LIVE UPDATES: Huk Big Fish Classic

We have arrived to Ocean City New Jersey, the site of our penultimate stop of the Atlantic Division regular season. The “White Marlin Capital of the World” hosts our 6 Angling Clubs among a field of 89 total boats in multiple fish categories.

The HUK Big Fish Classic honors the area’s rich history of sportfishing by being stationed on Talbot Street at the Talbot Inn and M.R. Ducks, the site of the first scales and sport fishing charters in the city, dating back to the early 1930s. 

In this tournament, competitors have the option to fish one of two 32-hour time slots, effectively Friday-Saturday or Saturday-Sunday. Boats leave the dock no earlier than 2:00AM ET and have a lines-in time at 7:00AM on their first fishing day. On their last day, lines-out is at 3:00PM ET. 

The fishable range is 125 miles from the Ocean City Sea Buoy.

FRIDAY, JULY 25

This was a lay day for all 6 SFC clubs competing. They got into a mix of activities that SFC Insider covered. Some even pre-fished and found a mix of blue and white marlin offshore.

SATURDAY, JULY 26 (DAY 1)
*All times Eastern (ET)

3:00AM - We’ve got some action at the dock. New Jersey Sea Birds, East Coast Remix and Lights Out New England all leave Sunset Marina at the same time on their way to the inlet. 

3:30AM - New York Granders, South Carolina Outcast and North Carolina Flare complete the 6 clubs.

7:00AM - LINES IN

7:10AM - THAT WAS QUICK! New Jersey Sea Birds start the action with a white marlin release courtesy of Tony Chieffo. 

7:35AM - Picking up right where they left off at OBBC, Lights Out New England release a white marlin to get on the board in second place. Matteo Scena is the angler for them.

7:46AM - LEGEND LANDS A BLUE! Lights Out New England take the lead, but not with a white marlin…billfish icon Ray Rosher lands a blue marlin for 450 points.

8:10AM - Outcast are in it! Trey Kemmerlin releases the first white marlin of the day for South Carolina Outcast, putting them in third place.

8:22AM - Lights Out again! Ray Rosher is now one fish away from a personal grand slam with a white marlin release.

8:42AM - South Carolina Outcast jumps into second place! Trent Bonifay releases a white marlin. That’s a big fish for them to help make their way back into playoff contention with a strong finish here. 

9:14AM - To quote recently retired College Gameday co-host Lee Corso: “NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND,” New Jersey Sea Birds land their second white marlin of the weekend behind the work of angler Dave McKendrick. They draw even with Outcast on points, but are third due to time. 

9:16AM - BACK INTO SECOND PLACE: The Sea Birds were doubled up on whites, and the second fish is released by Rob Wagner.

10:05AM - Lights Out…WATCH OUT! The leaders boat a white marlin, but they didn’t bring it in for a kill category. No, the fish leaped into the boat, and Ray Rosher jumped on it to keep it from flopping all over the deck. Everyone on board, including the angler Matto Scena are OK. 

10:23AM  - EAST COAST REMIX, welcome to the party. Sarah Melia, who missed OBBC last week due to travel complications, gets her squad on the leaderboard with a white marlin.

10:28AM - There goes that man again! Ray Rosher releases a white marlin. He’s putting in an MVP worthy performance early. 

10:40AM - Remix isn’t going to go quietly. Kenny Hernandez, the boat owner and club co-owner releases his first white marlin of the weekend.

10:51AM - Jackie Hayes joins the party as the second female angler to release a fish, her white marlin stretching Lights Out New England’s lead even further. 

11:50AM - Kenny Hernandez won the go-kart segment of Remix’s lay day olympics earlier this week, and now he’s leading the club in releases with his second white marlin of the day.

12:31PM - Lights Out with another white marlin courtesy of Jackie Hayes. It looks like a runaway, but it’s too early to confirm. 

12:35PM - North Carolina Flare are on the board! Mark Dressler releases a white marlin to get the party started on their boat.

12:53PM - NEW JERSEY SEA BIRDS are doubled up again! First fish is released by Tony Chieffo, it’s a white marlin.

1:00PM - Double secured. Deve McKendrick credited with the second white marlin.

1:03PM - It’s been 30 minutes, so we’re checking back in with Lights Out New England and Ray Rosher who releases yet another white marlin. 

2:15PM - Live on SFC+ and the New York Granders look to be hooked up on their first fish of the tournament. Peter Miller & Robbie Floyd are looking to ID what species it is.

2:25PM - If something was on, it’s broken off by now for New York Granders.

2:37PM - We’re live with North Carolina Flare and they’re hooked up on a fish. Junior angler Braxton Cullens has a headset on, we’ll see if it’s a tuna or a billfish.

Flare are actually doubled up! Looking to confirm the species while we watch live.

2:48PM - That fish with North Carolina Flare was a yellowfin tuna that ended up in the boat. They are likely in a meatfish category.

Here’s how the scoreboard stacks up after the early flurry:

Lights Out New England - 1,150 Points
New Jersey Sea Birds - 500 Points
East Coast Remix - 300 Points
South Carolina Outcast - 200 Points
North Carolina Flare - 100 Points
New York Granders - 0 Points
South Florida Sails - SCRATCH

4:31PM - Lights Out are hooked up! We’re getting word of another white marlin.

4:36PM - That’s a white! The fish is released by Ross Nasin with a somersault at the end.

We are off the air with a commanding lead for Lights Out New England.

6:11PM - That lead keeps getting bigger! A blue marlin released by Matteo Scena earns another 450 points for Lights Out!

6:26PM  - Blue Marlin for South Carolina Outcast! Griffin Moxley releases it, bringing their score to 650 points.

6:55PM - East Coast Remix get their fifth white marlin of the tournament released by Kenny Hernandez.

6:58PM - Sea Birds reach 800 points thanks to a white marlin release by Dave McKendrick.

7:02PM - Remix release number 6, Kenny Hernandez again.

7:18PM - Here comes Remix! Jorge Corzo with another release, and they are looking to close in on the Sea Birds in second.

7:33PM - EVEN ON POINTS! Cap Hinkley releases another white marlin for Remix. They are still third on time.

8:06PM  - CHANGE IN THE LEADERBOARD! Kneny Hernandez releases white marlin number nine, and East Coast Remix now find themselves in second place.

8:14PM - SEA BIRDS DRAW BACK EVEN ON POINTS. Rob Wagner releases a white marlin to bring the Sea Birds even with Remix at 900 points, but Remix have the tie breaker on time. 

8:15PM  - Outcast get another white marlin release by Chris Ostrander.

We go into Championship Sunday with the leaderboard looking like this:

Lights Out New England - 1,700 Points
East Coast Remix - 900 Points
New Jersey Sea Birds - 900 Points
South Carolina Outcast - 750 Points
North Carolina Flare - 100 Points
New York Granders - 0 Points
South Florida Sails - SCRATCH

12:20PM - Sea Birds are hooked up too, we’re looking to see what species it is.  

CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY, JULY 27

5:52AM - WE START THE DAY WITH A CHANGE IN THE LEADERBOARD. New Jersey Sea Birds release a white marlin, courtesy of Dave McKendrick to retake second place. 

6:03AM - NEW YORK GRANDERS are on the board! Shelby Callison releases a white marlin for the Granders’ first points of the tournament. Let’s see if this sparks a run for them.

6:06AM - LIGHTS OUT DOUBLED UP! Releases by Ray Rosher and Kyler Paparelli extend their lead by 200 points, with their two white marlin.

7:55AM - South Carolina Outcast are eyeing the podium! Steven Lackey releases a while marlin and Outcast now find themselves 50 points behind East Coast Remix in third. 

8:07AM - North Caroline Flare find a sailfish, with angler Trey Barayani behind the release

8:16AM - Sea Birds are now two fish ahead of third place with another white marlin release by Tony Chieffo. 

8:16AM - Remix are starting to climb back. Sarah Melia got things started on day 1 and she’s doing the same again for her squad with another white marlin release.

8:22AM - Granders with another white, released by Dusty Adinolfe. There’s action across the field today.

8:23AM - NORTH CAROLINA FLARE WITH A DOUBLE, Josh Ashton and Mark Dressler releasing two white marlin.

8:26AM - New Jersey Sea Birds are at it again with another white marlin released by Rob Wagner. 

With 12 billfish releases already this morning, this is the current leaderboard:

Lights Out New England - 1,900 Points
New Jersey Sea Birds - 1,200 Points
East Coast Remix - 1,000 Points
South Carolina Outcast - 850 Points
North Carolina Flare - 375 Points
New York Granders - 200 Points
South Florida Sails - SCRATCH

8:43AM - Lights Out are back in action again, and this time it’s Rob Camichael’s turn to reel one in. Another white marlin release extends their lead back to eight white marlin (800 points) over the New Jersey Sea Birds in second place.

9:46AM - New Jersey Sea Birds are at it again. With Dave McKendrick’s white marlin release, The Flock cut back into Lights Out’s lead, but still trail by 700 points, or 7 white marlin’s worth of points.

It’s become evident that the ability to target multiple marlin species is the way to win this one. The Sea Birds have released more white marlin than Lights Out New England, but the two blue marlin, worth a combined 900 points are the difference maker.

9:58AM - Lights Out take back some of their lead, but only 75 points worth of it, as angler Spencer Talbot releases a sailfish.

11:04AM - If there’s an MVP Angler for this weekend, it’s Ray Rosher of Lights Out New England. He jumped on the white marlin that came into the boat yesterday and was able to safely send it out through the tuna door. He’s also released multiple billfish this weekend, including another white marlin just now. That’s his sixth billfish.

We are live on SFC+ and here’s the current leaderboard:

Lights Out New England - 2,175 Points
New Jersey Sea Birds - 1,300 Points
East Coast Remix - 1,000 Points
South Carolina Outcast - 850 Points
North Carolina Flare - 375 Points
New York Granders - 200 Points
South Florida Sails - SCRATCH

12:08PM - Lights Out look to be on a blue marlin. Securing this fish can likely lock this win up right here. They're hooked up and looks to have Tucker Carmichael with the rod. 

12:33PM - South Carolina Outcast are on what potentially is a sailfish. Meanwhile, the Sea Birds’ fish is a white marlin.

12:36PM - Sea Birds and Tony Chieffo release the white marlin, adding 100 points to their score.

1:02PM - Tucker Carmichael of Lights Out New England releases his blue marlin and that lead is out to over 1,000 points.

1:12PM - North Carolina Flare hook up on a billfish going to break on ESPN+.

1:52PM - We’re getting into the final couple hours before lines out, and we’re seeing Lights Out New England run away with this. Time to start crunching some numbers and see how things will look going into the Atlantic Championship stop in a few week’s time. 

Here’s the current leaderboard:

Lights Out New England - 2,625 Points
New Jersey Sea Birds - 1,400 Points
East Coast Remix - 1,000 Points
South Carolina Outcast - 850 Points
North Carolina Flare - 450 Points
New York Granders - 200 Points
South Florida Sails - SCRATCH

2:06PM - North Carolina Flare are hooked up again, as are Lights Out New England.

2:10PM - New Jersey Sea Birds is also hooked up. White Marlin are beginning to feed for the final stretch. 

2:18PM - New Jersey Sea Birds add another white marlin to their score, courtesy of Rob Wagner. They look to be safely in second place with the additional points.

2:40PM - Another one puts them six fish ahead of third place, East Coast Remix. This white marlin was released by Dave McKendrick.

Heading into lines out, here's where things stand.:

Lights Out New England - 2,725 Points
New Jersey Sea Birds - 1,600 Points
East Coast Remix - 1,000 Points
South Carolina Outcast - 850 Points
North Carolina Flare - 450 Points
New York Granders - 200 Points
South Florida Sails - SCRATCH

3:00PM - LINES OUT! THAT’S TWO IN A ROW FOR LIGHTS OUT NEW ENGLAND. Pending video verification of course, but it’s looking like we have a new Atlantic Division leader. 

Lights Out New England will now be at the top of the standings with the inside track to the Zane Grey Championship Playoffs in Cabo San Lucas. The New Jersey Sea Birds hold onto second place in a favorable position to earn the second berth.

East Coast Remix are not eliminated from playoff contention, but they will need a lot of help to qualify. Winning the season finale is a start, a poor finish from the Sea Birds, or a no-show scratch from Lights Out is needed for them to clinch a berth.