VIDEO: Wedgeport Tuna Tournament provides excitement for participants and spectators

By Tina Comeau

SOU’WESTER



The ladies aboard the Ol East Sider were determined not to let their second tuna get away. For an hour and 15 minutes they fought with the fish to get it on board their boat.

“We were so scared about losing it, and of course when we got the tuna on board we wanted to see where the hook was and it was just barely in the mouth, it was almost out, so any longer we would have lost it,” said Falon LeBlanc at the Tuna Wharf in Wedgeport, southwestern N.S. on Aug. 23, after their catch had been weighed and they learned that out of 10 boats – and being the only female crew – they had placed second in the Wedgeport Tuna Tournament.

Their two fish each weighed 365 pounds for a total weight of 730, just six pounds shy of what they would have needed for first place.

“We were dancing, we were so excited,” recalled crewmate Kelley LeBlanc about how she, Falon and their third crewmate Jocelyne LeBlanc reacted when their tuna were brought on board. She said when the tuna were finally weighed, they were surprised by how large they were. They had guessed both weights to be on the lower side.

As the tuna from the Ol East Sider and the other vessels were being weighed, the atmosphere on the tuna wharf was a festive one. It’s been decades since the renowned international tuna matches were held in Wedgeport and organizers are slowly trying to build up the tournaments each year. This year they returned the weigh-ins to the Tuna Wharf for the first time in over 30 years, and also added other festivities throughout the week, including a pageant, in which Ashley Saulnier of Surette’s Island was named tuna queen.

Each boat in the tournament was given two tuna tags. Onboard the Lady Patricia, they were hooking a lot of tuna, but it took awhile to land their two. Captain Brent Pothier said they’d hook some tuna, but they’d lose them right away. But no one was getting discouraged, he said, because the five fishermen on board knew they just had to be patient.

Pothier has been participating in the tuna tournament since it became a component of the local Shark Scramble, before the tournament branched back out on its own last year. For their efforts the Lady Patricia landed two tunas weighing 277 and 293 pounds. They also landed a 43-pound albacore, for which no tag was required.

The highest total weight of the tournament went to the vessel Cameron John, whose two tuna – weighing 319 and 416 pounds – combined for a total weight of 735 pounds.

“It was fun,” said Pat Jacquard, who was on the vessel with Craig Wallace and Albert Gaudet. “The second one was bigger than the first one, it took a half hour to get it on board, we took our time, we didn’t want to lose it.”

Jacquard, who recalls the days when he and his friends would run to the Tuna Wharf to watch the weigh-ins during the international matches, said he’s looking forward to taking part in next year’s tournament.

Of the ten boats that took part in the tournament, only two didn’t land any tuna.

Following the weigh-ins the tuna were auctioned off to fish buyers, and fetched prices ranging in price from $4.25 a pound to $10.50. The high price went to the 343-pound tuna caught aboard the Provider.



QUICK GLANCE

The following are the weigh-in results according to vessel:

•Allie E: two tuna caught, 288 and 368 pounds for a total weight of 656 pounds

•Beefeater: two tuna caught, 254 and 301 pounds for a total weight of 555 pounds

•Cameron John: two tuna caught, 319 and 416 pounds for a total weight of 735 pounds

•Fin Seeker: two tuna caught, 334 and 345 pounds for a total weight of 679 pounds

•Lady Patricia: two tuna caught, 277 and 293 pounds, plus a 43-pound albacore, for a total weight of 613 pounds

•Ol East Sider: two tuna caught, 365 and 365 pounds for a total weight of 730 pounds

•Provider: one tuna caught, 343 pounds

•True Blue: two tuna caught, 178 and 351 pounds for a total weight of 529 pounds