By Grant Clark
Jack Wyatt was initially concerned there wouldn’t be enough boats entered into the first year of the Washington Tuna Classic in 2009.
Now, as the event gears up for its seventh go around, Wyatt’s worries have gone in another direction as he is trying to figure out what to do with all the entries on the waiting list.
That’s how popular things have become.
The 7th Annual Albacore Fishing Tournament took place on August 8 at Westport with 60 vessels — the maximum number of entries and a far cry from the original 20 Wyatt had hoped for during the inaugural event.
“We were maxed out,” said Wyatt, Vice Chairman of the Washington Tuna Classic. “It’s just taken off since that first year. We had 34 boats seven years ago, and that number has just increased every year since.”
Each team consists of four anglers, but is allowed up to six anglers on the boat fishing. Armed with a heathy supply of live anchovies and plenty of shaved ice, the teams head out at approximately 5:00 a.m. and compete with each other to catch the five heaviest albacore tuna.
Each boat must cross the pre-determined finish line by 5:00 p.m. or risk being disqualified.
The winner receives $1,500, while the second heaviest total gets $750 and third pockets $500. Additional cash prizes are awarded to biggest fish, pee wee fish and most fish.
Those are the logistics, but they seem almost secondary to what the event provides.
The Washington Tuna Classic is an all-volunteer organization and donates the tuna to Northwest Harvest Food Bank.
The first year saw 178 fish totaling nearly 4,000 pounds donated.
Last year’s edition, which had 59 of the 60 registered teams participate, resulted in more than 600 fish weighing close to 13,000 pounds being given to the food banks.
“We also had about 3,000 pounds in dry food donated, which all stays in Grays Harbor,” Wyatt said.
In addition to the donated food, the Washington Tuna Classic has worked heavily with Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and the Wounded Warrior Project to provide local veterans a chance to participate on the teams as well as raising money for the two charities.
“It ends up being an incredible experience for everyone involved,” Wyatt said. “The captains end up fighting for which boats will take the guys out. It’s really been a positive addition to the event over the years.”
During “Warrior Week” last year, a total of 74 veterans were treated to a day fishing with 22 partaking on the day of the tournament.
“There’s a big comradery with everyone. When we’re heading out everyone is giving each other a bad time over the radios,” said Kevin Lanier, who has competed with his wife, Cyndi, in the event since its second year as part of Team Fishin Luhrs’. “It’s just a lot of fun.”
Lanier, who owns KP Sportfishing, which is a Westport-based charter available for halibut, salmon and of course, tuna fishing trips, also serves as the master of ceremonies for the award dinner that follows the tournament.
With the average tuna tipping the scales at 20 pounds, the physical battle usually lasts around 15 minutes before the fish is successfully reeled in.
With year seven under his belt, Wyatt constantly finds himself bombarded with the same questions.
“People are surprised to know we have tuna here. First, they ask, ‘There’s tuna in Washington?’” Wyatt said. “Then after I say yes, they come back with, ‘How far out?’’’
The answer is 30 to 50 miles offshore.
“You just can’t go out there was a 16-footer,” Wyatt said. “It needs to be big enough to get you there, and more importantly big enough to get you back in.”
Lanier’s boat measures 34 feet in length and is 13 feet wide with a 310 horsepower motor.
Highlighted by Cyndi Lanier’s haul of a 32.40-pound tuna, the second heaviest catch among all the anglers, Team Fishin’ Luhrs totaled 129.44 pounds last year, good for third overall — a mere two-tenths of a pound behind second place.
Team All Rivers & Saltwater Charters, a team out of Snoqualmie which also provides Westport charters, won the 2014 Classic with a total of 130.04 pounds.
“We were close last year. Less than a pound separated us from the winners,” Lanier said. “Everyone wants to win, but that’s not really why we are out there. It’s always a great event, everyone has fun doing it and it’s for a great cause.”
For this year’s 2015 Washington Tuna Classic results, visit Washington Tuna Classic’s website.
