White Marlin Open

Record Payout for White Marlin Open

The 45^th Annual White Marlin Open in Ocean City, Maryland, set world records for the largest payout ever awarded for catching a billfish ($2,584,260) and for the largest purse paid in any fishing tournament ($5,461,560).

Pascual Jimenez from Puerto Aventuras, Mexico, reeled in an 83-pound white marlin from the Norfolk Canyon area on the last day of the tournament to claim the top prize. “I was so nervous. I kept saying, ‘C’mon, give me it, give me it.’ When it came up, we didn’t know it was a keeper,” says Jimenez, and adds that once it got close to the boat and starting jumping, they realized it was a strong contender. Jimenez caught the winner aboard Weldor’s Ark out of Morehead City, North Carolina, one of over 350 boats fishing on the final day. Gregory Giron of Virginia Beach caught the same size fish the day before but lost a tiebreaker because a gaff was used to bring the fish aboard. The difference between using a gaff and not using one was $2,454,476, a costly decision.

By far, the largest fish caught during the tournament was an 881-pound blue marlin caught by Joe Rahman from Wanaque, New Jersey. Rahman landed the huge fish on the first day aboard Auspicious out of Palm Beach, Florida. The Tuna Division edged closer to anointing its first million-dollar tuna as Gary Sansburry from Hobe Sound, Florida, won $904,851 for reeling in a 75.5-pound yellowfin while fishing on Buckshot out of Ocean City.

whitemarlinopen.com

By Chris Knauss, Southern Boating November 2018

A good month for education, boat shows and flea markets

Winter is a great time to gain more knowledge about how your boat works. A good place to learn about your boat’s systems is the Annapolis School of Seamanship. The school’s list of available courses includes “Marine Electrical Systems Basics” February 20-21. The two-day course for mariners offers a better understanding of marine electrical systems as well as practical skills such as troubleshooting and installing simple circuitry. The course format includes both lecture and hands-on instruction using multimeters and electrical circuitry developed for the course. annapolisschoolofseamanship.com

Boat shows
Show-goers will find some 350 boats at this year’s 33^rdAnnual OC Seaside Boat Show in Ocean City, Maryland, February 12-14. Each year, the show benefits the charitable work of the Ocean City/Berlin Optimist Club. All proceeds go to area youth, and all the Optimists are volunteers. Cruisers, center consoles, sportfishing, performance boats, and others are featured along with vendors displaying electronics, boat lifts, canvas, fishing tackle, paddle boards, and much more at the Ocean City Convention Center. The show will also give away an 18-foot Sweetwater pontoon boat with a 40-hp motor donated by North Bay Marina.

North Carolina mariners and anglers have a pair of boat shows to choose from this month: the Mid-Atlantic Boat Show February 11-14 at the Charlotte Convention Center and the Central Carolina Boat & Fishing Expo February 26-28 at the Greensboro Coliseum. Folks in Virginia can find plenty of boats and gear at the Richmond Boat Show, February 19-21.

Tackle on the cheap
February is a fine time to fish for low-priced gear. Two events in the mid-Chesapeake area are just a couple of the many opportunities around the region. The Pasadena Sportfishing Group’s annual Fishing Expo and flea market always draws a big crowd. This year’s show at the Earleigh Heights Maryland Fire Station is February 13-14 from 8AM-2PM. They’ll have new and quality used rods, tackle and boats. You can also gear up for the spring season at the Fisherman’s Flea Market hosted by Tri-State Marine in Deale, Maryland, on February 20^th from 7:30AM-2PM.

Annapolis Yacht Club fire
People gathering to watch the annual December boat parade in Annapolis instead witnessed the Annapolis Yacht Club burning. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries, but no civilians were hurt. The fire severely damaged the second and third floors of the main clubhouse and smoke damaged the rest of the building. Extensive repairs or a complete rebuilding will be necessary. Many trophies and artwork were destroyed, although some were recovered.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, Mayor Mike Pantelides, and County Executive Steve Schuh joined club leaders for a tour of the damaged building on Compromise Street and started work on finding employment for the club’s 150 employees who were suddenly out of work.

Leaders of the club issued a statement thanking staff members and first-responders for their efforts in preventing serious injuries and which stated their intentions to rebuild: “AYC is more than a bricks and mortar clubhouse; it is a community. The Board of Governors is committed to rebuilding the clubhouse in the current location.” The former Fawcett Boat Supplies property and several other sites were offered as temporary locations for the club, which has 1,600 members

By Christopher Knauss – Southern Boating Magazine February 2016

Cape Charles Megayacht Center is Now Open

Megayachts owners now have a place to dock at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. The Cape Charles (Virginia) Yacht Center—specifically designed to accommodate yachts more than 79 feet long—is open for business. The location along the Mid-Atlantic offers a deep, secure harbor with quick ocean access. It’s a welcome addition to the coast, with limited dockage between Florida and New England for large yachts in need of service or repairs. The proximity to the ocean is certainly convenient and offers a pleasant destination on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.

The yacht center includes a marina, a 120-acre maintenance and storage area, a fuel station, and a 75-ton boat lift with a 300-ton lift in the design phase. The marina features 2,000 feet of dockage, 3-phase 480-amp power, pump-out facilities, and an 18-foot channel 12 miles from the Atlantic. The yacht center is a member of the U.S. Superyacht Association (USSA), and plans are in the works to ensure that yachts can clear customs in Cape Charles.

Crab nachos at Occoquan
Cruising mariners have another fine restaurant to visit on Chesapeake Bay. Chef Troy Clayton has opened The Landing Restaurant and Waterfront Bar at Occoquan Harbor Marina, located on a tributary of the Potomac River. Clayton, along with marina owners Dick Lynn and Richard and Lisa Krauss, have invested close to $1 million in renovations to create a Florentine-inspired space with indoor and outdoor covered and uncovered decks that seat 70, and a “front porch” area with lounge seating for an additional 70 guests. Inside, a formal dining room accommodates 60 people, while a private dining room holds an additional 50 diners. The restaurant also boasts a 50-seat, nautical-themed indoor bar. The menu offers traditional surf and turf dishes like calamari, crab cakes, lobster risotto, and thick steaks, as well as unique potato and crab nachos.

Lower tournament entry fee
The MidAtlantic billfishing tournament returns to Atlantic waters between Cape May, New Jersey, and Ocean City, Maryland, August 17-22. Known as the “richest marlin and tuna tournament in the world,” last year’s payout in prize winnings totaled $1,808,910. Organizers have lowered this year’s entry fee from $6,000 to $2,500 to make the tournament more accessible. The fee includes event admission and covers the costs for a crew of six for all dinners, drinks and entertainment for the week. The new fee structure splits the hospitality and other tournament costs out from the prize money, which will now be derived strictly from calcutta entries. All of the overall calcuttas will still have white marlin, blue marlin and tuna components. Last year, Sean O’Donell’s crew from Cape May won the blue marlin division and $236,522 by reeling in a 441-pounder aboard Got Game. ma500.com

By Christopher Knauss, Southern Boating August 2014