Magellan Out of Harwich Takes Home Top Prize in Shark Contest

Call it beginner’s luck, offshore fishing skill or maybe a combination of both.

But the crew of Magellan out of Harwich and captained by Jason Pillsbury took home the $20,000 prize in the Oak Bluffs Monster Shark Tournament Saturday.

Magellan landed a 429-porbeagle shark on Friday and another 313-pound porbeagle on Saturday and won the tournament with 742 points.

Sponsored by the Boston Big Game Fishing Club, the two-day tournament was in its 27th year, and attracted a large crowd of spectators as it always does, along with marine scientists who use the caught sharks for their research.

Big game fishing boats with flying the black flag of tournament participants moored in slips in the Oak Bluffs harbor on a steamy hot weekend that saw gusty winds late Friday and throughout the day Saturday.

A total of 12 sharks were weighed in over two days: eight on Friday and four on Saturday.

Spectators gathered four deep late Friday afternoon when Magellan brought her catch to the docks rimming the Oak Bluffs harbor.

The tail of the porbeagle was passed around for people to touch and marine scientists on hand who use the tournament for study were bloody to their elbows as they took tissue samples.

Although the tournament has been controversial in the past, there was no sign of protest this year.

Oak Bluffs police added extra officers for crowd control this year as well.

 

 

 

Nicholas Bradley and Olivia Hull contributed reporting.

This story has been corrected from an earlier version that reported Jason Pillsbury owned Magellan. He is captain.

Comments

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 07/21/2013 - 12:41

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Ophelia White Boston

Shame on you. What a barbaric practice. Why don't you all start bullfighting, too? Or maybe have public dog fighting?

Don D Philadelphia

I take offense to your Bull Fighting Comment, Some close minded people might have an issue with both bull fighting and shark hunting but when real men are needed, I believe you will be the first to be crying for barbarians to come to your rescue. I think that says it all. Its very tiring to hear such an attitude from some one that has never probably left your own backyard.

dennis edgartown

the few that feel it is wrong are the ones who will cry when there taxes or other things go up do you realize the money the tourney brings to the island,its sad but when the tourney leaves and gos elsewhere only the very few with no lives,will be happy,it must also be barbaric to eat fish,or turkey,or even chicken get a life mrs white PLEASE

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 07/21/2013 - 15:10

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

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VeryAnnoyed Tisbury

Or the Mackerel Shark -- Porbeagle Shark --- It's related to the Salmon Shark an apex predator.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 07/21/2013 - 18:55

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john burton vermont

One of my favorite books to read as a kid was Hemingway's "Old Man and the Sea". This spectacle was "strictly commercial".

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 07/23/2013 - 23:04

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Dave NANTUCKET

Ophelia
Stay off the computer or you probably will never see a carpenter, electrician or a plumber at your summer home again!
Just Sayin

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