NEW FOR WEDNESDAY: White Marlin Open’s 2nd Day Produces Big Tuna, No Qualifying White Marlin

OCEAN CITY — With 243 of the 253 boats registered in the 39th White Marlin Open fishing on Tuesday, Day Two promised to produce a lot of action on the docks and the fleet did not disappoint with big fish weighed in several categories, but the signature white marlin division remains wide open without a qualifier on the board.

After foul weather reduced Monday to a lay day for all but 10 of the boats registered, Tuesday was the first big day of the tournament and it did not lack drama. Shortly after 6 p.m., the “Milling Around” weighed a 61-pound yellowfin that briefly took the lead in the tuna division. Shortly thereafter, the first white marlin made its appearance on the dock at host Harbour Island when the “Stream Weaver” weighed a 68.5-pounder, but it fell just short of the minimum 70-pound requirement and the leaderboard remained wide open.

Around 6:30 p.m., the crew on the “A-Lure” hauled in a massive 202.5-pound big-eye temporarily worth over $300,000. The “Amarula Sun” then showed up at the scale with a 66.5-pound wahoo to take the top spot in that division.

However, the “Canyon Runner” crew then rolled in with a pair of big fish that would erase the early leaderboard in one fell swoop for the most part. The “Canyon Runner” first weighed a 70.5-pound wahoo to knock off the “Amarula Sun” and take first place temporarily in that division. The “Canyon Runner” than stunned the big crowd on hand with a 236-pound big-eye temporarily worth $324,000 that knocked the “A-Lure” out of first place.

In the last bit of drama of the night, the crew on the “Storm Trouble” reported they were heading in with a blue marlin to weigh prior to the scale closing at 9:15 p.m. and arrived at the scale around 9:35 p.m. When the big blue was unloaded and hauled up the scale, it weighed out at 456.5 pounds, just shy of the 500-pound minimum of the species in the tourney.

There is a formula used at sea based on fork length and girth that allows anglers to determine a ballpark weight for the blue marlin and the “Storm Trouble” crew clearly thought they had a potential qualifier. However, the formula has a margin of error and the fish lose considerable weight as the boat heads to shore, so the big blue came up short and the division remains wide open.

After two days of fishing, angler Dave Dunton on the “Canyon Runner” sits atop the tuna leaderboard with a 236-pounder worth $324,000. Jay Yeager on the “A-Lure” is second with a 202.5-pounder worth $58,000. John Floyd on the “Full Pull” is third with a 73-pound tuna worth $1,000, while Blair Snyder on the “Partnership” is fourth with a 67-pounder worth $22,000 because of added entry levels.

In the dolphin division, Brian Gill on the “Krazy Salts” is in first with a 27.5-pounder worth $16,000. Theresa Greenly on the “Lisa” is second with a 26-pounder worth $3,000, and Will McAteer on the “Espadon” is third with a 23-pounder worth $2,000.

Jamie Greer on the “Canyon Runner” is first in the wahoo division with a 70.5 pounder worth $16,000, while Peter Katsarelis on the “Amarula Sun” is second with a 66.5 pounder worth $3,000.

There have been no qualifying white marlin, blue marlin or sharks caught yet, but that will likely change today as 239 of the 253 boats registered are fishing.

Stay tuned to The Dispatch and its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thedispatchoc all week for updates and pictures. Yesterday’s pictures are now available on our Facebook page.