OCEAN CITY – Thousands of anglers and tens of thousands of spectators will gather in Ocean City next week as the White Marlin Open kicks off its 50th year.
The White Marlin Open, the world’s largest offshore billfish tournament, will return to Ocean City next week for its 50th anniversary tournament. Held Aug. 7-11, anglers will have a chance to reel in record-breaking white and blue marlin, tuna, wahoo, swordfish or dolphin and secure some of the $10 million in estimated prize money.
“What makes the White Marlin Open so unique is obviously the participants are excited, but so are the spectators and the fanbase,” said Madelyne Motsko, tournament director. “People time their whole vacation around the White Marlin Open, to come and watch the festivities. And the town really gets involved. To have that excitement behind us is neat.”
The action kicks off early Monday morning, when hundreds of spectators will gather at the Inlet to watch the parade of boats head out to sea for the first of five fishing days in the tournament. Last year, more than 3,500 anglers aboard 408 boats competed for $8.6 million in prize money, and tournament organizers expect the event to grow in its 50th year.
“I know when my dad started it, he never anticipated it being what it is today,” Motsko said. “It’s the culmination of a lot of hard work and dedication. It’s just me, my dad and my sister, and to see what we’ve been able to pull off ever year is exciting. It shows we’re doing something right.”
Tournament directors expect this year’s purse to exceed $10 million and have added a new white marlin “Winner Take All” category in celebration of White Marlin Open’s 50th anniversary. The $50,000 entry category, also known as the “Anniversary Level,” will add to the millions of dollars already at stake for the heaviest white marlin.
Harbour Island will once again host the White Marlin Open. Each year, thousands of spectators gather at the docks for a chance to see a multi-million-dollar fish be hauled up the scale.
The White Marlin Open will also celebrate the return of Marlin Fest, which will be held at the Inlet from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day of the tournament. The free event welcomes families to bring beach chairs and blankets and enjoy the live music and views of anglers bringing 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.
This year, Marlin Fest will support the Ocean City Reef Foundation, an organization committed to the enhancement and restoration of Maryland’s seafloor by deploying reef substrates and monitoring coral coverage. The White Marlin Open also invites anglers to donate their catch. This year, the tournament will be partnering with Catch N Carry to clean, portion, flash freeze and distribute donated dish directly to local food pantries throughout the Eastern Shore.
In an interview this week, Motsko encouraged everyone to come out and enjoy the atmosphere surrounding the White Marlin Open as it celebrates 50 years.
“A vast majority of people don’t get to see a fish that big. That’s what draws people in …,” she said. “There’s also a lot of excitement in how prize money changes hands so quickly. It builds the drama.”
The White Marlin Open is held annually in Ocean City and awards prize money for catches of white and blue marlin, tuna, wahoo, dolphin and swordfish. Dubbed the “the world’s largest billfishing tournament,” the White Marlin Open has awarded more than $95 million to more than 105,000 anglers aboard more than 14,000 boats since 1974. Along the way, it became the largest billfish tournament and holds the world record for prize money payouts for any fishing tournament.
“It’s remarkable to reflect on 50 years of tournaments, especially back to our first event held in 1974. We drew 57 boats, and 150 anglers, and paid $20,000 in prize money,” Jim Motsko, founder of the White Marlin Open, said in a statement. “Fast-forward to today and we continue to stay true to our mission of world-class fishing, with our added entry categories more than doubling that initial payout in 1974.”
In addition to the new “Winner Take All” category, tournament directors are celebrating the White Marlin Open’s 50th anniversary with a coffee table book. Motsko said pre-orders will open this week, and that the book will be available in late 2023 or early 2024.
