OCEAN CITY- The 6th Annual Big Fish Classic got underway on Friday with the first of two 32-hour fishing segments in search of the largest fish of any species.
The Big Fish Classic is being held on the pier at Talbot Street, which is essentially the epicenter for Ocean City’s rich fishing history. The Big Fish Classic is a two-day, 32-hour tournament where the largest fish caught of any species will be rewarded. Boats and teams of anglers will decide to fish in one of two 32-hour slots, either Friday and Saturday, or Saturday and Sunday. There are several categories for which anglers and boats will be rewarded, but the essence of the event is bringing the biggest fish to the historic Talbot Street docks.
The event got started on Thursday with late registration, a captain’s meeting and kickoff party at host M.R. Ducks. The scale at Talbot Street is open from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Each day will feature a festival of big fish, live music, food and drink in and around the Talbot Street Pier at M.R. Ducks and the historic Angler restaurant. The Angler will host the awards banquet on Sunday.
Last year in the signature single-heaviest fish category, it was the crew on the Reel Tight taking first place with a 404-pound blue marlin worth $244,000. The Bent Tent took second with a 379-pound blue marlin worth $48,725, while the Underdog weighed a 354-pound blue marlin worth $19,590.
The tournament awarded prizes in several other categories and species with different entry levels. In descending order the top money winners in the other divisions included the Sea Note at $28,800, the Michael Joe at $21,060, the No Limits at $19,710, the No Quarter at $14,850, the Katherine Anne at $13,050, the ForTunate and the Tail to Tale each at $11,610, the Primary Search at $9,090, the Moore Bills at $8,820, the Sea Wolf at $5,400, the Absolut Pleasure at $3,780 and the Stalker at $2,160.
