The fish that are weighed bring excitement to the fans at Harbour Island, as millions can change hands in an afternoon. However, what is unseen represents the most prestigious awards of the event. It is the catch and release of the billfish that brings the highest honors.
With over $5 million riding on billfish catches, you would think that anglers would bring in more billfish in hopes that one would beat the minimum and pull in big money. Yet after four days of fishing, 285 white marlin have been caught, with only two brought in to weigh. The white marlin release rate stands at 99% and is a tribute to the quality of anglers who fish the event.
The top anglers after Thursday are TJ Ely on the Irish Twin out of Spring Lake, NJ and Matthew Gessler fishing off the Boy’s Toy out of Indian River, DE. Each has six white marlin releases good for 420 billfish points.
The Gessler family has been part of the fabric of the WMO. Tom Gessler Sr. shared his love of offshore fish with his children from the very beginning. His son Tom Gessler Jr. took top white marlin in 1993, earning him enough for college tuition and a Rolex watch. A few years later, His sister Christie Gessler placed in the top 10 of the release division. Here they are again, 30 years later, with nephew Matthew Gessler near the top of the prestigious release division after two days of fishing—one of the great WMO family stories. Both the Irish Twin and the Boy’s Toy have one more day to fish.
The top boat in the money version of the release division is the Taylor Jean, out of North Palm Beach, FL, which leads that category with seven white marlin and one blue marlin released (665 points). Second place is currently held by the Catch 23, with six whites and one blue marlin released (595 points). Each boat also has one more day to improve its chances.