Sports & outdoors
DU Derby (Blues for DU)
Bahia Marina’s early-June bluefish derby benefiting Ducks Unlimited—$200 boat entry (up to four anglers), kayak options, added bluefish Calcuttas, and dockside awards after the scales close.
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Dates and prices change—confirm with official sources before you book travel. Status uses US Eastern calendar dates for “today.”
Plan your trip
Tickets, parking, lodging pacing, tips, and official links for this event window.
FAQs
Practical visitor questions—kids, weather, parking, tickets, and local logistics.
About this event
Bahia Marina’s June charity weekend is published two ways on 2026 calendars: Ocean City Fishing Center lists a “1st Annual DU Derby,” while Bahia’s own tournament page calls the same June 5–7 window the “4th annual Blues for DU,” a bluefish tournament benefiting Ducks Unlimited. Trust Bahia’s live packet for species, fees, and edition numbering—and expect the short name “DU Derby” on regional lists.
Published entry: $200 per boat for up to four anglers; additional anglers $50 each up to a six-angler maximum. Kayak single is $50; kayak tandem $100. Optional added levels include $50 / $100 / $150 bluefish categories (heaviest bluefish 1st–3rd, 50/30/20) plus a $200 winner-take-all Bonus Bluefish Calcutta. If no qualifying fish is weighed in a Calcutta, Bahia states participating boats are refunded in full.
Captain’s meeting and final sign-up run at Bahia Marina on Thursday, June 5—sign-up from 4:00 p.m. with the captain’s meeting at 7:00 p.m. At least one team member must attend. Awards banquet programming is listed after scales close—confirm the live 2026 packet for the exact banquet clock.
Trophies and prize money go to heaviest bluefish 1st–3rd, with a prize pack for top junior angler. Bluefish are a classic early-summer Mid-Atlantic target—still verify Maryland size, season, and creel rules on fishing regulations before you ice fish for the scale.
Bahia Marina sits on the bayside midtown corridor at 2107 Herring Way—summer marina parking and Fish Tales restaurant traffic start early even before peak July billfish weeks. Pair a derby weekend with inshore bay backups if weather stacks against a canyon plan later in June.
Same early-June stretch leads into Tuna & Tiaras the following weekend—crews stacking both should lock lodging and trailer plans before Memorial Day crowds clear.
For angler format notes, target species, and related tournament weekends, open the fishing events & tournaments card.
Full fishing tournament card All fishing tournaments
Quick planning tips
- Pad marina and Route 50 minutes—tournament weeks compress West Ocean City and inlet corridors.
- Book lodging early; billfish and tuna weeks stack with summer beach demand.
- Confirm weigh-in windows and public viewing rules with the host marina before you promise kids a “scale night.”
Full plan guide Official tickets
Map (approximate)
Top FAQs
- Does OCEANCITY.MD sell entries for the DU Derby?
- No—register only through the official tournament or host marina channels linked on this page. We publish planning context, not entry desks.
- Will this tournament affect my recreational charter day?
- Often yes near host docks—weigh-in crowds, trailer traffic, and reserved slips can slow staging. Ask your captain, and keep a non-tournament backup window. See charter trip picker and marinas.
- Is this a bluefish tournament or a mixed-species derby?
- Bahia Marina’s page frames Blues for DU as a bluefish tournament with heaviest-bluefish prizes and bluefish Calcuttas. Always re-read the live 2026 rules in case categories expand.
Sources we used
OCEANCITY.MD does not operate these events. Organizer websites, OceanCity.com, the Town of Ocean City (OC Ocean), OC Visitor, and regional tourism calendars are starting points—verify every time-sensitive detail directly.
Related guide on this site: older editorial page (may overlap topics).
