Two Ocean City, Maryland, boats climbed onto the leaderboards at their hometown tournament, but the overall leaders remain unchanged at the White Marlin Open.
Only 17 boats were fishing off the Ocean City coast Friday as most crews took a break in the 51st annual tournament that concludes Saturday.
Billfisher, a boat from Ocean City, caught a 76-pound white marlin on Thursday to pull into second place in that category. The catch is slated to earn more than $1.7 million if it holds up. Waste Knot, of Raleigh, North Carolina, remains in the lead atop the white marlin category with a 77.5-pounder and is in line to collect the top prize of $3.697 million if it stays there.
Moore Bills, also docked in Ocean City, landed an 894-pound blue marlin on Thursday to pull into second in its category, and is slated to earn $411,427. Stone Cutter, of St. Augustine, Florida, leads the blue marlin category with an 897.5-pounder worth a potential $518,000. The top three blue marlin catches all weighed in at 790-plus pounds — Bobojo, based in Manteo, North Carolina, brought in a 789.5-pound blue marlin.
The tournament’s 318 registered boats are permitted to fish on three of the tournament’s six days this year after expected inclement weather spurred officials to extend the tournament to Saturday. The event, billed as the world’s largest billfish tournament, begins at 8 a.m. and each boat is permitted to fish until 3:30 p.m.
Boats generally fish the canyon areas from 50-80 miles offshore in the quest for marlin, tuna, wahoo, dolphin and swordfish.
Boats from Hampton Roads, northeastern North Carolina and the Eastern Shore are among the entrants this year. Also among the registered boats is one owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan — an 82-foot Bayliss named Catch 23.
