"Game On!" White Marlin Open Day 1 Begins with Just 17 Boats Battling the Weather

The 53rd Annual White Marlin Open is officially underway, but Mother Nature made the first day a challenge.

Only 5% of Boats Braved the Waves

Out of 334 registered boats, only 17 crews headed offshore Monday as strong winds and rough seas kept most of the fleet at the dock. Many captains chose to save one of their three fishing days for better conditions later in the week, but those who did fish wasted no time making their presence known.

A Warm Welcome to the Returning Commentators

Back at Harbour Island, fans welcomed the return of the familiar White Marlin Open commentary team, Mike Bradley and Katie Sawyer, who are back for another year of bringing the excitement of the scales to spectators. Katie Sawyer also returned to the tournament after announcing during the off season that she is expecting. Despite the exciting news, Katie said she wouldn’t miss being part of one of Ocean City’s biggest weeks of the year.

At the Scales

The first boat to the scales was appropriately named Game On, drawing a crowd ready to kick off another thrilling week of tournament action. While they were first to weigh, they didn’t finish the day at the top of the leaderboard.

Closing the Day

When the scales closed, Full Service, angler Mike Freiji of Ocean City, claimed first place with an 84-pound tuna, currently worth an estimated $1,227,895.42.

Talkin Trash and Dan Caiola of Frederick, Maryland, sits in second with an 81.5-pound tuna, currently valued at $3,917,127.62, while Game On angler, John Friedmann of Middletown, Delaware, rounds out the top three with an 80.5-pound tuna worth an estimated $331,309.97.

Just the Beginning

Despite the small number of boats fishing, crowds packed the Harbour Island scales to welcome crews home and get the first look at this year’s leaderboard.

With improving weather ahead, more of the 334 boats are expected to head offshore in the coming days. After an exciting opening day, the race for the top spot—and the millions of dollars on the line—is just getting started. Stay with oceancity.com for your up to date White Marlin Open news.