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Presented as the “world’s largest and richest billfish tournament,” the 51st annual White Marlin Open certainly lived up to its motto fielding a 318-boat fleet and paying out a total of $8.59 million in prize money. Hosted out of Ocean City, Maryland, every summer, the high-stakes tournament generates an infectious energy that draws huge crowds to the daily weigh-ins where millions of dollars are on the line.
The tournament festivities kicked-off with registration at Harbour Island Marina and a virtual captain’s meeting where it was announced that the fishing days for the tournament would be extended by one day until Saturday, August 10 due to remnants of Hurricane Debby pushing through the area later in the week. Per tournament rules, participants could fish any three days of the six designated fishing dates.
Day One saw 200 boats take to the water, producing the best billfish bite of the tournament with the fleet collectively releasing 111 white marlin, 15 blue marlin, one sailfish and one spearfish. Riptide, a 64-foot Viking captained by Jacques Paul-Hus, took the daily, releasing three blue marlin for a total of 525 points. Angler Bart Marchant aboard the Ctrl + Alt + Delete weighed a 178.5-pound tuna to take the daily for the tuna category.
Anticipation was high as 210 boats headed out in the early morning hours of Day Two. Fishing was consistent throughout the day with the fleet releasing 97 white marlin, 14 blue marlin and four sailfish. However, the excitement really began to build as reports came in of boated blue and white marlin heading back to the scales. Waste Knot, a 68-foot Jarrett Bay captained by Michael Tickle, was first to the scales with a white marlin. The large crowd that gathered daily during the tournament for Marlin Fest erupted when the scales stopped at 77.5 pounds, signifying a temporary first-place spot for Waste Knot and a potential payout approaching $4 million, should a larger white marlin not be caught. While Waste Knot’s white marlin gave them a shot at a huge payout, the trophy catch of the day belonged to Stone Cutter with an 897.5-pound blue marlin landed by Lance Blakemore. One of the five largest blue marlin ever weighed in the tournament’s 51-year history, Stone Cutter’s catch put them in the running for the first-place spot in the blue marlin category with a potential payout north of $500,000. Rob Jones on board the Blue Runner weighed in a 220.5-pound tuna, winning the daily prize in that category and ultimately claiming the overall tuna category prize which paid out more than $1 million.
With the benchmarks set high, a total of 272 boats opted to fish on Day Three. Despite soggy conditions, the fleet released 93 white marlin, 11 blue marlin and three sailfish. Several quality tuna were weighed; however, nothing reached the scales that eclipsed the previous day. By the end of Day Three, Bobojo sat in first place in the billfish release division with 770 points, followed closely by Maxbet and Sequel with 735 and 630 points, respectively.
As the tournament entered the final days of fishing and weather continued to deteriorate, the pressure was on for the 196 boats that headed out on Day Four. Fishing was slower for the fleet compared to previous days, with a total of 71 white marlin and eight blue marlin released. Yet once again, reports of boated blue marlin and white marlin headed back to the scales added a palpable level of suspense among participants and on-lookers. Billfisher, a local boat from Ocean City, narrowly missed Waste Knot’s white marlin, weighing an impressive 76-pound fish that placed them second in the category and positioned the team to win nearly $1.8 million. Anticipation continued to build throughout the afternoon and spilled over into the evening as the crowd anxiously awaited the arrival of Moore Bills and their boated blue marlin. Tipping the scales at a whopping 894 pounds, the massive blue weighed in only 3.5 pounds shy of Stone Cutter’s first-place fish caught on Day Two. In the billfish release division, Sequel jumped to first place overall in the category after winning the daily with five white marlin releases.
Although there were technically two fishing days remaining, many of the boats opted to use their three fishing days earlier in the week to take advantage of the better conditions. As such, Day Five saw only 17 boats fish with nothing weighed or released, resulting in no changes to the leaderboard. On the final day of fishing, 62 boats headed out to try and upset the high targets established earlier in the tournament. Collectively, the fleet released seven white marlin. American Lady weighed in the only wahoo of the tournament at 70 pounds, winning that category and securing a $68,000 payout.
Read Next: History of the White Marlin Open.
When the dust settled, Waste Knot’s 77.5-pound white marlin emerged as the biggest winner of the tournament, with the team taking home just under $3.7 million for their white marlin. “Between the excitement of weighing the fish early in the week and then the anxiety of waiting to see what else came in, I think we experienced every emotion possible,” said Capt. Tickle of Waste Knot. “This win means a lot to me and the Poole family, and I especially want to thank my mates Bryan and Zack for helping to make it all happen.”
Stone Cutter’s 897.5-pound blue marlin took top honors in that category, earning them $520,374. In the billfish total points division, Bobojo took first place with a total of 1,033 points, followed by Sequel with 980 points, and Taylor Jean and Catch 23, each with 770 points. In the billfish release division, Sequel secured first place with 980 points, followed by Taylor Jean and Catch 23, each with 770 points. The 2024 White Marlin Open Grand Champion was awarded to Hershel Martin from Bobojo with 753.17 total points, while Kelly Weber on MaxBet took home first place in the female angler division.
“We are incredibly proud of how this year’s White Marlin Open unfolded, despite the challenges posed by the weather,” said Jim Motsko, tournament director and founder. “The level of competition was outstanding, with some of the most impressive catches in the tournament’s history. The dedication and skill of the anglers, combined with the enthusiasm of the community, truly made this a memorable event.”
