OCEAN CITY, Md – The White Marlin Open is just around the corner, and Ocean City businesses are preparing for the busiest day of the year.

Whether it’s mini golf, a restaurant or a bar, the White Marlin Open is a strong week for the Ocean City area. Last year, the iconic fishing competition drew more than 3,000 anglers and more than 300 boats competing for the grand prize. For local restaurant owner Franco Rosetti, that means a packed house.

Of all weeks in the year, Rosetti says the White Marlin “tops them all.” Franco’s Pizza and Bar has been open since 1987, and each year the White Marlin brings in a surplus of hungry customers.

Over on 21st Street, Nick’s Mini Golf is also preparing for crowds. Owner Nick Geracimos said, “It’s going to be late nights and early mornings. There are just a lot more people in town, a lot of families.” Geracimos is an Ocean City local, going to the weigh-ins every year with his family. In his words, the White Marlin is Ocean City’s very own Super Bowl.

The competition doesn’t start and stop with fishing. Sunset Grille hosts its own competition for whoever can rack up the largest bar tab. The winner receives a trophy and a Super Bowl-like ring, along with bragging rights. Sunset Grille General Manager Nick Braun explains just how packed the bar can get, with people making reservations almost a year in advance.

“It’s just nuts all the time,” he said. “When it comes to those lay days, it’s a little harder to get in here. We do about 500 dinners a night.”

The White Marlin Open runs Aug. 4-8 in Ocean City.