Stage Set for the 49th White Marlin Open
As with the past 48 WMO tournaments, as soon as one tournament ends, work begins on making the next year’s event even better. The 2021 WMO had 444 boats competing for a world record $9.2 million dollar payout; so, our work is cut out for us. The format is basically unchanged from past years’ events. It was designed to allow boats the freedom to enter the added entry levels of their choice based on their wallet, target species, boat size, and perceived abilities. Last year, that format provided a payout that included individual awards of $3.2 million, $1.9 million, $1.3 million, and $1.1 million dollars. While that’s a tough act to follow, if past trends hold, we project that the 2022 purse will exceed $10 million dollars! By listening to the suggestions of our anglers we have made a few changes that, we hope, will make the 49th WMO the best tournament yet.
New for 2022
Furious Friday Finds Big Flux in Fishermen’s Fortunes
In the most dramatic finish in the 48- year history of the White Marlin Open, over $6 million dollars changed hands in the final hour of weigh-ins at Harbour Island Marina on Friday.
Mike Atkinson off the “Fender Bender” (both from Virginia Beach, VA), weighed the first fish of the tournament. Until the last 30-minutes, his 82.5-pound white marlin was winning $5,000,000! As the line of boats with fish to weigh dwindled to the final three, there was one boat flying a white marlin flag. It was the “Sushi” out of Ocean City, MD with angler Butch Wright from Arnold, MD aboard. Wight’s white marlin tipped the scales at 85.5 pounds, taking $3,200,000 from the “Fender Bender,” leaving them a very respectable $1,800,000. Rounding out the white marlin division the “Billfisher”, also out of Ocean City, MD weighed a 78.5-pound white caught by Billy Gerlach from Jupiter, FL worth to take third and$105,000.00.
The blue marlin division saw the same...
