The White Marlin Open Essentially a 3 Day Contest
Each of the 353 registered boats are permitted to fish any 3 out of the 5 fishing days. There are different strategies involved when choosing the days to fish. Some teams prefer not to fish the first day to better learn where the fish were found before using their fishing days. Most will fish the first day if the weather allows. Others prefer a day between trips to recover from a day on the ocean, which can be brutal at times.
This year, the weather called the shots on which days most boats would fish: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Only 136 boats went out Monday and just 12 fished Tuesday. What that means is over 300 boats will be fishing each of the last 3 days in weather forecasted to be perfect for fishing. The early risers can expect a parade of 300 boats passing thru the inlet between 4 to 6 AM each day.
Of the $4,966,215 in prize money $3,800,000 is reserved for billfish and no qualifying white or blue marlin have...
Tuna and Wahoo Leaders Endure Deteriorating Weather
The 136 registered boats that fished today knew they were taking a calculated risk. Each boat is permitted to fish any three out of the five fishing days and while the weather wasn’t going to be great Monday, Tuesday’s forecast called for seas up to 11 feet which would be unfishable. The NOAA offshore forecast report for Monday canyon areas were: Southeast winds 5 to 15 kts becoming South 10 to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft.
Most boats had an easy run out and 2-3 foot seas at 8:30 when fishing started. By 12:50 the winds were 15-19 knots and 3.6-foot seas. An hour later the buoy registered 29-35 knot winds with seas of 4.8 feet and building. Fishing had been good but not great for many boats. Two boats that did have a good fishing day were the Milling Around and the Slabjack weighing tunas currently winning $460,000 and $76,000 respectively.
The Tournament tests both men and machine and the 3-hour run back to Ocean City was going to be a rough...