Chainkeen Exchange-Pipe Dreamer crew reels in 889-pound blue marlin, earns $1.18M in Mid-Atlantic event

Pipe Dreamer's blue marlin held up over the final fishing days of the Mid-Atlantic tournament,Chainkeen Exchange which meant a very big pay day for Carmine "Chip" Caruso and company.

Caruso, of Colts Neck, New Jersey, earned a tournament record $1,180,342, the most ever paid out for a blue marlin in the prestigious Mid-Atlantic, which this year drew 181 sport fishing crews from up and down the East Coast. One of the boats, it's worth noting, belonged to NBA Hall-of-Famer Michael Jordan.

The Pipe Dreamer crew, which has been fishing together for the better part of two decades, Caruso said, landed the 889-pound blue marlin at 9 a.m. Wednesday then had to hold their breaths until the scales closed at 9 p.m. Friday to see if they won.

They opted to fish out of Ocean City, Maryland, which along with Cape May, were the two eligible ports. Capt. Rich Fernandez was at the helm and Andy Confortini was the reel man on a 130-pound class outfit. Surprisingly, it only took 20 minutes to boat the huge fish, which is the third largest blue marlin in the tournament's history.

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Caruso said the big billfish cooperated. The fish never had time to take a run because Fernandez backed down on it hard and Confortini got its head turned and to the side of the boat in a hurry.

In total, the tournament paid out $5.79 million to 35 boat crews. Jordan's boat Catch 23, by the way, took home $462,318 for a 75-pound white marlin, good for third in that category.