Let's go fishing at the largest billfish tournament in the Nation

It’s getting to that super special time of the summer!  Ocean City, Maryland hosts the annual White Marlin Tournament, the largest bill fish tournament in the world. It began in 1974 with just 56 boats competing for $20,000 in prize money.  It has grown over the decades.  This year there will be over 4 boats, 1,500 anglers, tens of thousands of spectators and millions of dollars in prize money.

The fish are spectacular. The prizes are huge, totaling more than $2.5 million. And the excitement is building for the 36th Annual White Marlin Open, Monday, August 3 through Friday, August 7, 2009.

Stakes are high–up to nearly $1 million for the biggest white marlin. Prizes are also awarded for the largest blue marlin, tuna, mahi-mahi (dolphin fish), wahoo and shark.

Spectators are welcome to watch, as 300+ boats take more than 1,500 of the world’s best anglers out to pursue some of America’s largest fish. Then check out the spectacular weigh-ins every evening from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Harbour Island Marina, 14th Street and the bay.

You never know what you’ll see at the weigh-in. In 2001, a local man proposed to his wife-to-be at the scales. A few years later, he caught a fish worth almost $1 million.

The anglers will be fishing for the white marlin, the top prize in the tournament, as well as blue marlin, tuna, wahoo, dolphin and shark.

From August 3rd thru the 7^th, the boats may fish any three of those days. Boats participating in the tournament must be weighed in at the official scale at the Harbour Island Marina between 4 and 9:15pm.  There are large amounts of money to be won.  These anglers are very serious.

It’s a lot of fun to go to Harbour Island Marina in the late afternoon and watch the big boats come in.  They will be flying flags to show what type of fish they have caught. They then pull up to the weigh-in area, and the fish is hauled up, and weighed in front of the crowd.  There is lots of cheering and clapping.  It is an extremely good time being had by all.

If you have never experienced the White Marlin Tournament, you are truly missing out. Harbour Island Marina is located on 13^th Street and the Bay in Ocean City, Maryland.  Get there early so you can get a good spot by the scale.