The White Marlin Open is set to return for the 49th year to its Ocean City home in August, with boats and anglers setting sails in hopes of catching big fish and grand cash prizes. As the world’s largest billfishing tournament prepares for another year of competition and community from Aug. 8-12, there will also be some new aspects to the famous tournament, both for the anglers out on the water and the fans who come to see it all unfold.
What’s new at this year’s White Marlin Open?
No shark category due to restrictions
New regulations by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources have caused a big change in one of the categories for the White Marlin Open this year. With new restrictions on shortfin mako shark fishing put in place by the state this summer, this means that the shark category will no longer be a part of the tournament this year.
In it’s place, a new swordfish category will now be a part of the White Marlin Open festivities, with anglers having a new type of fish to try and catch. Along with the new swordfish category, there will also be a new heaviest swordfish winner-take-all entry level added to the site to enhance competition in the swordfish category.
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Extra 30 minutes of fishing time per day
Along with having a new category, boats will also be given an extended amount of time they can spend fishing this year. In this year’s tournament, anglers can begin fishing at 8 a.m., giving them an extra half hour of fishing time than before.
Daily billfish for smaller boats
To reward smaller boats that are competing in this year’s tournament, there will also be a new daily added entry level to the competition. For boats less than 40 feet in length overall, a new daily billfish added entry level will reward smaller boats for catches and releases of billfish.
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New 2022 Marlin Fest location
For fans and onlookers in Ocean City, there will be a new location for this year’s Marlin Fest. After being created in 2020 to avoid having crowds at the weigh-in scales due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Marlin Fest was brought back for a second year in 2021, even with people being allowed back at the weigh-in location at Harbour Island Marina.
In 2022, Marlin Fest will be changing it’s location from the Third Street Ballpark in Ocean City to the beach at the Ocean City inlet. As with the previous two years, there will be a live stream of the weigh-ins on display at a Jumbotron at Marlin Fest, as well as entertainment, food, a variety of vendors and games for fans to play. Marlin Fest will be held daily from 1-8 p.m. during the tournament.
