A Virginia Beach boat was the first to return to the scales in the 48th annual White Marlin Open on Monday, and the quick catch could net the prestigious event’s biggest prize: $4.9 million.
Mike Atkinson, of Virginia Beach, reeled in the 82.5-pound white marlin for the boat Fender Bender in the Ocean City, Maryland, event billed as the “World’s Largest and Richest Billfish Tournament.”
The tournament’s 444 registered boats have four days to try to knock Atkinson and Fender Bender from the top of the white marlin division and collect the prize money.
“It was exciting,” Atkinson told delmarvanow.com about his catch. “We had just released one white (marlin), and then about 30 minutes later, we hooked this one on a flatline.”
Atkinson said it took about an hour and 20 minutes to land the fish.
Another Virginia Beach boat, Mama C, could be in line for a big payday after angler Chris Perry caught a 559.5-pound blue marlin. That fish would net $800,000 if it holds its spot through the rest of the tournament.
The Virginia Beach boats were two of 421 on Monday that headed for the event’s fishing grounds through the inlets of Ocean City and Indian River, Delaware, and Cape May, New Jersey. The tournament concludes Friday, and each boat is permitted to fish any three of the five tournament days.
The tournament website said the event expects to award an estimated purse of more than $9.2 million, which would exceed the White Marlin Open’s record $6.9 million payout in 2020.
The tournament awards prize money for catches of white marlin, blue marlin, tuna, wahoo, dolphin and shark. The white and blue marlin divisions are the most lucrative.
Jami Frankenberry, 757-446-2376, jami.frankenberry@pilotonline.com
