Tuna know that I am blessed to be a part of this fishing community and to have the family I do. I am very proud and feel accomplished in winning my award. Even though it was a slow start of the fishing season, just being on the beach and having a line in the water is all worth it. Having my family next to me is a bonus!”
Paul, Barynn’s dad, won the biggest prize of the Spring Sea Run Opener. He was selected to have the honor of determining where the bulk of the tournament’s proceeds would be donated. Paul selected Autism Speaks – Nantucket to receive $3,000 from the Spring Sea Run Opener.
“I was extremely honored when Raf contacted me. This wasn’t my best spring of fishing, and I had some pretty quiet nights in the dark on the beach. But a bad day of fishing beats a good day of work anytime!”
Paul said of his choice of Autism Speaks – Nantucket, “When it came to the charity, Autism Speaks jumped out at me.” Paul added that his family knows the challenges of autism. You certainly made a great choice, Paul! Thank you!
Chuck Duce got to select the scholarship portion of the funds. He chose the Jamie Topham Scholarship Fund to receive $1,000 from the Sea Run Opener. Wow. Yeah, Chuck, that’s a very fine selection.
Oh yeah, there were some other cool awards. Matt Roberts held on to win the biggest striper of the tournament with his 39.75 inch monster. The amazing Sawyer Holland took home a bunch of loot for catching both the first bluefish as well as the first junior division striper. Sawyer is a force to be reconned with!
Our Nantucket fishing community is amazing. The results of this tournament for the past 12 years have been positive and uplifting. So yeah, I’m the big winner. Along with every other participant. Can’t wait for the August Blues tournament!
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
