A blue marlin weighing 919.9 pounds has rewritten the record book at the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament, the heaviest fish ever brought to the scales in the Morehead City, North Carolina event's 68-year history.
The giant was landed on the second day of the tournament by the boat Marlin Fever, with angler Connor Daniel in the chair, captain Cameron Guthrie at the helm and mate Justin Petrilli working the deck. Measuring more than 135 inches, it eclipsed the previous Big Rock record of 914 pounds, set by Top Dog in 2019.
Petrilli was the first to grasp how big the fish was, and admitted his nerve briefly failed him. "I knew it was big, but when we actually saw it jumping, I was like, 'No, that's too big. I don't want that one. Next one please,'" he said.
The crew hooked the marlin late in the morning and fought it for roughly two hours before getting it boatside. For Daniel, the battle passed in a haze. "It's like a blur went by. I don't really remember any of it right now," he said.
The numbers are staggering even by Big Rock standards. The catch immediately secured the tournament's Fabulous Fisherman prize of $871,250, awarded to the first blue marlin over 500 pounds, and put Marlin Fever in line for a total payout that could exceed $6 million if the fish holds up as the largest of the week.
Guthrie was still processing the figures at the dock. "It's hard to even think about that much money. It's a good year to do it, I guess," he said.
Daniel had a more immediate reward in mind. "My dad said he'd get us a hot tub if we win. So that'll be nice," he said.
With 261 boats fishing for a purse north of $9 million, the leaderboard behind Marlin Fever shows how dominant the catch was. Hit N Run sat second with a 549.2-pound blue, and Savanna Leigh third at 439.2 pounds - both clear of the 500-pound mark, yet not even half the size of the leader.
The fish came on the tournament's second day, leaving several days of fishing still to come. That means the record, and the multimillion-dollar payday attached to it, will not be safe until the final lines come in. The tournament runs through Saturday.