NEWBURYPORT — Kevin Moore's tale of winning a striped bass fishing tournament appears to be straight out of an Ernest Hemingway novel.

The storms were blowing out of the northeast on Labor Day weekend in 2006 when a Newburyport man set out for Crane's Beach in Ipswich at midnight on the final day of a three-day tournament. The ocean had 4-to 5-foot surfs during the first two days, so the veteran fisherman grabbed his 11-foot surf rod and three-ounce plugs and steered clear of his usual stomping grounds on the Merrimac River or Plum Island.

Just as the man reached Crane's long after dusk, there was a lull in the storm, the fog cleared, and in a span of three hours, he had three fish on the beach. The savvy fisherman's bait-and-tackle companion appeared hours later, for he figured the storm would've prevented his friend from attempting any heroic acts in his hunt for the title. Instead, when the late-arriving fellow fisherman appeared no less than eight hours after the scheduled meeting time, his soon-to-be champion friend was returning a 38-inch striper to the sea because he had already hooked a 43-inch bass.

That performance earned Moore a victory in the fourth annual Lou Almeida Memorial Striped Bass Fishing Tournament. Moore will again throw his hat in the ring this weekend in an attempt to capture his second tournament title. The tournament, now in its sixth year, honors longtime Amesbury fishing enthusiast Leo Almeida, who died in 2003 shortly before the first tournament, which he organized. In the past five years, the tournament has raised more than $19,000 for food pantries in Amesbury, Danvers and Gloucester. The three-day tournament ends Monday when fish are weighed at Pope's Landing in Danvers.

Tournament director Amy Almeida, the daughter of Lou Almeida, expects 300 participants in this year's competition. Former champion Moore expects the competition to be stiff in his attempt to reclaim the title for largest catch from the surf.

"There are a lot of good fishermen," Moore said. "The chances of doing it again are slim because a lot of fish get weighed. You never know, though. It doesn't have to be the biggest fish of the year — it just has to be the biggest that weekend."

Moore, who has a charter guide service off Plum Island and also runs a junior fishing program, Plum Island Surfcasters, has already pulled in a 43-inch, 30-pound striper this season. While he enjoys the sport of the tournament, he enters each year because of the cause and, to a lesser degree, the raffle. Prizes of up to $500 are awarded in various categories including boat, shore/surf, and for children under 16. Those who donate to Our Neighbor's Table are eligible for raffle prizes.

"Everybody that enters essentially wins something," Moore said. "A lot of the fish proceeds go to food banks. They have a fantastic raffle."

Amy Almeida believes this year's event will offer the best raffle prizes to date.

"People are always interested in winning great prizes," Almeida said. "We have a special award for people who participated in all six tournaments. It's a hand-blown glass Christmas tree ornament. It's gorgeous, and we have quite a few to give away."