Morehead City is living up to it’s title of Fisherman’s Paradise. On Tuesday, RE-LEASED a 61′ Chadwick caught a grand slam with 3 Blue Marlin, 1 White Marlin & 5 Sailfish. Capt. Thomas Bennett was at the helm when one of their Blues crushed two dolphin they were reeling in. What a day!
Up in Oregon Inlet, HAPHAZARD caught 5 Blue Marlin & 9 Sailfish on Wednesday. Legendary Captain Bull Tolson of SEA TOY caught 13 Sailfish on Wednesday too. DRIFTER had back-to-back unforgettable days, catching 15 Sailfish on Tuesday & 2 Blues and 10 Sails on Wednesday. Historically, Oregon Inlet is known for it’s White Marlin fishing, but this is the year of the Sailfish for everyone fishing in NC.
The 40th Annual Pirates Cove Billfish Tournament was one for the books – 88 boats racked up 408 releases. 370 Sailfish, 35 Blue Marlin, and 3 Whites. SWEET SPOT claimed the top spot with 7 Sails and 3 Blues, taking home $249,951.
The PCBT was the final tournament in the NC Billfish Series. WELDOR’S ARK, a 55′ Jarrett Bay captained by Big Rock Board Member, Dale Britt, was named the back-to-back series champion. WIDESPREAD, the 2021 Big Rock winner, led the non-sonar division of the series. Big Rock would like to thank weighmaster Randy Gregory and George Lott for spearheading the NC Billfish Series, which celebrates sportsmanship, conservation, and competition in our great offshore fishery.
The 20th Annual Virginia Beach Billfish Tournament featured a fleet of 75 boats and a total purse of $845,750. JUST RIGHT secured first place with one blue and 10 sails, winning $463,850.
The MidAtlantic Tournament had 181 boats fishing out of Cape May, NJ and Ocean City, MD for a purse of $5.76 Million. PIPE DREAMER landed the largest blue marlin at 889lbs. winning $1.1 million. COMMON SENSE brought an 87lb. White to the scales earning $201,388 and the first-place title. BOSS HOGG paid to play and left with $1.4 million in their piggy bank for their 78lb. White Marlin.
The Big Rock Foundation would like to recognize Kelly Williamson, owner of SKIP HOOK a 58′ Jarrett Bay. For the first time this year, participants were given the opportunity at registration to commit a percentage of their winnings to the Big Rock Foundation. When Kelly registered for the 65th Annual Tournament, he knew immediately that he wanted to donate 15% of his winnings back to Big Rock, if he was lucky enough to catch a winning fish.
His decision brought him good luck and good fortune. On day 2 of the tournament, Kelly’s son-in-law, Aaron Moody, brought his first ever dolphin to the scales. The mahi weighed in at 59.3lbs. and held the lead in the Dolphin WTA division for the rest of the week. SKIP HOOK won $539,750 for the catch, and donated $75,000 to the Big Rock Foundation!
The Big Rock Foundation greatly appreciates your support through retail sales, tournament entry, auction items, license plate sales, and individual donations. Supporting the Foundation is easy through the online portal. Donate today!
It’s always a good time to start the timeless tradition of collecting Big Rock T-Shirts. Take advantage of our Labor Day sale, happening NOW! Score 35% OFF all Big Rock Annual items, including Big Rock Kids and KWLA! Shop this weekend, in-store at 710 Evans St. or online at www.thebigrockstore.com.
