The Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby has officially begun. The excitement in the air is palpable. Yesterday, Sunday, was the first day. I was up before the sun, and out the door casting into the dark, waiting for rays of sunshine to sparkle across the water and wake up the hardtails. Like many Derby fishermen, I was hoping for a sunrise catch to make my way to the first weigh-in of the 79th Derby.
The wind was up, but not ripping, plenty of fishermen were on the beach or heading out in boats, but the fish were less enthusiastic. Only three fish made the morning board. I didn’t catch one of them but was thrilled to see Tom Neadow weigh in the first fish, a 5.98-pound bluefish that ended up taking a second-place daily pin.
I cast for hours without a fish biting a lure, but I did go to the evening weigh-in. I had signed up for filet duty, which I’d done a few times each Derby in recent years, but never on the first night. I was warned by Derby Chairman Phil Horton that I could be busy. A beautiful weekend day would potentially mean families and friends would be out on boats catching lots of fish.
I was psyched. I love weigh-ins. Well, who doesn’t love going to Derby Headquarters to weigh in your catch? But I also love filet duty because it is the only time I hang out at Headquarters, chat with fellow Derby lovers, see who’s catching what fish, and I have the opportunity to filet fish that will be given to Island seniors.
The Derby is known for their generous scholarships to Island graduates, but less known is the incredible amount of fresh fish that is given away every day of the Derby to Island seniors and the carcasses to commercial fishermen. No fish, or part of a fish, is wasted.
“Bait is a significant expense for lobster men. They appreciate the carcasses,” said Horton.
About 50 years ago, the Derby began fileting fish and donating to the five Island senior centers. Five years ago, Island Grown Initiative became another recipient. Last year, for the first time, the Derby began fileting albies that IGI used in salads and sandwiches much the same way you would use canned tuna. This year, IGI will process and utilize even more albacore.
Albies have not been a sought-after fish in New England, but “albies are the most numerous tuna on the planet and their range is amongst the broadest of all fishes. Plenty of people enjoy them,” said Jonathan Herman, Derby Filet Coordinator. “As the kids say now, don’t ‘yuck’ someone else’s ‘yum.’ Keep your mind open. And especially don’t shame another culture for what they eat.”
My friend Dr. Dave eats the albies he catches. He shared his recipe with all of us in the Surfcasters Association. The Times has included it for you to try too.
On Sunday, 46 bluefish, 21 false albacore, and 15 bones were weighed in. While some competitors took their fish home, most donated their catch. Dave Merry, the filet pro on duty with me, and I fileted most of those fish and put them up in the refrigerator to be picked up on Monday by the Up Island Council on Aging and distributed to residents.
Herman summed up the filet program perfectly, “The Derby filet program links one of the last great local fishing cultures to this Island’s wonderful residents who also happen to like eating local fish! All sorts of people benefit but particularly our seniors who often have their own Derby stories,” said Herman, adding, “Maybe a bite of Vineyard bluefish brings them back.”
With so many fish weighed in on Sunday, there were numerous division leaders who needed to be inspected. Each new grand leader fish was put on the filet table by a Derby Committee member and Dave Merry or I cut the fish open and made sure no weighted material or foreign bodies had been inserted into the fish.
Dave and I examined at least eight fish on Sunday. My first one was Shannon Stafford’s boat fly bluefish. I hadn’t seen Stafford since we’d gone bass fishing two years ago. I was elated to see her with a hefty 11.39-pound blue that earned her a first-place daily pin and set the standard for fly fishermen to beat.
“This was my first ever derby weighable fish. I have been at it for four years and to have this fish in on the first day was full of so many emotions — joy, relief, exhaustion,” said Stafford, who received the Derby’s new First Fish pin. “The day before I also caught my personal best bluefish on the fly, which was actually bigger than my Derby fish. Either way, I’m just happy to have a fish to weigh. That has been my goal for four years, and I finally got it!”
My night on filet duty kept getting better. Not only was there a lot of fish to be given away, but then my fishing buddies Kevin Seger and Gavin Smith walked up to the filet table. Smith had just weighed in the new shore leader bonito (7.49 pounds) and I got to examine his fish.
Smith is a talented fisherman, fabulous private chef known as The Food Minded Fellow, and a super nice guy. In 2021, he won the Bonito Grand Leader with an 8.43-pound beauty. His first fish of the 2024 Derby is a little smaller than his winning bone, and he has over thirty days of the Derby left where fellow shore fishermen will be trying to bump him out of first, but Smith has plenty of reason to celebrate now.
“A good fish is always special, but the memories of landing it with your friends are what really stick out. I have been fortunate enough to have a few fish in first place over the years. They generally don’t last. A good fish story, however, lasts a lifetime,” he said.
I hope to see you on the beach, and I hope we’re both catching fish that are worthy of a lifetime story.
The “YES, it’s ALBIE!” Recipe
Dick Jennings, the Island Osprey Guy and TTOR guide/naturalist extraordinaire gave me this recipe. My comments in parentheses:
Bleed and ice your fish ASAP
Filet and skin
Cut the lighter red meat into chunks of about 1 ½ inches, discard the dark red meat (note: I also cook & eat the dark meat and haven’t died. Yet. I also like to cut into a few longer strips)
Marinade in the following, in a zip lock, for 24 hr:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
Marinade in refrigerator overnight. ( I squeeze the bag to circulate the marinade a few times during the marinading process and then return to the refrigerator.)
(Don’t be dismayed at what it looks like in the bag after refrigeration!)
Get grill very hot and grill briefly.
(I like it over or with brown rice.)
(Enjoy!!)
-Dave Kolb
