52nd annual White Marlin Open wrap-up

OCEAN CITY, Md. – For the 52nd time, the White Marlin Open took over Ocean City, reeling in plenty of anglers who came away with big winnings.

Throughout the tournament, there were highs and lows, and Madelyne Motsko, a tournament director, said the week turned out great.

“Even though the weather made it tough, $7.3 million is a huge purse. It’s still the largest purse for any billfish tournament, and we are still the largest and richest,” she said.

On Monday, the awards ceremony took place at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center. Ocean City Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Amy Thompson called the week remarkable for the local economy.

“The White Marlin Open is a huge event for our town. The Motskos have built this from a small event to a point where now we have celebrities come. The economic impact is huge,” she said.

The billfish tournament was affected by the weather, and anglers coped with a two-day fishing extension.

“The last couple of years, Mother Nature hasn’t been very cooperative with us, so they had to extend the days of fishing. But it is what it is,” anglers said.

The White Marlin Open brings together not just community members but also tourists.

Its impact is so great that events such as Marlin Fest and the Teasers Cup take place because of it, along with watch parties at restaurants to see the boats leave their docks. Thompson called it a trademark of the town.

“The whole fishing community — a lot of what else is going on in Ocean City might be french fries, ice cream or amusements. This is about the reason we are here, which is the ocean,” Thompson said.