It was a battle for the biggest catch and largest prize in Ocean City, Maryland, this weekend.
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The 53rd annual White Marlin Open closed Saturday with an 80-pound white marlin coming in as the biggest catch from Bill Sharpe, of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, aboard the Mister Pete boat.
The fish is expected to earn around $3.5 million, according to a news release with the results.
Reel Hunter of St. Michaels, Maryland, took second place with a 71.5-pound white marlin caught Friday by Kevin Howell of Queenstown, Maryland. That fish is projected to earn approximately $355,000.
The six-day tournament began with 334 boats competing for an estimated $9.9 million in prize money.
Other local winners of the tournament include the following:
- Boat BAR South, of Key Largo, Florida, finished second place in the wahoo division with a 64-pound fish caught by Rob Gothier of Ocean City, Maryland. The wahoo fish is worth about $49,443.
- The dolphinfish division was won by the vessel Today’s The Day, of La Plata, Maryland. Ryan Jones of Welcome, Maryland, caught the 45-pound winner, projected to earn approximately $22,000.
- The Bill Collector boat out of Crownsville, Maryland, placed third with a 37-pound dolphin caught by Andrew Somerville IV. It is projected to earn approximately $20,000.
- Samuel “Sam” Cassell weighed Saturday’s heaviest tuna, which was an 85.5-pounder aboard the Spring Mix II of Ocean City. The fish won Saturday’s Daily Tuna competition and is projected to earn approximately $40,000.
- Dylan Treff, of Pasadena, Maryland, weighed a 78-pound tuna aboard Reel Moore, also of Pasadena. The fish won Saturday’s Daily Small Boat Tuna prize of approximately $12,000.
See the full listing of winners at the White Marlin Open website.
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