It's called the White Marlin Open. But don't forget about the blues
Drew Osmeyer might be happy if nobody caught any more billfish in the 52nd annual White Marlin Open.
Fishing on the first day of the Ocean City, Md.-based tournament, the Maryland angler and the team on Barbara B brought on board a large blue marlin that met the required length of at least 114 inches to bring to the scales.
Once in port, the fish measured 130 inches and strained the weigh-in cables at 929.5 pounds.
If nobody brings in a bigger blue, the fish could bring the Atlantic Beach, N.C., vessel captained by Hunter Blount a check for nearly $4.5 million.
Oh, and the team would have to wish that no white marlin were brought to the scales. After all, it is a white marlin tournament and that species of billfish brings the highest rewards.
In the extended “largest and richest billfish tournament in the world,” teams can fish only three days despite the event adding two extra days of opportunity because of weather conditions.
On Monday’s opening round, 117 out of 286 (more on this at the end) teams braved seas topping six feet to compete.
The swells didn’t help the overall catch, as 58 white marlin didn’t meet their minimum length and were released. In addition, four blue marlin, five tuna and one dolphin were caught.
Osmeyer’s teammate on the Barbara B - Maryland angler Andrew Shreiber - landed the tourney’s only dolphin. The 32.5-pounder could scored the team an additional $108,500 if a bigger one isn’t brought in.
In the tuna division, Keeley Megarity on the Texas-based C-Student brought in a 52.5-pound yellowfin that could be worth $732,000.
John Grace of New Jersey on the Bow Down followed a little later with an identical yellowfin that could bring in $544,000. C-Student gets the top spot on time of catch.
Just how many teams are entered in this year’s WMO is anybody’s guess. On various pages on the event’s website it lists the number at 286 or 282.
And when you look at each day’s total of teams fishing and teams not fishing, the number adds up to 255 for Monday’s fishing and again for today’s.
Officials reported early this morning that 212 teams are fishing, with 43 taking the day off.
There has been lots of talk that the confusion about the number of teams could come because some that were entered decided not to attend because of weather conditions that are forecast to get worse as the days go by.
Stay tuned, because the drama in this event typically heightens with every passing day.
