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The 44^th Annual White Marlin Open, drew 353 registered boats with almost 3,000 anglers and crew competing for $4.97 million dollars in prize money.  The tournament runs from Monday through Friday and the $4.9 million that will be presented at the August 12 Awards Ceremony Saturday will represent the largest amount of money ever awarded in any type of fishing tournament.

As the name suggests, the largest winnings will be in the white marlin category and the heaviest white marlin caught this week could win over $2,000,000.  The two largest optional entry levels are the $10,000 and $5,000 heaviest white marlin winner take all divisions.  There are 141 boats in the $10,000 level and 202 boats in the $5,000 division and a wining white marlin will win over $2 million if entered in both divisions.

Each boat is permitted to fish any 3 of the 5 fishing days.  With 353 boats entered that totals 1059 total fishing days and strategy comes into play.  Some boats...

What factors justify the claim of “World’s Largest & Richest Billfish Tournament?”  The number of boats or anglers entered, the total prize money awarded or the top cash award?  All of the above?  It is clear is that the White Marlin Open is a very big fishing tournament, but how does it defend the “Largest and Richest” tag?  There are a number of long established offshore fishing tournaments on both coasts that have drawn anglers for generation.  The Silver Sailfish Derby, established in 1935 by the West Palm Beach Fishing Club, the 58^th annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament out of Morehead, NC, the 25th Annual Mid-Atlantic out of Cape May, NJ, the 34^th annual South Jersey Shark Tournament, the 28^th Annual Ocean City Tuna...