- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,194,530
- Reaction score
- 59
About 400 boats are expected to hit the water Monday off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland, in a quest for a purse of more than $8 million as the White Marlin Open begins.
Among the anglers registered: NBA legend Michael Jordan.
The event — in its 52 year and billed as the world’s largest offshore billfish tournament — featured 318 boats and 3,000 anglers last year competing for a share of the $8.59 million purse. Ven Poole, of Raleigh, North Carolina, reeled in a 77.5-pound white marlin on the Waste Knot to win more than $3.69 million, while Ocean City’s Noah McVicker, fishing aboard the Billfisher, earned more than $1.79 million for his 76-pound second-place white marlin.
In the blue marlin division, Lance Blakemore, of Horseheads, New York, aboard Stone Cutter, won $520,000 for an 897.5-pounder that landed among the top five in tournament history.
North Carolina boat wins top prize of nearly $3.7 million at White Marlin Open
Tournament director Sasha Motsko told the OC Today-Dispatch that 400 boats are expected to participate this year, “which would make for a larger purse than last year.
“We’ve seen several boats that have pre-registered that have never fished the White Marlin Open before, so that is a good sign.”
Among the boats registered by Friday was Catch 23, an 82-footer owned by Jordan and based in Jupiter, Florida. Stetson Turney is listed as the captain, and his crew of anglers includes Jordan, an avid fisherman who has participated in the White Marlin Open in recent years.
The tournament begins at 8 a.m. Monday and runs through Friday. Boats are permitted to fish until 3:30 p.m. on any three of the tournament’s five days. Basic entry fees are $1,400 to $1,700 per boat, and eligible species for weighing are white marlin, blue marlin, swordfish, tuna, dolphin and wahoo.
Jami Frankenberry, [email protected]
Continue reading...
Among the anglers registered: NBA legend Michael Jordan.
The event — in its 52 year and billed as the world’s largest offshore billfish tournament — featured 318 boats and 3,000 anglers last year competing for a share of the $8.59 million purse. Ven Poole, of Raleigh, North Carolina, reeled in a 77.5-pound white marlin on the Waste Knot to win more than $3.69 million, while Ocean City’s Noah McVicker, fishing aboard the Billfisher, earned more than $1.79 million for his 76-pound second-place white marlin.
In the blue marlin division, Lance Blakemore, of Horseheads, New York, aboard Stone Cutter, won $520,000 for an 897.5-pounder that landed among the top five in tournament history.
North Carolina boat wins top prize of nearly $3.7 million at White Marlin Open
Tournament director Sasha Motsko told the OC Today-Dispatch that 400 boats are expected to participate this year, “which would make for a larger purse than last year.
“We’ve seen several boats that have pre-registered that have never fished the White Marlin Open before, so that is a good sign.”
Among the boats registered by Friday was Catch 23, an 82-footer owned by Jordan and based in Jupiter, Florida. Stetson Turney is listed as the captain, and his crew of anglers includes Jordan, an avid fisherman who has participated in the White Marlin Open in recent years.
The tournament begins at 8 a.m. Monday and runs through Friday. Boats are permitted to fish until 3:30 p.m. on any three of the tournament’s five days. Basic entry fees are $1,400 to $1,700 per boat, and eligible species for weighing are white marlin, blue marlin, swordfish, tuna, dolphin and wahoo.
Jami Frankenberry, [email protected]
Continue reading...
