OCEAN CITY, Md. -- With the start of the White Marlin Open comes plenty of merchandise. Hats, shirts and towels are almost always seen, but if you dig a little deeper you can find some pretty unique items.
Between Harbour Island and Marlin Fest, you are bound to come across something cool. At Marlin Fest there were two gold mines. An author selling a White Marlin book and a clothing brand with a rather out of the ordinary owner.
The author is Katie Ruskey, who wrote Marlin Week, a fiction book about three captains that fish in the White Marlin Open.
"It's only seven chapters long so it's a really short read, it starts at the captains meeting on Sunday and goes all the way to the celebration they have on Saturday," said Ruskey.
Ruskey said her inspiration for the book came from seeing an opportunity and her long-standing love for the popular fishing tournament.
"There's no fiction book that I've ever heard of about the White Marlin or any bill fishing tournament in general," said Ruskey. "I've been lucky enough to grow up coming down here and be a part of it, you know visiting the marinas and watching all the boats come in, I have some family that was captains and mates in the tournament."
Right next door to Ruskey's tent at Marlin Fest was Shore Boy Fishing. A normal looking tent selling fishing apparel, but one of the shops owners is 10 year old Ryan Hoofnagle.
"I started it because every time I would go on a fishing charter I would want a fishing shirt but they wouldn't have any in my size," said Hoofnagle.
So Hoofnagle talked with his mom, Jessica and his other brothers, and during the pandemic, Shore Boy Fishing was born. A few years later, Hoofnagle is lending a helping hand in several aspects of the business, including designing this years White Marlin shirt.
"We have the white marlin down in the middle and we have the tuna and the mahi," said Hoofnagle pointing to the shirt. "We have where it takes place, Ocean City, we have the name of my brand and I like this shirt because it's well thought out."
Travel away from the inlet into a nearby liquor store and you will see White Marlin Vodka, White Marlin Tequila and White Marlin Gin. And if you really have some extra spending money you can stop into Park Place Jewelers.
"We have this beautiful fish hook diamond necklace, all 14 karat gold and a half karat of diamond and then of course we have the big white marlin," said Jill Ferrante with Park Place Jewelers.
Park Place Jewelers said the fish hook necklace with the chain would run you about $7,000 and the white marlin necklace would cost about $5,000. But its price tag may not matter if it ends up in the hands of this years tournament winner, which PPJ said is a possibility.