WMO draws fishing enthusiasts to OC
By Dolores E. Pike
 
The heat and humidity of August broke just in time for the start of the 33rd annual White Marlin Open in Ocean City.  With 428 boats competing this year the contest began with a bang on Monday morning when over 350 of them ventured out on the first day of the tournament to cast their lines.  By the time Friday arrived, despite tournament organizer Jim Motsko’s expectation of a “crazy day,” a majority of the vessels had completed their three out of five fishing days allowed by tournament rules.  Less than one quarter of the boats was eligible to fish on the final day.
 
Competing for cash prizes in six categories, white, blue, tuna, dolphin, Wahoo and shark/other with three awards in each category, the fishermen were angling for prizes which Mr. Motsko predicted would reach $3 million.
 
In the white marlin category Jack Hotz and his team aboard  True Grit out of Lewes, DE, hooked an 82 pounder, earning the first place prize of $1,552,435.  Second place went to Philip Infantolino on Heart to Heart and his catch weighed in at 81.50 pounds. Third prize of $99,914 went to Steve Richardson, who took an early lead on Monday with an 80 pound white.  Mr. Richardson was aboard Canyon Express, the same vessel that two years ago hosted Bret Jamison who brought in the winning white at 83 pounds.
 
Though men continue to dominate the tournament, many applauded female angler Kim Klinedinst aboard Natural when she stepped up to the scales on Wednesday evening with a respectable catch weighing 68.5 pounds. Unfortunately the white was not heavy enough to move into a winning slot.
 
Because the White Marlin Open has always promoted conservation, catches in all six  tournament categories must meet high minimum weights to qualify for prize money.  As a result, relatively few fish land on the weighing scales and it is estimated that 95 to 97 percent of the fish caught are released into the ocean.  This year out of a total of 566 white marlin caught, 547 were released.
 
As the boats returned to the dock at the end of the fishing day, the crowd that awaited them could tell catches and releases by the flags each vessel flies. There are six flags, one for each category in the tournament.  An upright flag indicates a catch and an upside down flag means a release.
 
According to organizers, “This tournament has had more fish weighed in than any other tournament” while at the same time anglers are “only bringing in fish that qualify against our tournament minimums.”
 
As always the White Marlin Open brings plenty of excitement to Ocean City each summer.  This year it was intensified on Wednesday, the third day of the tournament, when fishermen were faced with a scary situation some 30 miles at sea off the Ocean City coast.  The 60 foot sport fishing vessel Dream Catcher out of Cape May, NJ, suddenly began taking on water, lots of it. Two boats in the immediate area, SeaToy and Fight-n-Lady began pulling the seven survivors out of the water.
 
The arrival of the U.S. Coast Guard in response to a 5:30 a.m. distress call found all fishermen rescued, the survivors opting to remain aboard their rescuing vessels.  According to a Coast Guard spokesman, the investigation of the mishap is still underway.

White Marlin Open Top Fish
Money values are approximate and are not official.

White
82.00 lbs. Jack Hotz True Grit (242) $1,552,435.30
81.50 lbs. Philip Infantolino Heart to Heart (68) $151,121.12
80.00 lbs. Steve Richardson Canyon Express (118) $99,914.08
Blue
737.00 lbs. Jim Lummis Krazy Salt's (61) $660,172.80
544.00 lbs. Mitch Pierson Par Five (82) $148,121.12
541.00 lbs. Tim Snipes Hot Reels (18) $98,914.08
Tuna
135.50 lbs. John Ols Two Sons (286) $235,487.50
127.00 lbs. Mark Dickhut Miss Andrea (100) $88,187.50
125.50 lbs. Gary Schuchart Chum-N-Get It(339) $36,075.00
Dolphin
54.50 lbs. Chris Evans Fight-n-Lady (231) $4,000.00
47.50 lbs. Gregory Garvey Boys R Us (199) $1,500.00
44.50 lbs. Larry Kuss Emotional Rescue (222) $2,000.00
Wahoo
79.50 lbs. Stewart Merritt Stream Weaver (212) $4,000.00
66.00 lbs. Mark Barbato No Problem (132) $1,500.00
64.00 lbs. Kevin Naugle Over-Board (151) $2,000.00


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