OCEAN CITY, Md. - With gray skies overhead and wind whipping across the docks, only four boats ventured out for Day 4 of the White Marlin Open on Thursday- a sharp drop from the 282 boats registered in the tournament.
Crews spent much of the day monitoring the weather and planning their next move. Organizers had anticipated rough conditions earlier in the week and extended the tournament from five to seven fishing days, giving participants more flexibility to choose the safest and most strategic times to head offshore.
Tournament officials allow each boat to fish up to five of the seven days, giving teams some breathing room in weeks like this - when strong winds and cloud cover make long offshore runs riskier.
“You just can’t run 16 to 100 miles in six- or eight-foot seas,” said Jesse Austin, one of the registered anglers. “It’s just not comfortable. Not good for the boat.”
Austin’s team hasn’t left the dock all week, hoping the weather improves before the tournament wraps up on Sunday.
“We were really banking on the weather changing for Friday, Saturday, Sunday,” he said. “It just hasn’t worked out in our favor yet.”
While conditions have sidelined many crews, some see an advantage in the quieter fishing days. Fewer boats on the water means less competition for the same prize money- and fish.
“Everybody’s going for the same thing,” said Lisa Sherman. “When you go with just a few out there, it gives you that advantage because there’s not as much competition for the same amount of fish.”
Anglers are chasing a record-breaking purse this year, with more than $10 million on the line. The tournament's biggest payouts go to those who bring in the heaviest qualifying white marlin, blue marlin, tuna and wahoo.
For some teams, like that of angler Rich Fernandez, sitting back and watching can be just as valuable as getting lines in the water.
“There’s a lot of boats that still have two days left,” Fernandez said. “So I’d like to see what they catch - get an idea where the water is and where I want to go the next day.”
With just three days remaining, most crews are betting on better conditions this weekend- and hoping for a bite that could land them at the top of the leaderboard.