OCEAN CITY- After a fast start to the 2nd Annual Ocean City Marlin Club Rockfish Tournament, a persistent harsh weather and rough seas kept most of the participating vessels at the dock through mid-week, but with a few days remaining, there could be a shakeup in the standings.
The Marlin Club’s second-ever rockfish tournament began last Friday and will run for nine days before wrapping up on Sunday. Boats and teams of anglers will decide to fish five of the nine days, but with rough seas and high winds, Mother Nature is having more of a hand in the decision-making process thus far.
The tournament got off to a fast start last Friday with 20 qualifying stripers caught by the participating boats. After day one, the “Nontypical” stood atop the standings with a 25.4-pounder that measured 40 inches in length. The crew on the “On Edge” was close behind in second and third place with a pair of 38-inchers that weighed 24.4 pounds and 23.8 pounds.
After that fast start, however, the storm that persisted over the region through much of the weekend and into mid-week essentially shut down the action and there were no changes in the leaderboard. With three days remaining, however, and the weather conditions showing signs of improvement, there is still a possibility of a shakeup on the leaderboard.
As the name of the tournament implies, rockfish will be the primary species targeted along with red drum and bluefish. The top three heaviest fish in each category will win awards and federal minimum sizes apply for each species. A portion of the proceeds from the event will be donated to the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
Weigh-ins will be held at Sunset Marina each day of the tournament from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. All catch reports must be turned in to the Marlin Club weigh master at Sunset Marina by 5 p.m. each fishing day. An awards banquet will be held at the Marlin Club on Sunday, December 14 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.