80-Pound White Marlin Wins $3.5 Million At Ocean City Maryland White Marlin Open

OCEAN CITY, Md. — The White Marlin Open, an annual offshore fishing tournament based in Ocean City that draws hundreds of boats competing for millions of dollars in prize money, concluded its 53rd edition Aug. 8.

The six-day tournament featured 334 boats competing for nearly $10 million in prize money across white marlin, blue marlin, tuna, wahoo and dolphin divisions.

Mister Pete, based out of Charleston, South Carolina, won the tournament’s top payout after bringing an 80-pound white marlin to the scales Aug. 6 at Harbour Island Marina. The fish held through the final day, securing the top prize across multiple added-entry levels and earning the boat an estimated $3.5 million.

Bill Sharpe of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, caught the winning white marlin aboard Mister Pete.

The White Marlin Open is one of the largest and richest billfish tournaments in the world, attracting recreational and competitive offshore fishing teams to Ocean City each year. Boats compete for prize money based on the weight of their catches and participation in various optional entry levels.

MaxBet Takes Blue Marlin Division

The blue marlin division was dominated by MaxBet.

Kelly Weber of Vero Beach, Florida, weighed a 607.5-pound blue marlin Aug. 5. The fish held the top spot through the remainder of the tournament and earned approximately $1.27 million across several categories, including the high-entry F1 and F2 levels.

Gray Fox Leads Tuna And Wahoo

Gray Fox of Brielle, New Jersey, won the tuna division with a 179-pound fish caught by John Wardlaw. The catch generated more than $1 million in combined payouts.

Speculator finished second with a 146.5-pound tuna, while See Legs placed third with a 110.5-pound fish.

Gray Fox also won the wahoo division with a 69.5-pound fish. BAR South finished second with a 64-pound wahoo.

Today’s The Day won the dolphin division with a 45-pound fish. Meraki finished second at 40.5 pounds, followed by Bill Collector at 37 pounds.

Strong Results Across Divisions

Mister Pete won the majority of the white marlin categories in the Open Boat division, while MaxBet controlled several of the blue marlin jackpots.

Reel Hunter of St. Michaels, Maryland, finished second in the white marlin division with a 71.5-pound fish caught by Kevin Howell. The catch was worth roughly $361,000.

Bull Pen of Charleston finished third with a 70-pound white marlin caught by James Hood. Despite finishing third in the primary standings, the boat earned an estimated $1.82 million after entering several high-dollar added-entry levels, including Level AC.

Irish Twin won the release-point category. Daily awards were distributed among boats including Pachanga, Maverick and Wish You Were Here.

The tournament also featured a new Non-Sonar Division for boats without omnidirectional sonar. Catchin or Cussin won the NS-B1 tuna category, earning $190,015, while Wasabi won the NS-R release-point category.

In the Outboard Boat division, HOT LICK, Reel Blessed and No Brakes recorded strong finishes. HOT LICK won several mid-level tuna categories, while Sidepiece won the dolphin category.

The Small Boat division, limited to boats 40 feet and under, featured a competitive tuna leaderboard. Reel Moore, Skeets, Catchin or Cussin and Split Bill each won multiple categories. Bird Dog swept the dolphin categories, while Taildancer won the release-point title.

By The Numbers

• Top boat payout: Mister Pete, approximately $3.5 million
• Second-highest boat payout: Bull Pen, approximately $1.82 million
• Heaviest blue marlin: 607.5 pounds, MaxBet
• Heaviest tuna: 179 pounds, Gray Fox
• Estimated total purse: Nearly $10 million

The 2026 White Marlin Open continued its status as one of the largest billfish tournaments in the world, with strong participation across its Open, Outboard, Small Boat and new Non-Sonar divisions.

With millions of dollars distributed across the fleet, the tournament once again brought anglers from across the country to Ocean City for six days of offshore competition and the chance to land a fish worth a life-changing payday.

---