2024: MONGO’s East Coast Coming Out Party

In many ways, 2024 is the MONGO’s coming out party on the East Coast. In it’s third year, the East Coast Division is wide open.

The 2024 MONGO East Coast Division will feature a six-figure payout. Who will take home the pile of blue marlin money is still to be determined, but Team Harvey’s 649 pound blue marlin currently stands to take home top honors.

There are a number contexts through which to understand what 2024 means to the MONGO’s East Coast Division. What follows is part midpoint update and part celebration of an event that captures the wonder and camaraderie of the East Coast bluewater sportfishing community unlike any other.

Contexts for Success

One of the central charms of the MONGO format lies in its geographical expanse. The tournament pays out for the largest fish in six categories.

The Most Broadly Distributed Bluewater Tournament in North America

In the MONGO East Coast Division, the tournament boundaries stretch from Florida all the way to Massachusetts. Like the fishable area, participating boats in the 2024 East Coast Division hail from Palm Beach, Florida in the south to Cape Cod, Massachusetts in the north.

This span of nearly 1,500 miles is incredible. That the MONGO connects passionate boat owners and captains from Cape Cod to Palm Beach (and New Jersey and Ocean City and Oregon Inlet and many, many other places in between) reflects the ties that bind those who love bluewater fishing.

To make this distribution possible, the MONGO partners with a network of East Coast marinas that provide a weigh station network that spans the coast. These include weigh stations in Florida (Oasis Marinas at Fernandina Harbor, Sunrise Marina in Port Canaveral, New Smyrna Marina, and Cape Marina), Georgia (Jekyll Harbor Marina), South Carolina (The Marina at Edisto Beach and Tolers Cove Marina), North Carolina (Town Creek Marina in Beaufort, Hatteras Harbor Marina, Pirate’s Cove, Bridge Tender Marina in Wrightsville Beach, EJW Outdoors in Morehead City, and Oregon Inlet Fishing Center), Virginia (Virginia Beach Fishing Center and Fisherman’s Wharf Marina), Maryland (M.R. Ducks and Sunset Marina in Ocean City), New Jersey (Hoffman’s Marina, Brielle Marina, Canyon Club, and South Jersey Marina), New York (Montauk Angler’s Club), and Massachusetts (Hyannis Marina and Falmouth Marina).

A Diverse Fleet

All told, 22 boats produced 51 division entries in the 2024 MONGO East Coast Division. These boats range in size from a 26’ Sea Hunt center console all the way to a 77’ Whiticar.

To this point, some 59 anglers have participated in the 2024 MONGO East Coast category. The fleet has not only targeted MONGO money while fishing, but has done so while participating in some of the largest and most prestigious tournaments on the East Coast.

MONGO Boats Participate in the Biggest Tournaments in Sportfishing

The MONGO fleet has fished the Big Rock, the White Marlin Open. Boats will fish Virginia Beach, Pirates Cove, and the Oak Bluffs Bluewater Classic in Massachusetts.

Some of the participating boats are charter operations. Others are world-traveling tournament programs. Some are captained and owned by people who are neither of these things, but who really love fishing.

Sponsors

Beyond the boats, owners, crews, captains and anglers who fish the East Coast, the MONGO uniquely showcases the sponsors with which it so proudly partners. The same broad geographic footprint that includes anglers from so much of the East Coast, also broadcasts the services and products made by sponsors.

MONGO East Coast sponsors include some of the best and brightest names in the sportfishing industry. They include:

• Platinum Sponsors– Atlantic Marine Electronics and the MONGO Talk Podcast
• Gold Sponsors– Hauling Away, Galati Yacht Sales, Horizon Line Marine Enclosures, NiteTrack, Foster’s Marine, ICOM, MAQ Sonar, Zook Rods, Saunders Yachtworks, Dinnteco, Claremont Property Co., Trapp Cadillac / Chevrolet, SeaWard, and Beard Equipment Co.
• Silver Sponsors– Rouses Markets, Larry Rackley Art, Christi Insurance, Yacht Armor, Daggaboy Safaris, and BoatFi
• Bronze Sponsors– Viking Yachts, High Seas Marine Stabilizers, and Hilton’s Realtime Navigator.

2024 Midseason Update

Blue Marlin Leader: Team Harvey. 649 pounds

The 2024 East Coast Blue Marlin division will pay out more than $100,000 this year. With just under half of the 153 days of fishing remaining, who will win top honors is not known—but somebody will.

On July 19, while fishing Jimmy Johnson’s Quest for the Ring Tournament in Ocean City, Maryland, Team Harvey, a 72 Viking based in Palm Beach, caught a 649 pound blue. In every standard of the word the fish was a MONGO. The fish’s short length measured 119 inches.

As it sits, Team Harvey leads the 2024 East Coast Blue Marlin Division. Whoever wins this year will win not only the entries from this year, but the rollover money from the 2023 MONGO.

The total payout in the Blue Marlin Division is $100,125. That payout is more than 40 times the buy in of $2,500.  This makes the MONGO East Coast Blue Marlin division one of the highest returns on the sportfishing landscape.

Mahi Leader: WideSpread, Captain Jay Watson. 45 pounds

The midway point leader in the mahi division is a familiar name. Captain Jay Watson is a hell of a fisherman and a really good guy. He is also a three time East Coast MONGO winner. In 2023 he won the yellowfin and wahoo divisions, in 2022 the dolphin division. All in all, Jay Watson has won a total of $52,695 in the MONGO.

If the mahi division stays the way it is now, Watson will add to each of these totals. It is little wonder why he likes the MONGO so much.

“It was really neat having the MONGO be part of our tournament success. The MONGO checks put our boat over the 2-million-dollar mark in overall winnings,” Watson explains. “We’ve been able to implement the MONGO platform into our charter program, giving our clients another exciting option.”

“The MONGO also coincides with all of our East Coast tournaments. This gives us another angle for success with a lower buy-in. For fish that qualify for the MONGO and another tournament, the MONGO is often pays more than the other event.  That’s very appealing to my tournament clientele and my ownership as well.”

Capt. Jay Watson, WideSpread

Bigeye Leader: Roshambo, Captain Willie Zimmerman. 202 pounds

The bigeye leader at the midway point is another familiar name. Captain Willie Zimmerman and company have cashed plenty of MONGO checks. They won the 2022 swordfish division with a 393.8-pound sword that also set the Maryland state record. Last year, the Roshambo won the Bigeye division with a 246.

There is plenty of fishing left in the MONGO. Tuna fishing has been good up and down the East Coast. Where and how this division shakes out will become clear. That said, there’s a solid fish on the board and lots more fishing to come.

Yellowfin Leader: Scup Slayer, Captain Rob Goodwin. 113 pounds

The Scup Slayer is a 72’ Viking based in Massachusetts. If this result holds up, this will be the northernmost MONGO winner in the event’s history.

There is still quite a bit of fishing to come and the height of canyon fishing season is still to come. Who knows where it ends, but it’s nice to have a MONGO in the bank.

Wahoo and Swordfish Divisions

No qualifying fish to this point. That is likely to change….