The 52 White Marlin Open has concluded and a bunch of money hits the bank accounts
The 52nd annual White Marlin Open has come to another exciting end.
The Ocean City, Md., event on Sunday saw its first wahoo and the tuna lead changed hands twice.
Otherwise, the leaderboard basically remained unchanged.
The competition featured 282 registered teams vying for a total purse of $7.3 million.
In the namesake division, hometown favorite Billfisher captured the crown in the white marlin category with a 72-pounder caught by Dan Gough, also of Ocean City.
His fish is worth $3.9 million.
On Saturday, the team got a big scare when Catch 23 of Jupiter, Fla. - and owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan - brought in a 71-pounder caught by Trey McMillan of Charleston, S.C.
Even though it didn’t win, the team pocketed $389, 377.
The Catch 23 led the release division heading into the final day, but that spot eventually went to the Taylor Jean with 1,086 points. Angler Rob Wagner tallied 595 of those points to win the top angler award. And the team also was named the first place boat.
And like it had since Monday, a 929.5-pound blue marlin captured that division’s title. The fish was caught Drew Osmeyer of Timonium, Md., on the Atlantic Beach, N.C., boat Barbara B.
It was worth $1.2 million.
The team also will pocket $19,950 for winning the dolphin division with a 32.5-pounder caught by Andrew Schreiber of Essex, Md.
An 95-pound yellowfin caught by New Smyrna Beach, Fla.’s Tommy Farella on the Virginia Beach vessel Mama C was knocked out of first place when a 188-pound bluefin tuna was brought to the last-minute scales. That fish - caught by Cape May, N.J. angler Jonathan Cianciulli on the Sea Hab - captured $764,325 to win the tuna division.
Another bluefin - a 186.5-pounder caught by Cordova, Md. angler Alex Eason - leaped into second on the Shorebilly and captured the team $85,647.
The Mama C’s fish held onto third and took home $111,529.
The event featured 282 registered teams vying for a $7.3 million prize purse. Two days were added because of rough seas. Teams still could only compete three days.
The event’s only wahoo was brought to the scales Sunday - a 49.5-pounder caught by Chris Jones of Pottstown, Pa. The fish was caught on the Indian River, Del.-based boat Shooting star and was worth $74,150.
In all, teams caught 456 white marlin, 24 blue marlin, 3 spearfish, 4 sailfish, 41 tuna, 14 dolphin and 1 wahoo.
