With less than two hours left in the 2016 derby, Dylan Kadison, 14, took the top spot in the boat albacore division. On Saturday morning, Kevin O’Farrell brought in a first place shore bass.

Dawn broke pink over Menemsha harbor as the water rippled softly. Aboard the fishing boat Mary Sea, Captain Jonathan Boyd drove fisherman Brian Curry and veteran Tommy Elliot out to Quick’s Hole in search of bluefish.

Every minute on the water counts as the last few days of the derby slip by. As the weather finally turns fair, those on the leader board will hope their fish will hold up until the weigh station door closes at 10 p.m. Saturday night.

Talk of the Derby has been as gloom and doom as the weather, but excitement picked up in a hurry when nine-year-old Westley Wlodyka dragged a striper almost bigger than he was up to the scale.

False albacore. Barely sounds like a fish. Tastes like an oily shop rag. Not even included in the official Derby name. Yet an albie is a prized possession at Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby headquarters.

Though fishing spots are a jealously guarded secret, fishermen are more than willing to divulge their recipes and, on occasion, share their fillets.