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Ocean City Boats Dominate Day One Despite Rough Offshore Conditions
Day one of the White Marlin Open is in the books, and while rough offshore conditions kept much of the fleet at the dock, a handful of determined crews made the run and were rewarded with some impressive catches.
Leading the tuna division after the opening day is Full Service, an Ocean City boat, with a beautiful 84-pound tuna caught by Mike Freiji from Fallston, MD. Close behind is fellow Ocean City boat Talkin Trash with an 81.5-pound tuna caught by angler Dan Caiola from Frederick, MD followed by another Ocean City contender, Game On, rounding out the top three with an 80.5-pound tuna from angler John Friedmann from Middletown, DE.
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53 Years and Over $121,000,000 in Prize Money
The White Marlin Open is a 53-year-old deep-sea fishing tournament held annually in Ocean City, Maryland. Long known as the “World’s Largest Billfishing Tournament,” the Open has awarded over $121 million for catches of the gamefish that migrate up the Gulf Stream each summer. The first tournament was held in 1974 and drew 57 boats, 150 anglers, and paid $20,000 in prize money. The 2025 event drew 282 boats, over 3,000 contestants, and awarded over $7.24 million dollars in prize money, including the top individual prize of $3.9 million dollars.