White Marlin

For the offshore angler, the news is good -- the first white marlin and bluefin tuna made their appearance last weekend.A 43-pound marlin was taken aboard the Shadowfax at the Washington Canyon on a cedar plug by Bill Woodard of Edgewater. Two other white marlin were also reported out of Indian River.A bluefin tuna was reeled in at the Fingers by Ron Gladkowski aboard the Instigator. The 25 pounder was taken on a mackerel bait. And the charter boat Virginia weighed in a 130-pound bluefin tuna.

Though outside the leaves were changing, when we sat down for dinner at Marlin and Ray's Seafood and Sunsets, we had sand between our toes. Thanks to fun drinks, good seafood and laid-back service, getting a little sandy felt right. The Bel Air eatery, which opened in early October, is the first Maryland outpost of a Tennessee-based chain. When we arrived, it was 7 p.m. and the restaurant was packed. The friendly hostess warned us the wait would be about 20 minutes (it was) so we headed back outside to explore Marlin and Ray's little patch of parking lot beach.

OCEAN CITY -- The White Marlin Open got off to a fast start yesterday as 194 boats headed for the offshore fishing grounds and anglers qualified in every tournament category except wahoo.John Brown, fishing on Outer Limits, heads the white marlin class with a catch weighing 73.5 pounds, followed by a 72-pounder caught by Buddy Trala, fishing on Velocity.Tournament officials estimate Brown's catch could be worth as much as $300,000 if it holds up.Dan Orenberg leads the blue marlin category with a 268.5 pounder.

Scott Cusick might not have caught the right species of fish to win a big prize in last month's White Marlin Open, but the 40-year-old New Jersey angler certainly had a memorable — and massive — catch. Cusick set a Maryland state record when he and crew members aboard a 50-foot Viking sport fishing boat hauled in a scalloped hammerhead shark that weighed nearly 267 pounds. The catch was 12 pounds more than the previous record, set in 2009. It wasn't nearly as big as the 500-pound thresher shark that Cusick helped catch about five years ago near Matasquan, N.J. "That's the odd part that this was a state record and the other one wasn't," Cusick said last week.

OCEAN CITY -- The White Marlin Open opened here yesterday with a field of 264 boats and a prize pool of approximately $850,000. Both, said tournament director Chuck Motsko, are records for the 24-year-old competition.The tournament ends Friday and entries can fish three of five days, with prize money based on added-entry skill level cash pools."With the good weather yesterday, 248 boats went out," said Motsko, "and the whites came in real well. It may be that the bigger fish stayed south this year, rather than heading to New England waters."

If fishing continues to be as good this week as it was last week, the 20th annual White Marlin Open Tournament, starting tomorrow, should be a success.Charter and private boats did well on white marlin releases. The charter boat Elixir from the Ocean City Fishing Center with Capt. Pat Kelly had four releases last Saturday. The boat Hammer, also from the Fishing Center, with Capt. Mitch Pierson had three releases.Brad Watkin's new boat, the Natural, also from the Fishing Center, had two releases, and the Ospray, from White Marlin Marina, with Capt.

The White Marlin Open will be fished out of Harbour Island Marina in Ocean City tomorrow through Friday, and crowds will gather there each evening from 5 to 9 o'clock to watch the weigh-ins of marlin, tuna, wahoo, dolphins and sharks.With any luck and foresight by the competitors, the spectators will see some very large fish.The competition discourages the keeping of smaller fish."Naturally, it's very satisfying to see a beautiful trophy fish," said Chuck Motsko, who founded the tournament with his cousin, Phil Motsko, in 1974.

In these days of glitzy flecked plastic lures, equally fancy teasers, and ready-rigged fozen baits for offshore trolling it's nice to hear of a noteworthy catch on a plain old cedar plug -especially when it's the first white marlin of the yearYes, Ocean City's first billfish showed up Saturday at the Washington Canyon, thanks to Dave Burkett of Edgewater. He was trolling a cedar plug for tuna, the first of which are just moving up from off North Carolina where the run was hot.The catch was made aboard Bill Woodard's Shadow Fax, a private boat -- fittingly enough out of the White Marlin Docks.

A number of marlin -- white and blue -- were released offshore last week.One of the best days was reported by the Elixir with Capt. Pat Kelly. The party -- Bill Brown, Bill Brown III and Cheryl Brown of Ocean Pines -- had three white marlin on lines at the same time. They released them and then caught and released two more the same day, while fishing northeast of the Hot Dog Lump in 30 fathoms of water.The charter boat Natural with Capt. Scott Walker from the Fishing Center had two blue marlin releases in two days.

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.

Bill Woody had made up his mind prior to the 2012 White Marlin Open that this would be the last time he competed in what is billed as the world's largest sportfishing tournament. It wasn't so much how expensive sportfishing had become in the dozen years since this self-made Baltimore businessman had bought his 50-foot Hatteras, as much as it was the hours that he devoted to it. Woody said he felt he was missing out on other activities with his family. It was similar to the years when he was building the engineering and land surveying firm that he worked for and later bought from its original owners.

The winner of the 39th annual White Marlin Open in Ocean City is set to receive an estimated prize of $1.4 million after reeling in the only white marlin to qualify in the five-day tournament. William "Bill" Woody, of Pasadena, caught the 72-pound white marlin last Wednesday aboard the Blew Bayou. The payout is expected to be $1,429,092, slightly higher than the payout of $1,394,480.50 made in 2007 for an 83-pound white marlin. Woody caught the only white marlin that met the minimum requirements of measuring at least 67 inches and weighing at least 70 pounds.

It has big boats, good food, cold drinks and oh yeah, it's the biggest bill fishing tournament of its kind. The 39th Annual White Marlin Open ends tomorrow and you will be beating yourself up if you don't stop by for this one. Taking place all week, with the official weigh-in scale located in Harbour Island on 14th Street and the Bay, spectators can watch the fisherman weigh-in their catch everyday between 4 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. while enjoying all...

In response to popular demand, this year's White Marlin Open will include a new category for small boats. The addition is intended to level the playing field for anglers at the 39th edition of the event, to be held Aug. 6-10 in Ocean City . "Over the years, people have expressed their opinion that we should do something with smaller boats, because maybe some of the smaller boats feel they can't compete against some of the bigger boats," said...

Whether it's a wedding on the beach, a White Marlin fishing tournament, muscle car shows or ocean baptisms during the annual Jesus at the Beach festival, Ocean City isn't afraid to mix things up a bit. The resort offers an ample dose of tradition, yet just enough novelty to keep things fresh. Ocean City has officially declared the summer of 2012 the "Summer of Thanks. " As a way for the town to show appreciation to all who have supported the resort throughout the years, look for a bevy of fun, discounts at hot spots, and town-wide promotions for vacationers.

The scales have just opened for the last day of weigh-ins at the 38th annual White Marlin Open in Ocean City. ( You can watch the Marlin Cam here .) It looks like Wee Wun IV 's white marlin tipped the scales this afternoon at more than 88 pounds, bumping off Tighten Up , of Ocean City, who had held the lead since Tuesday for a prize estimated at more than $800,000. (John Schmitz, of Westminster, aboard Sea Note , was also in the running, with a catch that weighed 79.5 pounds.)

If you are in Ocean City this week and looking for a break from the boardwalk, trundle over to Harbour Island Marina at 14th Street and the bay and catch the weigh-ins for the White Marlin Open.Chances are that any evening between Monday and Friday could provide a surprise at the scales -- white marlin, blue marlin, tuna, dolphin, wahoo or shark.Last year, the Outer Limits from Pirates Cove, N.C., collected a record cash award of $416,890 for a 73.5-pound white marlin, and Robert Ham, the chief of police from Strasburg, Pa., weighed in a 446-pound blue marlin worth $167,000.

The fish are biting offshore in Ocean City as the resort launches the 38th Annual White Marlin Open today at Harbour Island Marina at 14th Street and the bay. The tournament draws anglers from all over the world to fish for white marlin, blue marlin, tuna, dolphin, wahoo and shark. Last year, some 2,000 entered the competition, winning more than $2 million in prize money. The catch included a 97.5-pound white marlin that took first place and won Brian Roberts, of Berlin, a check for a cool $856,506.

Breathtaking sunsets, sweet salt air, boardwalk confections and fun in the sun — Ocean City has it all. Long regarded by those in the know as a best bet when it comes to taking the family to the beach, Ocean City, recently received the recognition it deserves. TripAdvisor named the resort to No. 8 on its 2011 list of best family amusements and boardwalks. "Being in the Top 10, that's incredible," said Donna Abbott, communications manager for the Town of Ocean City. "There are a lot of destinations out there and to consistently rank in these various listings, is certainly something we as a town and as a vacation destination are very proud of. " Known as the White Marlin capital of the world, Ocean City also boasts a lively boardwalk, hundreds of restaurants, a bounty of activities and more than 15 golf courses within a short drive.