World’s Largest Billfishing Tournament Delivers
The 52nd Annual White Marlin Open — the world’s largest billfishing tournament — concluded yesterday with fierce competition, impressive catches, and monumental payouts. Across multiple divisions — White Marlin, Blue Marlin, Tuna, Wahoo, and Dolphin — the leaderboard showcases top boats, anglers, species, weights, and points.
Final Results & Payouts
White Marlin Division
1st Place: Boat: Billfisher — Angler: Dan Gough (Ocean City, MD) — Weight: 72 lb
2nd Place: Boat: Catch 23 — Angler: Trey “Cricket” McMillan (Michael Jordan’s boat, Charleston, SC) — Weight: 71 lb
Blue Marlin Division
1st Place: Boat: Barbara B — Angler: Drew Osmeyer (Timonium, MD) — Weight: 929.5 lb
Tuna Division
1st Place: Boat: Sea Hab — Angler: Jonathan Cianciulli (Cape May, NJ) — Weight: 188 lb
2nd Place: Boat: Shorebilly — Angler: Alex Eason (Cordova, MD) — Weight: 186.5 lb
3rd Place: Boat: Mama C — Angler: Tommy Farella (New Smyrna Beach, FL) — Weight: 95 lb
Wahoo Division
1st Place: Boat: SHOOTING STAR — Angler: Chris Jones (Pottstown, PA) — Weight: 49.5 lb
Dolphin Division
1st Place: Boat: Barbara B — Angler: Andrew Schreiber (Essex, MD) — Weight: 32.5 lb
2nd Place: Boat: RoShamBo — Angler: Rusty Shriver (Leonardtown, MD) — Weight: 27 lb
3rd Place: Boat: Sweet Freedom — Angler: Angelo Ponte (New York, NY) — Weight: 26.5 lb
Tournament Leaders
Top Anglers (by points)
1. Rob Wagner (Taylor Jean) — 595 points
2. TJ Ely (Irish Twin) — 490 points
3. Matthew Gessler (Boy’s Toy) — 420 points
Top Boats (by points)
1. Taylor Jean — 1,085 points
2. Lights Out 62 — 945 points
3. Catch 23 — 806 points
InTheBite Captain of the Year Points Awarded
The White Marlin Open is a qualifying tournament for the InTheBite Captain of the Year Cup East Coast Division. Points were awarded as follows:
White Marlin Release Division:
- 1st Place: Capt. Blaine Birch, Taylor Jean — 500 points
- 2nd Place: Capt. Tyler Dufresne, Lights Out — 300 points
- 3rd Place: Capt. Blaine Champlin, Pachanga — 100 points
Heaviest White Marlin:
- 1st Place: Capt. Jon Duffie, Billfisher — 500 points
View the updated East Coast Division standings to see how these results impact the overall Captain of the Year race.
Tournament Highlights
The 52nd Annual White Marlin Open once again proved why it holds the title as the world’s largest billfishing tournament. Key highlights include:
- Dan Gough’s tournament-winning 72-pound white marlin aboard Billfisher
- Drew Osmeyer’s impressive 929.5-pound blue marlin aboard Barbara B
- Michael Jordan’s boat Catch 23 securing 2nd place in white marlin division
- Taylor Jean dominating the points leaderboard with 1,085 points
- Multiple species victories across all five divisions
Record Participation and Competition
The tournament’s continued growth and prestige attracts top anglers and boats from across the East Coast and beyond, cementing Ocean City, Maryland’s reputation as a premier billfishing destination.
Related Tournament Content:
- InTheBite Captain of the Year East Coast Division
- White Marlin Open History
- East Coast Tournament Calendar
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