News

The 53rd Annual White Marlin Open came to a close Saturday with Mister Pete holding the tournament’s richest catch—an 80-pound white marlin projected to earn approximately $3,500,000—while Gray Foxcompleted the rare feat of winning both the tuna and wahoo divisions.

None of the overall leaders were displaced during Saturday’s final weigh-in, leaving four boats atop the tournament’s five filled species divisions.

Bill Sharpe of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, caught the winning white marlin aboard Mister Pete of Charleston. The boat was already waiting at Harbour Island Marina when the scales opened Thursday at 4 p.m. The crowd erupted when the Jumbo Screen flashed the official weight of 80 pounds.

Reel Hunter of St. Michaels, Maryland, took second place with a 71.5-pound white marlin caught Friday by Kevin Howell of Queenstown, Maryland. The fish is projected to earn approximately $355,000.

For the fifth consecutive day, a boat was waiting when the Harbour Island scales opened at 4 p.m. Friday. This time, it was CTRL ALT DEL with a 65-pound yellowfin tuna.  The evening’s largest leaderboard change came only 14 minutes later.

At 4:14 p.m., Reel Hunter of St. Michaels, Maryland, weighed a 71.5-pound white marlin caught by Kevin Howell of Queenstown, Maryland. The fish moved into second place, pushed Bull Pen into third and is currently projected to earn $355,457.77. Mister Pete remains the leader with its 80-pound white marlin, while Bull Pen’s 70-pounder now holds third.

Although no Friday catch took over an overall division, the tournament’s many Added Entry Levels created winners throughout the fleet. Six Friday fish are now carrying combined projected payouts of more than $572,000.

Each Added Entry Level is optional and operates independently. As a result, a fish does not necessarily have to reach the overall top three—or even be the heaviest fish weighed that day—to produce a substantial payday.