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HARVEY
CEDARS, NJ AUGUST
17, 2001
About
25 years after claiming his first title as Party Boat Fishing pool winner, Ron Dooley
Sr. outdid approx. 85 others aboard the Doris
Mae IV to take his second championship by catching the largest fish of
the day. Along with the glory and the
admiration of countless other fisherman, winning the pool is good for a large
cash prize and discount tickets for future trips.
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The
champion with the winning fluke. Photo taken right after he was
notified of the victory.
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The
winning fish, a 6 lb. fluke, was hauled in at around 10am during one of the
stops a few miles off the coast of Long Beach Island. "The fish hit
just as my line hit the bottom," Mr. Dooley described, "but as I
reeled it in it seemed too heavy. I was hoping I didn't catch another line or the bottom of the boat. As I it came closer to the surface I knew
I had something special." Doris Mae first mate 'Joe' quietly netted the fish.
Chatter filled the deck as onlookers admired the "door mat" fluke.
Although
this was his second title, it was the first for fluke. His previous win
was aboard a Bluefishing boat. Both vessels departed from the marina in
Barnegat Bay.
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Despite a smooth ride on a very calm day in the Atlantic, a few of
those aboard the Doris Mae failed to even get a line in the water. A poor fella
next to us just never got his sea legs and ended up losing his breakfast over
the side and spent the trip sprawled out in the cutty, eyes glazed holding his
gut. Afterwards on the
dock the sorry dude was admiring our fish. His friend, who had caught a
nice one as well, pointed to the prize fish and declared, "Ours was nice,
but there's the pool winner." Greg opined,
"But we're all winners today", then the friend gestured to his green buddy
and countered, "Not everyone."
Greg
caught 3 fluke, but only one over the 16" size limit (17.5"), making
for a team total of 2
keepers for the day.
Ron had less luck, limiting his catch to a sea robin, not unlike the pesky
pan fish he battled years back in Canada. Here is a shot
of all the boys with the prize fish.
Afterwards
the whole family celebrated at the
beach, highlighted by the victorious Grandpa
showing little Jack Dooley how to catch something more his size: sand crabs.
Thanks
to a recipe provided by crab-savvy Maryland resident Rick Buccheri (and a few dozen crabs we caught out in
Barnegat Bay), we prepared stuffed flounder Imperial that night. Because
as Ron says, "We only eat what we kill." Right, right, right.
Other
items of interest:
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Crabbing stories from LBI
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