The Casco Bay Bluefin Bonanza (CBBB), founded in 2018 after the previous annual tournament sailed off into the sunset, brings together skilled anglers from all over the northeast for a competition filled with camaraderie and fun. Right off the shores of Southern Maine Community College (SMCC), fishermen, aspiring fishermen, and anyone who loves to be out on the water will hit Casco Bay in late July to have fun and compete for the largest catch while helping community college students. 
CBBB President Bob Humphrey said donations from charity auction goers, raffle ticket buyers, and sponsors go directly to scholarships funds to support students in the Maine Community College System (MCCS), technical school systems, and other deserving entities.
Humphrey recognizes the importance of giving back. “Community colleges around Maine are essential to Maine’s ever-growing fishing economy. Boats have motors and motors breakdown or need maintenance and service. Everyone on the water relies on their equipment working at peak performance. General mechanics, gas engine mechanics, diesel mechanics, outboard mechanics, and fishermen are areas of critical staffing needs that we feel we can help fill. We want to help grow people involved in our industry,” Humphrey said.Â
Last year, the tournament donated over $40,000 to the MCCS. That makes a significant impact on student opportunities.Â
“Our overriding goal is to build a stronger community,” Humphrey said. “We’re helping by providing an opportunity for students that might otherwise not have it to gain skills that would allow them to advance in the job force, which puts more skilled workers into the local workforce. We love to fish but realize that we can’t just take; we must give back.”
SMCC President Joe Cassidy, an avid fisherman, continues to enjoy this important partnership for the MCCS and SMCC. “We continue to be honored to be affiliated with the Casco Bay Bluefin Bonanza and are very grateful for the financial assistance it offers our students,” Cassidy said. “I’m so happy that I get to accept the “big check” from the CBBB crew so I can thank them first-hand for what those resources will do for the system and SMCC. Right off the beautiful coast at SMCC, this group supports science and continued stewardship of Maine’s tuna population while helping students become Maine’s next generation of highly skilled blue-economy workers. We can’t thank them enough for their support.”Â
This year’s tournament runs from July 29 through August 4. To join the tournament while supporting Maine community college students, visit https://www.bluefinbonanza.org/ to register today.