Crownsville man hooks 79.5-pound white marlin

OCEAN CITY -- Day 12 of the $1 million White Marlin Open produced "phenomenal fishing" yesterday, tournament organizers said, including a 79 1/2 -pound catch that could be worth $745,000.

Roger Viens of Crownsville caught the 79 1/2 -pound white marlin aboard the Red Eye and moved into first place. If no blue marlin is weighed in before the close of competition Friday evening, and no other white marlin surpasses the weight of Viens' catch, the Crownsville angler could win three-quarters of the tournament purse.

David Care and Brandon Trevillian of Severna Park, fishing aboard Careless, weighed in a 78-pound white marlin to move into second place, and the crew on The Trashman moved into third with a 73-pound white.

Tournament director Chuck Motsko said perhaps 200 white marlin were caught and released yesterday by the 260-plus boats that elected to fish.

Pub Date: 8/05/98