John Custer, president of the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby and principal of the Tisbury school, said the lead-up to the derby resembles a student getting ready for the first day of school.

“There’s excitement, and then [it] kind of settles after that,” Mr. Custer said. “If you’ve done a good job preparing, things go smoothly, which is all we want.”

The 80th edition of the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby commences at 12:01 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 14, with fishermen heading out in the dark to test their luck by boat or casting from the shoreline.

The opening bell for the first weigh-in rings on Sunday at 8 a.m., and then for the next five weeks anglers from on and off-Island will give up on sleep, work, chores — whatever it takes to chase the big one.

Weigh-ins take place each day from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Dock street derby headquarters in Edgartown.

A clean slate awaits.

Ray Ewing

A clean slate awaits.

Ray Ewing

Last Saturday, Mr. Custer and several derby committee members gathered at headquarters to get ready, putting the sign back up on the small gray shack, setting up the filet station and guard rails for people waiting in line, and sharing fish stories.

“The false albacore just started showing up,” said Joe El-Deiry, chairman of the derby.

Mr. El-Deiry also said the bonito are bountiful and as of a few weeks ago there were plenty of big bluefish here.

The derby runs to Oct. 18, with the annual awards ceremony taking place on Oct. 19 at Farm Neck Golf Club. The grand prize winner will win a new boat, donated by Eastern Boat Works in New Hampshire.

On Saturday, last year’s names were still legible on the leaderboard in faded chalk, including first time derby contestant Carmelo Torres, whose 8.13 pound shore-caught bonito won him the grand prize. But starting Sunday it’s anyone’s game as more than 3,000 contestants will vie for one of the six spots able to draw the winning key and thus a chance to win the boat.

This year, committee members created new programs to highlight the competition’s 80th anniversary.

In the derby booklet, 12 pages honor several longtime anglers who still compete in the derby. Though the derby has changed over the years — striped bass are no longer part of the competition due to dwindling stocks — the old timers all said the spirit of the competition remains the same: it is rooted in community.

Jim Cornwell, 88, first fished the derby in its fourth year when he was 12 years-old.

What fishermen will be chasing.

Ray Ewing

What fishermen will be chasing.

Ray Ewing

“My dad took me out of school and brought me down,” he told the Gazette while volunteering at the Martha’s Vineyard Surfcasters Association’s used tackle sale earlier this month.

Mr. Cornwell has been on the leaderboard twice — in 2002 for a bonito and in 2008 for a false albacore — but he’s never drawn the winning key.

He said the derby is competitive, but the true spirit of the event is about camaraderie and the lasting friendships he’s made.

“It’s a wonderful way to spend the day, and the night, on the beach,” Mr. Cornwell said. “You meet a lot of nice people.”

Mr. Cornwell will be speaking at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum on Sept. 24 as part of their upcoming speaker series to honor the 80th anniversary. The program is called Legends of the Line: Stories of the Derby told by Local Legends.

The idea for the series came from Laurel Redington, the museum’s director of programming and audience engagement.

Derby committee members on Saturday.

Ray Ewing

Derby committee members on Saturday.

Ray Ewing

“The layers of meaning it has for every community member, whether people are throwing lines in the water or not, is great, especially when a very special anniversary, like the 80th, comes up,” she said. “You start to look and reflect at what has transpired... [and] it tugs at you in so many ways.”

The series begins on Sept. 17 with Ed and Steve Amaral, who fished the first derby in 1946 when they were 10 and nine years old, respectively. Their father, Gus Amaral, weighed-in the very first fish he caught off Little Bridge.

Cooper “Coop” Gilkes, who owns a tackle shop in Edgartown, and Nelson Sigelman, an award-winning outdoor writer, will speak on Oct. 1. Shirley Craig will share her decades-long experiences fishing the derby on Oct. 8.

The final talk on Oct. 15 will honor Janet Messineo, who died last year. During her long fishing career, Ms. Messineo inspired many women to pick up a rod and take part in the derby. Ms. Messineo rang the opening bell for last year’s first weigh-in. At the museum event, friends and longtime derby participants will share stories about her legacy.

One of the derby’s missions is to give back to Island youth through its scholarships. Last year it awarded $110,000 to Island students, some of whom began participating in the derby when they were five years old. The scholarships go to students studying for maritime careers, and others pursuing entirely different paths.

“It’s just a treat going to the tabernacle for Class Night and handing out the scholarships,” said Chris Scott, derby treasurer. “This is one of the main reasons that we put the effort into the tournament [and] try to make it successful.”

Raising the next generation of derby participants is part of the fun for many committee members.

Leah Fraumeni helps out with weigh-ins each year, catching up with fellow competitors and celebrating when someone brings in their first fish. She said it’s moments like those that illustrate the derby’s lasting impact on the community.

“We’ve watched kids before they can walk [start] watching their older siblings bringing in fish, then they’re carrying on their own...” she said. “ You really see all these families grow and you just get so close with everybody. They’re your derby family.”