The White Marlin Open (WMO), the world’s largest offshore billfish tournament held annually in Ocean City, proudly announces plans for its 51st anniversary tournament week, presented by Pure Lure. Held from August 5 through August 9, anglers will compete to catch record-breaking white and blue marlin, tuna, wahoo, swordfish, or dolphin.
Last year, Montgomery County resident John Ols (Laytonsville) caught a 640.5 lb blue marlin, earning him a world record of $6.2 million. Building on the excitement of last year’s milestone 50th-anniversary event, the $50,000 white marlin ‘Winner Take All’ entry category will return as well as Marlin Fest, a free family-friendly event held in conjunction with the tournament on the Inlet beach.
“We’re honored to host one of the most exciting and competitive fishing experiences in the world, right here in Ocean City, Maryland,” said Madelyne Motsko, Tournament Director. “Heading into our 51st year, our momentum remains strong following $10.5 million dollars in prize money last year, including a world record individual payout of $6.23 million.”
Presented by the Maryland Army National Guard, Marlin Fest is held at the Inlet from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm each day of the tournament. Families, fishing enthusiasts, and anglers alike are invited to bring beach chairs and blankets to spread out and enjoy music, live streams of the tournament weigh-ins, and views of the boats as they bring in their daily catches to nearby Harbour Island. Vendors will be onsite selling a variety of items including official Marlin Fest merchandise and White Marlin Open gear, as well as food and alcohol.
About: The White Marlin Open is a 51-year-old offshore fishing tournament held annually in Ocean City, Maryland. The tournament awards prize money for catches of white marlin, blue marlin, tuna, wahoo, dolphin, and swordfish. Long known as “World’s Largest Billfishing Tournament,” the White Marlin Open (WMO) has awarded over $105 million since 1974 to the lucky winners among more than 105,000 anglers aboard over 14,000 registered boats. Along the way, the WMO became the largest billfish tournament and holds the world record for prize money payouts for any fishing tournament. To learn more, please visit https://whitemarlinopen.com.
Supporting the Community: Each year, the White Marlin Open invites anglers to donate their catches, making WMO one of the largest suppliers of protein to food pantries in Maryland. Partnering with Catch N Carry and the Maryland Food Bank, the tournament ensures donated fish are cleaned, portioned, flash-frozen, and distributed to local food pantries throughout the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
Marlin Fest will again partner with the Ocean City Reef Foundation, an organization dedicated to sustained Improvement of Recreational Fishing and Diving in Maryland’s Coastal Waters. By enhancing and restoring Maryland’s seafloor through reef substrate deployment and coral coverage monitoring, the organization aims to rebuild living reefs, supporting the return of species like fish, lobsters, crab, and shrimp closer to shore.