The results aren't official yet, but it appears Bud Cratty and his son, Mitch, reeled in the biggest striped bass at the two-day Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's Association fall tournament on the Chesapeake Bay.
The father-and-son team from Severn caught a 47.90-pound striper Sunday and checked it in at Sandy Point State Park.
Let me step out of the way and let Bud tell the story:"It was just Mitchell and myself on the boat, and Mitch took care of all the rod duties.
Unfortunately Mitch was also in charge of bringing the net, which I realized
wasn't on the boat as we were on the way out of the Severn River. Considering
Saturday had been such a slow day of fishing I decided it wasn't worth the time to
go back to the truck to retrieve it.
"We put the planer boards and rods in just west of Buoy 86 and headed southeast.
As we approached the ledge on the eastern side of the channel at 7:45 a.m., the rod with
a 12-inch parachute Mitch had just purchased at Wednesday night's Captains Meeting
at All Tackle started screaming off line.
"I looked behind the boat and saw what appeared to be an average-sized fish jump completely out of the water.
"As Mitch reeled the fish in, he claimed it was a huge fish (but he always says that). Whhen he brought it up along side our boat ("Hooked Up" ) my heart starting pounding,
realizing I was going to somehow get this huge fish into the boat without a net.
"Luckily, the fish was totally spent by the time it got to the boat and I was able
to pin it to the side until I could get my hands into its gill plates and lifted it up into the boat.
"Spending time outdoors with my son is something I'm very thankful for, and the fact that we
both share the same enthusiasm for it makes it even more special.
"Adventures like this past Sunday will put a smile on both of our faces forever."
Although he didn't need to say it, Bud ended with this message to dads and moms everywhere:
"LETS GET MORE KIDS FISHING !!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The other top finishers in the tournament were Rene Ward, no address given, who hauled in a striper weighing 38.95 pounds, and Chris Long, no address given, who caught a 38.60-pound fish.
We're still awaiting some kind of work from MSSA officials as to the awarding of prize money. Last year's tournament had a prize pot of $80,000, with 45,000 going to the top angler.