Most people experience an offshore fishing tournament from the dock, cheering during the weigh-in or scrolling through photos afterward. Our social media coordinator, Grace, experienced it from the fighting chair, the deck and 80 miles offshore.
She joined Tuna & Tiaras, the world’s only all-women tuna tournament, to document what a day on the water is really like. Founded in 2021, the Ocean City-based tournament celebrates women in offshore fishing while raising money for Women Supporting Women, a local nonprofit that provides education and support to those impacted by breast cancer. Owned and operated by women, the event brings together anglers of all experience levels for a weekend of competition, camaraderie and giving back.
What follows is Grace’s diary of the day, told in her own words, from a 1:40 a.m. alarm clock to the final weigh-in.
1:40 a.m.
My alarm went off at 1:40 in the morning after maybe two hours of sleep.
I stayed up watching the U.S. World Cup soccer game the night before, so I was already struggling before the day even started. I finished packing my cooler, put on my bathing suit and mentally prepared for the long day ahead.
Then I headed from Rehoboth Beach to Ocean City, Md.
2:30 a.m.
Driving through Dewey Beach made me giggle out loud because everyone was still coming out of the bars and stomping around drunk.
I was like, “Well … I’m going on a fishing tournament, so see you later, losers. I’m the winner here.”
Ocean City was the same way. Everyone else’s night was ending while mine was just getting started.
3:30 a.m.
The boat was docked behind this private house, so just finding it was confusing. I had to call and ask where everyone was.
I’d never met these people before, and suddenly I’m getting on a boat at 3:30 in the morning with a bunch of random women.
The mates were getting the boat and fishing gear ready while the girlies were just hanging out and getting settled. I didn’t have any caffeine in my system and everyone else did, so I was kind of mute, just taking it all in.
I thought I was going to sleep on the ride out to the ocean.
I definitely did not.
4:30 a.m.
We left the marina and headed 80 miles offshore.
The weather was beautiful. It was warm, but because we were moving the whole time, it was actually kind of chilly with the wind. I kept a sweatshirt on most of the morning.
GRACE HOFFMAN PHOTOSThe sunrise was so gorgeous that there was no chance I was sleeping. There were six of us sitting on the benches watching it together. It was a really wholesome moment with ladies I’d never met before.
Later I pulled up Google Maps just to see where we were … we were even with Richmond, Virginia. That was crazy.
6:45 a.m.
MIMOSA O’CLOCK
We popped a bottle and passed around some lightly OJ-ed mimosas. The girlies who were passionate about fishing drew cards to determine who would reel first.
7 a.m.
The mates dropped about six lines in the water. About half an hour later, we finally heard it.
There was this ringing noise that went off across the boat. We’d only hear it once all day, but everyone immediately knew what it meant.
It was time.
Brittany drew the highest card, so she got strapped into the fighting chair.
She reeled that tuna in for probably 10 or 15 minutes. The other girlies helped her here and there, but the mates couldn’t touch the reel. They could only help once the fish got close enough to the boat.
I was on the top deck filming everything while the boat kept rocking. I had to climb up a ladder while everything was moving just to get the best angle, and I was honestly scared I was going to lose my camera.
Everyone down below was hooting and hollering, and I was up top doing the same thing, trying to capture everything while also just wanting to be part of the moment.
Then they finally gaffed the fish and brought it on board.
There was blood everywhere.
It was all really exciting. We were all just like, “Whoa … we got one! Is it big? IDK!!”
The fish ended up being a 43½-pound bluefin tuna.
The adrenaline hit immediately. My heart was racing, and we rode that high for a long time afterward, just replaying how exciting it was.
THE WAITING GAME
That was also the only fish we caught all day.
Fishing offshore is a lot of waiting, but honestly I didn’t even mind because there was so much happening around us.
The mates were constantly moving lines, untangling everything, changing bait depending on where we were and getting everything ready. It was really cool just watching them work.
At one point I went up and talked to Captain Mike because I wanted to know why we weren’t catching anything.
He explained that the tuna were migrating north.
It’s basically a tuna highway.
They’re constantly moving, so you’re trying to intercept them instead of fishing one specific spot.
He also told me social media and word of mouth have completely changed offshore fishing because people post coordinates now, so all of the secret fishing spots aren’t really secret anymore.
Even though we only caught one fish, we saw so many other animals.
There were dolphins everywhere, but they looked different than the ones you see from the beach. They had white bellies and were super playful. They were probably only about 20 feet from the boat, riding alongside us.
We also saw a huge sea turtle floating on the surface, a shark in the distance and this gigantic sunfish.
I remember pointing at the fin sticking out of the water and asking Captain Mike what it was.
He looked for maybe two seconds and said, “Oh, that’s a sunfish.”
I still have no idea how he could tell that fast.
And honestly, there were moments where I forgot we were even supposed to be fishing.
We were dancing, singing, drinking, tanning and just hanging out. The vibe was so fun that sometimes I completely forgot we had a mission.
11 a.m.
Around 11 a.m., I took a fat nap with my sunglasses on and all.
The inside of the boat was way nicer than I expected. There were couches, a little kitchen, two bedrooms and a bathroom, so I stretched out on one of the couches for about an hour.
After that I came back outside, had some lunch and just kept hanging out.
I ate really sporadically because my tummy was still confused about why I only got two hours of sleep.
The music kept playing all day, and it was funny because everyone else on the boat was a millennial and I’m Gen Z.
There was a lot of ’90s rap.
Definitely not my era.
But I was there for the vibes.
And the vibe really was special because it was all women. The camaraderie was so energetic and exciting. It just felt different in the best way.
3 p.m.
Fishing officially ended at 3.
The lines had been in the water from 7 until 3, and since we hadn’t caught anything else, we all started helping reel them back in.
I was like, “I need to touch a fishing pole.”
Even without a fish on the line, reeling everything back in was a workout. I swear the line was out like half a mile.
It definitely made me appreciate what Brittany did that morning.
THE RIDE BACK TO THE SHORE
On the way back we all started guessing how close we’d be before we could finally see land again.
Eventually the Ocean City skyline appeared at 15 miles out.
If you catch a fish, you put a little fishy flag on your boat.
We had ours flying proud.
When we finally got back to the dock, it felt really weird and dystopian that I was still awake.
I definitely had sea legs. My equilibrium was super off, and I still felt it the next morning.
WEIGH-IN
From the dock we drove over to the weigh-in at Micky Fins.
There were people everywhere just watching the fish come in.
Our bluefin officially weighed 43½ pounds.
After that, they took it over to the butcher, cut it into six pieces and each of us got to take a portion home.
I called my mom on the way home and said, “Mom, I’m bringing home some tuna. Get the poke bowls ready.”
I left Ocean City around 6:45 and got home around 7:45.
The next night I had one of the best poke bowls I’ve ever eaten.
Was it actually better than other tuna? Maybe.
But I think it was better in my head because I watched it come straight out of the ocean.
It just felt like I was eating my accomplishments.
When I got home that night, I showered, went to bed and slept for 13 hours straight.
Even though I never got to reel in a tuna myself, I’d absolutely do it again. It was such a fun, magical experience, and it would be even better if I got to catch something, or at least reel something in.
There was something about the all-female experience that was truly special and empowering in a male-dominated field. Although the men were putting out the bait, running the boat, driving the boat, getting the fish off the boat and more, us girlies had the time of our lives bringing in that one fishy.
Catching Up with Captain Mike
Q: What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever seen out on the water?
Captain Mike: Last year during the White Marlin Open, we saw a whale shark, which was pretty incredible. I’ve also seen marlin just lying on the surface, almost like they’re taking a nap. You never know what you’re going to see out there.
Q: If you could only fish for one species, what would it be?
Captain Mike: White marlin. They’re my favorite, hands down. They’re exciting, challenging and every fight is different.
Q: What’s up with the “bananas are bad luck” superstition?
Captain Mike: I don’t believe in that. It started with banana cargo boats in the 1700s. The bananas on those boats carried disease and killed crew members.
Q: Do you have any superstitions before leaving the dock?
Captain Mike: We use a small step box to board the boat, and it must stay on the dock. If it accidentally ends up onboard, it’s considered bad luck. One was even thrown overboard after someone brought it aboard by mistake.
Q: You fish a lot of tournaments. How busy does your summer get?
Captain Mike: Pretty busy. I try to go out and fish every weekend and do most tournaments. We fish all the big marlin and tuna tournaments in Ocean City.
Q: What’s an accomplishment you’re most proud of?
Captain Mike: Winning a tuna tournament three times. There are a lot of great crews out there, so every win means something.
Q: Has offshore fishing changed since you first started?
Captain Mike: Definitely. Years ago, finding good fishing spots was mostly word of mouth. Now, with social media and all the new technology, everyone has access to information. There are a lot more boats fishing the same areas, and it gets crowded.
Q: How long have you been doing this?
Captain Mike: I’ve been offshore fishing since 1996, and I’ve been with this boat for the past four years.
Q: Do you have any superstitions before leaving the dock?
Captain Mike: We use a small step box to board the boat, and it must stay on the dock. If it accidentally ends up onboard, it’s considered bad luck. One was even thrown overboard after someone brought it aboard by mistake.
Q: You fish a lot of tournaments. How busy does your summer get?
Captain Mike: Pretty busy. I try to go out and fish every weekend and do most tournaments. We fish all the big marlin and tuna tournaments in Ocean City.
Q: What’s an accomplishment you’re most proud of?
Captain Mike: Winning a tuna tournament three times. There are a lot of great crews out there, so every win means something.
Q: Has offshore fishing changed since you first started?
Captain Mike: Definitely. Years ago, finding good fishing spots was mostly word of mouth. Now, with social media and all the new technology, everyone has access to information. There are a lot more boats fishing the same areas, and it gets crowded.
Q: How long have you been doing this?
Captain Mike: I’ve been offshore fishing since 1996, and I’ve been with this boat for the past four years.
Q: What do you do when you’re not fishing?
Captain Mike: I’m actually a custom home builder. Fishing is my passion, so whenever there’s a tournament or a chance to get offshore, that’s where you’ll find me.
