World Record Prize Money!
The 404 registered boats carrying over 3,100 competitors will be vying for a world record fishing purse of $6.1 million during the 5 day event. The 46th edition of the "World's Largest and Richest Billfish Tournament" has all of the elements to produce even bigger fish stories than the 45 previous tournaments. The prize money is $700,000 more than last year's winnings and coupled with good weather and warm water at the canyons, the 2019 Open could be the most dramatic tournament ever.
The White Marlin Open awards money for catches of white and blue marlin, tuna, wahoo, dolphin and shark. It is the billfish that bring the biggest prize money and last year's top white marlin won over $2.5 million with the top blue marlin netting $924,936. But the tuna category has been nearing the $1,000,000 mark as well. The top tuna in 2016 and 2017 earned $750,000 and $860,000 respectively and the top tuna in 2018 earned...
$2.58 MILLION DOLLAR WINNER TOPS IMPRESSIVE 2018 EVENT
In a close finish, Pascual Jimenez from Puerto Aventuras, Mexico edged out all competitors to win a world record $2,584,260* in the 45th White Marlin Open. Fishing on the Weldor’s Ark out of Morehead City, NC, Jimenez weighed an 83-pound white marlin on the final day of the 5-day event held in Ocean City, MD to take the top individual prize in the 382-boat field. Gregory Giron and the Under Dog from VA Beach took 2nd place money for their 83-pound white worth $129,784 with the Lights Out from Ocean Reef, FL taking 3rd and $85,804 for the 75-pound white marlin caught by Bill Haugland of Coconut Grove, FL on Day 2.
Two world records were set during the 2018 event. The $2.58 million-dollar payout was the most ever awarded for the catch of a billfish, and the $5.45 million-dollar purse was the most ever paid in any fishing tournament.
The Blue Marlin Category and the $924,936 purse was safely held all week by Joe...