White Marlin Open Leaderboard: Fish Worth Millions Caught Off Maryland Coast

The seas may be rough off Ocean City, Maryland, but that hasn’t stopped a couple of powerhouse boats from muscling their way to the top of the leaderboard in the 52nd annual White Marlin Open—the richest billfish tournament in the world.

Current Leaderboard

Barbara B, a boat out of Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, made headlines early by hauling in a massive 929.5-pound blue marlin on Day 1. Angler Drew Osmeyer of Timonium, Maryland, went toe-to-toe with the giant and came out victorious. At 130 inches long, the fish is the fifth-largest ever weighed in tournament history, according to The Virginian-Pilot and the official White Marlin Open Instagram page.

If it holds, the fish could be worth a jaw-dropping $4.4 million.

Barbara B didn’t stop with blue marlin. The boat also took the current lead in the dolphin (mahi mahi) category with a 32.5-pounder, narrowly beating out RoShamBo’s earlier 27-pound catch.

On Day 2, Virginia Beach-based Mama C stunned the scales with a 95-pound tuna caught by Tommy Farella of New Smyrna Beach, Florida. The fish now holds a commanding lead in the tuna category and could be worth more than $1.8 million if it hangs on through Sunday.

“It’s 40 pounds heavier than second place,” The Virginian-Pilot reported, adding that Mama C, captained by Rob Mahoney, was among the 212 boats that hit the water Tuesday during a rare seven-day format. Typically a five-day tournament, the White Marlin Open extended the fishing window due to rough weather earlier in the week.

Far From Over

But nothing is a done deal yet. With weather delays early in the week, many boats held off on fishing. That means the leaderboard could shift wildly as boats take their remaining two fishing days before the tournament wraps up Sunday evening.

As always, the tournament’s namesake—the white marlin—is the ultimate prize. But so far, no qualifying fish has made it to the scales. On Tuesday, the Special Situation, based out of Ocean City, brought one in, but it tipped the scale at just 67 pounds—three pounds shy of the 70-pound minimum.

That leaves the biggest check of the tournament—often awarded for white marlin—still up for grabs.

With 282 boats registered and a $7.2 million purse on the line, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The White Marlin Open has paid out more than $95 million since its launch in 1974, when just 57 boats and 150 anglers first chased a modest $20,000 prize pool.

Now, it’s just a waiting game—and every leader knows that in the White Marlin Open, it’s not just about what you catch, but what might still be swimming.

Related