With light wind and calm seas again today, 335 boats carrying 2,345 anglers and crew passed through the inlet heading through calm seas for the fishing grounds 50 to 70 miles offshore.
Each boat gets to fish any 3 of the 5 days but it’s rare to have so many boats fish Monday and Tuesday back to back, but the fishing is red hot. Warm sea temperatures inside the canyons are similar to the conditions in 2016 when 1,412 billfish were caught. Monday saw 423 white marlin and 18 blue marlin caught. We’re still tabulating the release for Tuesday, but it looks to be around 400.
All fish have minimum weight limits but the few brought to the docks have been produced some big winners. The 74-pound white caught yesterday on “Chasin Tail” is still holding $1,450,000 . There were 2 more qualifying whites weighed that caused $1.5 million to change hands by the tip of a scale. These are like modern day pirates who raid the treasure chest of others, not with cannon fire, but with a bigger fish. The “Reel Chaos” was looted of $1,500,000 for his 70-pound white taken yesterday when Michael Wagner from La Plata, MD fishing on the “Backlash” out of VA Beach, VA brought in a 73.5-pound white took 2nd place and the $1,500,000 with it. When the “Cricket” out of Philadelphia, PA brought in a 71-pound white caught by William Blakemore they took the last $89,000 that “Reel Chaos” had won.
The blue marlin category had a qualifier when Craig Dickerson off the “Haulin N Ballin” weighed a 465.5 blue and is winning $740,000.
There was movement in the tuna division. The 201-pound tuna caught off the “Crisdel” on Monday is still holing $940,000.00 , but Ocean City native Ronnie Fields weighed a 145.5-pound tuna off the “Mjolnir” out of Bay Point, FL to take 2nd place and $130,000.
The 277.5-pound mako shark caught by the “Polarizer” Monday stays in first and is holding $225,000. The 82-pound wahoo taken off the “The Natural” Monday is still in 1st winning $18,000.00 and Sam Folland’s 61.5-pound wahoo off the “Keepin It Reel” was a daily winner and is winning $18,000.
The dolphin saw leaderboard changes as well as Rob Howes 35.5-pound dolphin on the “Game Changer” took first and is winning $18,000. An hour later Ryan Higgins on the Viking 72 weighed a 33-pound dolphin good for second and $16,000.00.
The offshore forecast looks good all week, and there are 488 boat days of fishing left. With the fishing red hot, we should see a dramatic finish to the 46th annual White Marlin Open.
