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The Bailey Island Fishing Tournament returned July 18-24 for its 84th edition, with an emphasis on the next generation. The Casco Bay Tuna Club, which organizes the tournament, added a new category for ages 12-17 and opened the tournament with an afternoon of tuna activities for families.
The tournament’s first prize went to Clifford McIntire. He received the inaugural Chris McIntire “First to the Scales” Award, named after his father, for a 10-ounce mackerel. The club dedicated the award to Chris, an Orr’s Island lobsterman who died in November 2025 at the age of 32.
Chris and his sons had been first in line to weigh their fish when the tournament opened in 2024, after a several-year hiatus, and again in 2025. In a video posted by the club, Chris’ wife, Margaret, said the reason they had been first was because early Sunday morning was the only time her husband could get away from work.
Organizers celebrated McIntire for passing his love of fishing to his kids. His example was one of many evident at this year’s tournament.
At Mackerel Cove on Thursday — the tournament runs from a Saturday through the following Friday — three generations were getting ready to take a mackerel to the scales. (The fish didn’t place.)
Grandparents Beverly and Matthew Prayshaw, of Lisbon, have a camp on Abner Point Road. Beverly said the family has participated in the tournament for 30 years. She remembers walking down at night to see tunas lined up at the wharf that was recently bought by the owner of Glen’s Lobsters.
While the tournament, for Beverly, was once about fishing, she said that now it’s about family. With her and Matthew were their daughter and son-in-law, Jesann and Connor Adley, of Beverly, Massachusetts, and their 3-year-old son, Abner, named after the road. Abner had just caught his first tournament fish, a pollock, but it slipped through the dock.
Jesann said they were glad to see the tournament come back, and they hope to see it continue. “We want it to be around when he’s older,” she said, nodding at Abner.
This year saw the tournament’s first Youth Day, held on Saturday. Scientists from the University of Maine Pelagic Fisheries Lab dissected a couple of tuna heads and a lancet fish.
“The kids get to touch everything,” said the lab’s manager, Sammi Nadeau. The researchers did have to talk one kid out of trying to take a tuna eyeball lens home in his pocket.
Nadeau said it’s fun for the researchers to show fishermen what they can learn from their catch, and to get kids excited about research. The scientists don’t catch any fish themselves, relying instead on what fishermen land to try to learn about species such as the elusive, wide-ranging Atlantic bluefin tuna.
“The ability to be able to communicate with community members and gain their excitement and trust is super valuable,” Nadeau said.
The first edition of the tournament was held in 1938. Over the years it grew to include sportfishing categories. Tuna fishermen must have a federal license, but anyone can fish for striped bass, mackerel, pollock and other species the tournament accepts.
The 2026 tournament was dedicated to the memory of Tami McNelly, a club member whose father, Les McNelly, was a longtime president of the club. She died in October 2025 at the age of 57.
The tournament was suspended in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, then struggled to restart as organizers sought a suitable wharf. They found one in 2024, after Portland restaurant owner Ethan Morgan bought the wharf on Garrison Cove adjacent to Cook’s Lobster & Ale House.
Morgan has been repairing the pilings beneath the wharf and its concrete surface, and this year he installed a new lift.
“He’s done important work to make it safe for us,” said Jess Tranter, the club’s secretary and treasurer. Cook’s has also pitched in, letting the tournament use its parking lot and outdoor space.
Club President Bill Tranter said enrollment grew in each of the categories this year relative to 2025, except tuna, which was about the same. The tournament registered 31 tuna boats, 50 people in the sportfishing category, 14 intermediates and 54 juniors.
The club introduced the intermediate class, for ages 12-17, because members found that kids were aging out of the junior category but weren’t ready to pay the fee to enroll as adults, Jess said. Juniors compete for fish that can be caught from docks or close to shore.
Tyler McLaughlin took home this year’s top prize in a shortened tuna competition with a 107-inch, 684-pound fish he landed on Wednesday. Organizers canceled the first two days of tuna fishing because tuna buyers were not buying fish, citing a weak market.
Jess said it wouldn’t be ethical to have fishermen catching tuna they couldn’t sell.
Bill, in a Facebook post, encouraged tuna fishermen to make a plan for any fish they caught. If they couldn’t sell the tuna, he suggested they think about whether they could keep it for themselves or find somewhere to donate it.
Dylan Richards placed first in the sportfish striper category. Camille Cline was first among intermediates, while Cole Baumgartner got the biggest striper of the juniors.
For pollock, Andrew Burns was top of the sportfish class, Remy Leary was first in intermediate, and Cole Baumgartner was again first in junior.
Shane Leary caught the biggest sportfish squid, Remy Leary got the biggest intermediate squid, and Gregory Wallace the biggest junior squid.
In sportfish mackerel, Mick Polkowski ended up on top, while Remy Leary got another first prize in intermediate mackerel, and Olivia Silver won the juniors.
Haddock was only a sportfish competition. Bill Tranter won that category.
