White Marlin Open Day 3: Tuna rule the night, but white marlins fail to qualify

A big eye tuna is weighed at the White Marlin Open Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022, in Ocean City, Maryland.
A big eye tuna is weighed at the White Marlin Open Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022, in Ocean City, Maryland.

You can follow along here for updates throughout Day 3 of White Marlin Open, as The Daily Times/Delmarva Now reports live from the scales at the Harbour Island Marina from the time they open at 4 p.m. until they close at 9:15. Everything from Twitter coverage, video, interviews with anglers and photos from Day 3 of the tournament will be available on this live blog.

Coverage from Day 4 of the White Marlin Open can be found here.

Day 3 wrap-up

White Marlin Open emcee Andy Motsko said the previous day (Tuesday) was the first time in tournament history they had zero fish weighed in. Wednesday was a different story.

Once the scales opened, the boats didn't stop coming — and neither did the tuna.

"I've never had this much tuna donated at one time in 13 years," said Maryland Food Bank's Butch Langenfelder.

He estimated fishermen donated nearly 500 pounds of fish Wednesday, as compared to nothing Tuesday and around 350 pounds Monday.

The Top 3 tournament tuna all came on Day 3. Currently in first place is Jason Hersh, of Maple Glen, Pennsylvania, who caught a 247.5-pounder aboard the Southern C's, out of Ocean City. He stands to win $1.2 million if no bigger tuna are caught this week.

In second place at the end of Day 3 is Anderson Bowen of Suwanee, Georgia, who caught a 246.5-pounder aboard the Big Stick, out of Ocean City, and in third is Dante Soriente of Beach Haven, New Jersey, who caught a 230.5-pounder aboard the MJ's, out of Cape May, New Jersey.

A handful of dolphin were weighed Wednesday, as well, and one wahoo.

Only Vince Piccinini's 28-pound dolphin made the leaderboard, in second place. Chris Thompson's 71-pound wahoo took the lead over the only other qualifying wahoo, Patrick Brown's 51.5-pounder.

There still haven't been any qualifying billfish brought to the docks. The white marlin, blue marlin and swordfish categories remain empty. A few white marlins were brought to the dock Wednesday but did not qualify.

On Thursday, the National Weather Service is predicting a 40% chance of rain and a 50% chance of showers, with anglers choosing the three out of five days to fish, we'll see how much weather weighs into their choice.

Tuna, tuna and more tuna

White Marlin Open fishermen are bringing in more tuna than any other fish today, by far.

The Southern C's out of Ocean City brought in two tuna just before 8 p.m. Frank "Tug" Welsh, of Milton, Delaware, landed a 203.5 pounder, while Jason Hersh of Maple Glen, Pennsylvania, caught a 247.5-pound fish.

Hersh is now in first place in the tuna category. The Southern C's had a "triple header," with three fish on hooks at once, when he caught the prize fish, Hersh said.

Hersh's fish is just one pound heavier than the now-second place Anderson Bowen's 246.5-pound tuna. That pound cost Bowen over $1 million in prize money.

Just prior to the Southern C's docking, the Miller Time, out of Long Beach Island, New Jersey, brought in a 207.5-pound tuna caught by Dan Mrusko of Norristown, Pennsylvania. The Miller Time qualifies as a small boat and smashed the former lead tuna from a small boat today.

New second place tuna, dolphin

Today is nothing like yesterday at the docks, that's for sure. There's not been more than a few minutes between boats coming in for some time now.

Since 7 p.m., Dante Soriente, aboard the MJ's out of Cape May, New Jersey, brought in a 230.5-pound tuna and took second place. He previously brought in a 198.5-pounder.

Another tuna came in, as well, tying for sixth place at 192 pounds.

And Vince Piccinini, aboard the Jeb out of Lutherville, Maryland, caught a 28-pound dolphin, landing him in second place for that category.

New tuna leader at 246.5 pounds

Aboard the Big Stick, Anderson Bowen caught a 246.5-pound tuna and moved into first place for the category.

"Man, this thing almost kicked my butt," Bowen, of Suwanee, Georgia, told the crowd at about 7 p.m. "This thing put me through it. It kept going down but (the crew) kept me confident."

It took him over two hours to reel in, he said.

On the tuna leaderboard, Bowen's fish sits at the top, with Brian Stewart's 213.5-pound fish being knocked into second, followed by Dante Soriente's 198.5-pound fish in third.

Anderson Bowen aboard the Big Stick caught this 246.5-pound tuna on day 3 of the White Marlin Open to take over the lead Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022.
Anderson Bowen aboard the Big Stick caught this 246.5-pound tuna on day 3 of the White Marlin Open to take over the lead Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022.

Prior to the Big Stick coming in to harbor, two other boats, the Reel Crazy out of Indian River, Delaware, and the Hall Pass out of Ocean City, Maryland, brought in tuna, as well.

Reel Crazy's fish was 55.5 pounds and the Hall Pass had both a 55.5-pounder and a 61 pounder. The Hall Pass qualifies as a small boat, so its fishermen are looking at a small boat daily prize if their fish isn't beat out.

Two tunas and two white marlins come in, none make the leaderboard

The Dirty Deeds boat, out of Ocean City, brought in a white marlin but it was not long enough to qualify.

At about 6 p.m., another Ocean City boat, the Finatic, brought in two tuna, caught by Dawn Miller and Jake Kramer. Kramer's qualified at 57.5 pounds but did not place.

Behind the Finatic was the Fender Bender, out of Virginia Beach, with a white marlin weighing in at 65 pounds — 5 pounds too few to qualify.

Third-place dolphin, tuna weighed in the 5 o'clock hour

Barely an hour after Taylor McCracken's 20-pound dolphin took third place, David Cluff of Cape May, New Jersey, brought in a 21.5-pounder. He was fishing aboard the Pain Killer out of Coral Gables, Florida. His dolphin was the first fish of the night to be donated to the Maryland Food Bank.

The third place tuna caught by Steve Noel on Reel Estate on Day 3, Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022 of White Marlin Open.
The third place tuna caught by Steve Noel on Reel Estate on Day 3, Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022 of White Marlin Open.

Right behind the Pain Killer was the Reel Estate, a "well-known" Ocean City boat and a longtime White Marlin Open participant, according to emcee Andy Motsko. Aboard that boat, Steve Noel of Baltimore caught a 192-pound bigeye tuna, taking third place. It was also donated to the food bank.

Noel's fish is worth $38,000 in third place, with Dante Soriente's 198.5-pounder in second worth $100,000 and Brian Stewart's 213.5-pounder worth $1.3 million in first.

There have still been no white or blue marlin or swordfish brought to the scales this week.

Third-place dolphin hits the scales

As soon as the Jenny Poo pulled out, the 25.5-foot High Seas Drifter II, out of Fenwick Island, pulled in with a 20-pound dolphin caught by Taylor McCracken of Bear, Delaware.

The fish was big enough to take third place in the dolphin category, behind Keeley Megarity's second-place 26.5-pounder and Vernon Merritt Jr.'s first-place 29-pounder.

Not only are there already more fish on the docks than yesterday, but the crowd is bigger too. The lawn and visible dock areas are full.

MORE:White Marlin Open gets 'official song' with ode from Ocean City native Jimmy Charles

Chris Thompson's 71 pound fish takes first for wahoo

The Jenny Poo out of Palm Beach rolled into Harbour Island Marina at about 4:35 p.m. with a 71-pound wahoo, caught by angler Chris Thompson of Mount Airy, Maryland.

The first-place fish will be worth $20,000, should it remain the biggest wahoo caught in the tournament. It knocked the 51.5-pound wahoo caught earlier this week, by Patrick Brown aboard the Irish Twin, into second place.

Jenny Poo crew member Andrew Lohr said it took about 30 minutes to weigh in.

Scales open on Day 3 of the White Marlin Open, wahoo on its way in

The sun is high in the sky and the scales are officially open at Harbour Island Marina for Day 3 of the White Marlin Open. The crowd is waiting and watching for the first fish.

Emcee Andy Motsko has already announced a boat is on its way in with a wahoo onboard. There's also a report, "a rumor," Motsko said, of a "big" big eye tuna coming in, as well, estimated at 240 pounds.

It's already sounding like there's going to be a lot more action on the docks than yesterday, when zero fish made it to the scales.

How many boats went out today in the White Marlin Open?

After a very slow Day 2 at the 2022 White Marlin Open, get ready for the action to heat up Wednesday with many more boats heading out in search of big fish.

On Tuesday, just 15 boats went out, but Wednesday expect a lot more action at the Harbour Island Marina scales, with 279 boats hitting the water.

Continue to check back throughout the night Wednesday for updates.

MORE:See who's in the lead after Day 2 of the 2022 White Marlin Open

MORE:White Marlin Open 2022: Photos from the scales on day 2

This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: White Marlin Open Day 3: Tuna rule the night