The Billfisher crew was awarded a world record $4,536,926 for Jeremy Duffie’s (Bethesda, Maryland) 77.5-pound white marlin caught last Friday, the final day of the 49th annual White Marlin Open.
Cabana angler Bill Britt of Sandy Spring, Maryland, reeled in a 511-pound blue marlin last Thursday during the 49th annual White Marlin Open. The Cabana team received $1,208,419.
The Southern C’s crew took home $1,278,197 for Jason Hersh’s (Maple Glen, Pennsylvania) 247.5-pound big eye caught on Wednesday during the 49th annual White Marlin Open.
The Billfisher crew was awarded a world record $4,536,926 for Jeremy Duffie’s (Bethesda, Maryland) 77.5-pound white marlin caught last Friday, the final day of the 49th annual White Marlin Open.
Cabana angler Bill Britt of Sandy Spring, Maryland, reeled in a 511-pound blue marlin last Thursday during the 49th annual White Marlin Open. The Cabana team received $1,208,419.
The Southern C’s crew took home $1,278,197 for Jason Hersh’s (Maple Glen, Pennsylvania) 247.5-pound big eye caught on Wednesday during the 49th annual White Marlin Open.
(Aug. 19, 2022) Marlin fishing was slow during the 49th annual White Marlin Open, held Aug. 8-12, but despite a lack of billfish, the largest brought to the Harbour Island Marina scale was worth $4,536,926 – a new world record.
“It’s a shame marlin fishing wasn’t good. It was about one-tenth of what it usually is,” said Jim Motsko, founder and co-director of the Open. “People want to catch marlin when they’re out there.”
On day one, 292 out of the Open’s 408 boats headed offshore. Thirty-two white marlin and 19 blues were released.
Only 15 boats went out last Tuesday and none reported catching fish.
On Wednesday, 279 boats fished. Forty-four white marlin were released and only one was boated that met the tournament’s 70-inch length minimum. The fish weighed 65 pounds – five pounds short of the tournament minimum.
The minimum length for blue marlin is 114 inches. There is no minimum weight.
Sixteen blue marlin were released on Wednesday.
A total of 352 boats headed offshore on Thursday and a qualifying white and blue marlin were finally weighed.
Keeley Megarity of Houston, Texas, landed a 71.5-pound white marlin while fishing on C-Student.
Cabana angler Bill Britt of Sandy Spring, Maryland, reeled in a 511-pound blue marlin also on Thursday.
A total of 286 boats were eligible to fish last Friday, the final day of the tournament.
At 6:20 p.m. the Billfisher pulled up to the 14th Street scale with a white marlin on board. Jeremy Duffie’s (Bethesda, Maryland) marlin weighed 77.5 pounds and took over first place.
The team held the spot and at the close of the scale at 9:15 p.m. it was declared the winner. The Billfisher crew was awarded a world record $4,536,926.
“It was a record [payout] for one person and boat,” Motsko said. “It’s a big deal.”
A big chunk of the money came from the Level E Winner Take All calcutta for white marlin, which costs $5,000 to enter. A total of 242 boats out of 408 signed up for the calcutta. The pot total was $1,076,900.
The team was also entered into Level WM, a winner take all for white marlin. A total of 157 boats entered the calcutta, which brought the payout to $1,397,300. It cost $10,000 to enter.
The Billfisher participated in the Level P Winner Take All for white marlin, which cost $20,000 to enter. Ninety-two boats entered and the pot totaled $1,637,600.
The team is no stranger to the leaderboard as it came in third place last year with Billy Gerlach’s 78.5-pound white marlin. The crew earned $106,216 for that fish.
Megarity’s marlin finished in second place. He and his C-Student teammates won $197,202.
Only 155 white marlin were caught during the Open, with 151 of them released.
The Cabana team received $1,208,419 for Britt’s catch.
Most of the money came from the Level F Winner Take All for blue marlin. A total of 225 boats registered for the calcutta and the payout was $400,500. It cost $2,000 to enter.
Fifty-eight of the 59 blue marlin caught during the Open were released.
“Overall it ended up good. Fishing was absolutely terrible for marlin,” Motsko said. “It saved the billfish division – a blue and white on Thursday and the next day a bigger white. There just wasn’t many caught. The water just wasn’t conducive for them.”
A third million-dollar prize was paid out in the tuna division.
The Southern C’s crew took home $1,278,197 for Jason Hersh’s (Maple Glen, Pennsylvania) 247.5-pound big eye caught on Wednesday.
The Big Stick team came in second place with Anderson Bowen’s (Suwanee, Georgia) 246.5-pound big eye hooked on Wednesday. The group received $152,405.
Komotose angler Richard Hawse of Pasadena, Maryland, reeled in a 242.5-pound big eye on Thursday. The team was presented $437,918.
Irene angler Frank Sinito, Jr. of Cleveland, Ohio, landed a 59.5-pound dolphin on Thursday, good for first place and $31,297.
Vernon Merritt, Jr. of Chincoteague, Virginia, caught a 29-pound dolphin on Monday aboard 10-4 Joker. Because of participation in the small boat heaviest dolphin added entry calcutta, the team was awarded $104,447.
JEB angler Vince Piccinini of Lutherville, Maryland, hooked a 28-pound dolphin on Wednesday. The crew won $28,297.
The Jenny Poo team took first place in the wahoo division with Chris Thompson’s (Mount Airy, Maryland) 71 pounder boated on Wednesday. The group received $24,566.
WaterMarlin angler Hans Mulford of Seaford, Delaware, reeled in a 54-pound wahoo on Thursday. It was worth $23,566.
The 51.5-pound wahoo caught on Monday by Patrick Brown of Miami aboard Irish Twin brought in $22,566 for the crew.
Swordfish was a new category for the tournament this year. None were boated.
Top three boats: Billfisher, four white and two blue marlin releases, one white boated (77.5 pounds) and one tuna boated (65 pounds), 708 points; Mama C, two sailfish, three white and two blue marlin releases, 700 points; Lights Out, two white and two blue marlin releases, 490 points.
Top release boats: Mama C, 700 points; Billfisher, 630 points; Lights Out, 490 points.
Top three anglers: Bill Haugland, Lights Out, two white and two blue marlin releases, 490 points; Kelly Weber, Max Bet, two blue and one white marlin releases, 420 points; Victor Roof, Miss Maxine, two blue and one white marlin releases, 420 points.
Teams could fish three of the five tournament days.
While weigh-ins at Harbour Island Marina on 14th Street drew thousands of spectators over the five-day event, Marlin Fest on the beach at the inlet was well received.
“It was a home run,” Motsko said, crediting his daughters, Sasha Motsko and Madelyne Rowan, as well as Kelly Curcio and Kevin Myers, and many others with its success. “It went unbelievably well.”
The weigh-ins were broadcast live on a jumbo screen at Marlin Fest and numerous food, beverage and retail vendors were on hand. There was also events for children, live music daily, corn hole and other activities.
Motsko said the event drew around 25,000 visitors overall – about 5,000 per day.
“Everyone loved it,” he added. “We hope to grow it.”
The first White Marlin Open took place in 1974 with 57 boats registered and a guaranteed $20,000 in prize money.
This year, 408 boats are entered and the total prize money awarded was about $8.6 million, down a bit from 2021 when 444 boats participated and more than $9.2 million was distributed among the winners.
Motsko said tournament organizers hope to do something special for the 50th anniversary of the Open in 2023, which is slated to take place Aug. 7-11.
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Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low near 70F. Winds light and variable.
Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low near 70F. Winds light and variable.
Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy in the afternoon. High 79F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.
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