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The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament — which awarded a total purse of more than $7.5 million last year — again will be lucrative when boats hit the water in the coming days.
But the event has added a new wrinkle for the hundreds of boats that converge annually on Morehead City, North Carolina.
The Big Rock Triple Crown will debut and recognize an overall champion for boats that finish atop the standings after the Big Rock’s three tournaments: the one-day Big Rock Keli Wagner Lady Angler Tournament (Friday), the marquee Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament (June 9-14) and Big Rock Kids Billfish Tournament (July 10-12).
“The Big Rock Triple Crown allows us to award an overall champion each year,” Big Rock board member Casey Wagner said in a statement. “Boats will test their skills in three distinctly different venues: the ladies tournament, the kids tournament and of course the Big Rock Tournament. It should be very competitive and exciting,”
Boats receive 50 points for each tournament they enter, and earn more points for fish their anglers bring in, including 125 points for white marlin, spearfish and sailfish and 400 points for the tournament’s namesake blue marlin. Bonus points are also available, and boats that land a blue marlin during the main Big Rock tournament will get one point per pound for weighed blue marlin.
The overall winner will be awarded a prize package that includes six custom Big Rock Triple Crown rings and apparel.
Boats competing for the Triple Crown also can enter an optional Level II Billfish Release Division for $5,000 to compete for more money. Based on a projected 75 boats, the estimated purse of $318,750 will be split among the top three teams: first earns 50%, or $159,375; second 30%, or $95,625; and third 20%, or $63,750.
More than 300 boats are expected to fish in the lucrative Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament, which begins Monday and runs through Saturday. Boats are permitted to fish on four of the tournament’s six days.
Last summer, the top three boats all won more than $1.7 million in prize money. Game Time, a boat based in West Palm Beach, Florida, brought in a 516-pound blue marlin on the opening day and stayed atop the leaderboard all week to collect $1.816 million.
Release, a Hatteras Harbor, North Carolina, boat, won the Fabulous Fisherman’s prize of $1.729 million for being the tournament’s first to reel in a blue marlin weighing more than 500 pounds. That 504-pound blue marlin took an hour and seven minutes to reel in by angler Kirk Pugh, a Wilmington, North Carolina, resident.
Builder’s Choice, based in New Bern, North Carolina, boated a 431.8-pound blue marlin — third on the scales, but with division bonuses took home $1.8 million.
Jami Frankenberry, [email protected]
Continue reading...
But the event has added a new wrinkle for the hundreds of boats that converge annually on Morehead City, North Carolina.
The Big Rock Triple Crown will debut and recognize an overall champion for boats that finish atop the standings after the Big Rock’s three tournaments: the one-day Big Rock Keli Wagner Lady Angler Tournament (Friday), the marquee Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament (June 9-14) and Big Rock Kids Billfish Tournament (July 10-12).
“The Big Rock Triple Crown allows us to award an overall champion each year,” Big Rock board member Casey Wagner said in a statement. “Boats will test their skills in three distinctly different venues: the ladies tournament, the kids tournament and of course the Big Rock Tournament. It should be very competitive and exciting,”
Boats receive 50 points for each tournament they enter, and earn more points for fish their anglers bring in, including 125 points for white marlin, spearfish and sailfish and 400 points for the tournament’s namesake blue marlin. Bonus points are also available, and boats that land a blue marlin during the main Big Rock tournament will get one point per pound for weighed blue marlin.
The overall winner will be awarded a prize package that includes six custom Big Rock Triple Crown rings and apparel.
Boats competing for the Triple Crown also can enter an optional Level II Billfish Release Division for $5,000 to compete for more money. Based on a projected 75 boats, the estimated purse of $318,750 will be split among the top three teams: first earns 50%, or $159,375; second 30%, or $95,625; and third 20%, or $63,750.
More than 300 boats are expected to fish in the lucrative Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament, which begins Monday and runs through Saturday. Boats are permitted to fish on four of the tournament’s six days.
Last summer, the top three boats all won more than $1.7 million in prize money. Game Time, a boat based in West Palm Beach, Florida, brought in a 516-pound blue marlin on the opening day and stayed atop the leaderboard all week to collect $1.816 million.
Release, a Hatteras Harbor, North Carolina, boat, won the Fabulous Fisherman’s prize of $1.729 million for being the tournament’s first to reel in a blue marlin weighing more than 500 pounds. That 504-pound blue marlin took an hour and seven minutes to reel in by angler Kirk Pugh, a Wilmington, North Carolina, resident.
Builder’s Choice, based in New Bern, North Carolina, boated a 431.8-pound blue marlin — third on the scales, but with division bonuses took home $1.8 million.
Jami Frankenberry, [email protected]
Continue reading...
