OCEAN CITY- The 17th Annual Mako Mania tournament, the first significant event of the summer-long offshore fishing tournament season in the resort, is in the books with 30 boats vying for over $46,000 in prize money.

The Mako Mania tournament, hosted by Bahia Marina, is the first in a summer-long series of offshore tournaments held in the resort, and with sharks of all species and sizes turning up in abundance in the canyons off the coast, the 2013 event produced plenty of action. Despite the remnants of Tropical Storm Andrea, which passed through the area last Friday, the tournament was a huge success again with 30 boats and 128 anglers competing for the $46,430 total payout.

Because of stormy conditions, just three boats fished last Friday, the first of three official fishing days. However, 27 fished Saturday and another 30 headed out on Sunday, producing large numbers of boated and released sharks. For the record, first place in the signature mako division went to angler Kelly Barr on the “Moore Bills” with a 209.5-pound thresher worth $14,787.

Second place in the mako division went to angler Victor Muzzati on the “Stress Reelief” with a 144.8-pounder, which was worth $18,979 in prize money because of added entry levels. Third-place honors in the mako division went to angler Ken Thompson on the “First and More” with a 143.2-pounder worth $6,225. First place in the bluefish division went to angler Nate Beck on the “No Limits” with a 12.8-pounder worth $5,437. The “Stress Reelief” crew won the W.W. Harman Award for the most mako releases with five and earned an additional $1,000 in prize money.