The Barbara B leads the White Marlin Open with a record 929.5-pound blue marlin catch.
OCEAN CITY, Md. β A boat out of Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, is making headlines after reeling in a massive blue marlin during the opening day of the 52nd White Marlin Open, one of the largest sportfishing tournaments in the world.
The Barbara B, representing North Carolinaβs coast, landed a 929.5-pound blue marlin Monday, stunning the dockside crowd and placing the team at the top of the leaderboard with one of the biggest catches in tournament history, according to a release from the tournament.
The catch, made by angler Drew Osmeyer of Timonium, Maryland, measured 130 inches, well over the tournamentβs required 114-inch minimum to qualify for weighing. Rumors of a potential 800-pound marlin began circulating offshore, but excitement erupted once the Barbara B made the 6 p.m. bridge and backed up to the scale with the true monster catch in view.
When the final weight was announced, the crowd roared. At 929.5 pounds, the fish became the fifth-largest blue marlin ever weighed in White Marlin Open history. As of now, itβs expected to earn the crew more than $4 million, if the weight holds through the remaining fishing days.
The Barbara B didnβt stop there. Angler Andrew Shreiber of Essex, Maryland, also landed the top dolphin of the day at 32.5 pounds, adding to the boatβs already impressive performance.
Tournament officials extended this yearβs event by two days due to rough offshore conditions, giving the 286 registered boats more flexibility to fish any three days between Monday, August 4, and Sunday, August 10. Despite Mondayβs 4 to 6-footΒ surf, nearly 130 boats decided to head out.
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Other notable catches on opening day included a pair of 52.5-pound yellowfin tunas brought in by C- Student of Southside Place, Texas, and Bow Down out of Cape May, New Jersey.
But it was North Carolinaβs Barbara B that stole the show, and now holds the fish to beat as the tournament heads into its remaining days.