By Chris Knauss

  The Bird was the word July 9 off Ocean City, Maryland as the attractor lure probably launched the famine-to-feast success aboard the charter boat "Fortune Cookie."
  "You go from the outhouse to the penthouse in this business," said Capt. Dan Cook as his 48-foot Ocean Yacht returned to home port at the Ocean City Fishing Center. Cook and mates Gary McHugh and Jim Daniel helped three couples bring home four 50-pound-plus fish on the opening day of this year's 17th annual Ocean City Tuna Tournament. It didn't come easy.
  After a snooze of a morning at a deadbeat location, the fishing lines came back aboard and the "Fortune Cookie" headed over to Poorman's Canyon. Not long after, the first of eight lines were sent dragging behind the boat again. A few minutes later, around 2 o'clock, the reels started clicking. The action began when a school of hungry skipjack tuna, gentlemen no doubt, projecting a blue phosphorescence just below the surface, gave the ladies aboard, Karen, Briana, and Janet, some action as they reeled in three feisty but undersized denizens of the deep.
  Not long after, fishing fanatic Chris Coppola, of West Chester, Pa., was in the fighting chair reeling in the first of four large yellowfin. The final two fish hit simultaneously as the lines were being picked up at 3:30, the end of legal tournament fishing.
  All the fish came aboard after McHugh dropped overboard, on the longest line, a large, green bomb-like-looking lure he called The Bird, "an old favorite," aka the Green Machine, which buzzed along the surface of the water and may have saved the day.
  McHugh, who has been offshore fishing since 1983, gaffed all four keeper fish after Daniel, the Maryland blue marlin record holder, manipulated the leader to get the fish to turn. Capt. Cook controlled twin Cummins 585 hp diesels, offering an occasional word of experienced advice from the cockpit.
  Phil Coale, of Bel Air, Md., reeled in the second and fourth keeper yellowfin, doing a nice job keeping the fourth fish on the line waiting for Pete Bowes, of Holland, Pa., to safely reel in the third.
At 59, Capt. Cook, of Riegelsville, Pa., said he's been fishing Ocean City waters for over 25 years, first fishing for flounder in the inland bays with his son and slowly heading out to deeper water. A real-estate developer when he's not in Ocean City, Cook bought the "Fortune Cookie" in 1990. When his secretary wrote the cashier's check for the Ocean Yacht, she said "That's a fortune Cookie," and the name stuck.
  Cruising at 26 knots, the sportfisherman got us to our first destination ahead of schedule, and the mates had around 15 minutes to get the tackle ready for the 8 a.m. legal start. The crew and party adhered strictly to tournament rules, hoping they would have to pass the lie detector test at the end of the tournament, which would mean they were the winners.
  Lie detector tests are standard practice these days as big fish mean big crowds, big sponsors, and big money. This year's tournament paid out over $360,000 in total prize money. Anglers Chris Sims, Fred Nichols, Steve Anastasi, Danny Anastasi, and Larry Pendleton, aboard the "Cabana," caught 470 pounds of fish in two days to win $95,600 for Most Pounds, including Calcutta winnings.
  The Most Pounds category got most of the attention at this year's tournament as few large bluefin tuna were caught and no giant Atlantic bigeyes. The 134 boats and crew were allowed to fish two out of the three days. The "Cabana" edged out "Commocean" in the Most Pounds category by just one pound.
  The tournament's most excitement came in the Heaviest Single Fish category, which ended in a tie for the first time. The crew of the "Instigator 57" accidentally dropped their large bluefin overboard during the transfer from the boat to the cart on the dock an hour before the end of weigh-in on Sunday. Attempts to find the tuna failed and a professional diver was called in. The tuna was finally located and re-landed and a mad scramble by Capt. Josh Wentling and a crewmate got the fish to the scale with just minutes to spare.
  The 119-pound bluefin was reeled in by Brian Meyers, of Moscow, Pa., on a skirted ballyhoo at the Parking Lot. The fish tied the 119-pounder reeled in Saturday by Ed St. John, of Severna Park, Md., who fished aboard the "Size Matters" with Capt. GiGi Wagner and mate/captain Josh Rusky. 

The End

Fortune Cookie Fishing Charters:
www.fortunecookiecharters.com
Marina (410-213-1121), home (610-749-2027), boat (410-213-7714).
Ocean City Fishing Center:
www.ocfishing.com
410-213-1121/800-322-3065

                                               Photos by Chris Knauss
Phil Coale, of Bel Air, Md., left, reels in the second and fourth keeper yellowfin, doing a nice job keeping the fourth fish on the line, waiting for Pete Bowes, of Holland, Pa., to safely reel in the third.

Mates Gary McHugh and Jim Daniel lift a yellowfin tuna aboard the Fortune Cookie.

Capt. Dan Cook in control of twin Cummins diesel engines aboard the Fortune Cookie.