Fishing events & tournaments
Full cards for Ocean City, Maryland’s published 2026 fishing tournament season: billfish weeks, tuna, ladies and junior Club events, overnight classics, and fall inshore days. Each card cross-links the Events calendar and official organizers.
Schedule last reviewed: . Dates, fees, and public access change—confirm with hosts before you book lodging or trailer in. Jimmy Johnson’s Quest for the Ring is an Atlantic City, NJ event (sometimes listed with Sunset Marina contacts) and is not included as an Ocean City fishing tournament.
How to use this section
Open a card for host phones, target species, format notes, spectator tips, and related weekends. The same tournaments also appear under Events → Sports & outdoors so lodging and festival planners see tournament weeks next to Air Show and Bikefest.
Primary schedule sources we cross-checked: ocfishing.com/tournaments, ocmarlinclub.com/tournaments, official sites (White Marlin Open, OC Tuna, MidAtlantic, Huk Big Fish Classic), and regional roundups.
21 tournament cards
Upcoming and in-progress tournaments first (US Eastern dates), then past events for the season.
Past (21)
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Atlantic Tackle's 10th annual fall inshore weekend focuses on reds, trout, and flounder from its Sunset Avenue base.
- Host
- Atlantic Tackle
- Venue
- Atlantic Tackle
- Species
- Red drum · Speckled trout · Flounder
- Format
- Two-day fall inshore event; verify final species, measurement/weigh-in procedure, fishing boundaries, and registration with Atlantic Tackle.
- Phone
- 410-430-1016
-
Season-long offshore challenge spanning May through September—score across canyon months instead of one weigh-in weekend, and verify divisions before you stack it with tuna or billfish weeks.
- Host
- Ocean City Fishing Center (calendar listing)
- Venue
- Ocean City / West Ocean City marina corridor
- Species
- Tuna · Billfish · Mahi · Wahoo…
- Format
- Season-long offshore challenge (May–September)—confirm scoring, divisions, submission methods, and overlap rules with weekend tournaments before you enter.
- Phone
- 410-213-1121
-
OCMC's 48th annual late-season Charles Kratz & Scott Smith Challenge Cup is a strict release-only event with nightly reporting instead of weigh-ins.
- Host
- Ocean City Marlin Club
- Venue
- OCMC office and clubhouse
- Species
- Billfish release
- Format
- Register September 16, fish two of three days, submit nightly 6–8 p.m. release reports to OCMC, and attend Saturday awards. No weigh-ins.
-
Bahia Marina’s annual one-day flounder pounder—family-friendly early-fall inshore day; fish your own boat or rent a skiff, skimmer, or pontoon from the marina.
- Host
- Bahia Marina
- Venue
- Bahia Marina
- Species
- Summer flounder (fluke)
- Format
- One-day Bahia flounder tournament; private boat or marina skiff/skimmer/pontoon rentals; verify weigh hours, entry fee, and measurement rules with Bahia (410-289-7473).
- Phone
- 410-289-7473
-
A 25th annual one-day Ocean City Fishing Center spot tournament with a September 11 memorial focus.
- Host
- Ocean City Fishing Center
- Venue
- Ocean City Fishing Center
- Species
- Spot
- Format
- One-day memorial spot tournament at OC Fishing Center; confirm entry, weigh-in, and memorial-program details with the host.
- Phone
- 410-213-1121
-
Dual-port mega billfish week—Canyon Club Resort Marina (Cape May) and Sunset Marina (Ocean City). $3,500 entry, fish 3 of 5 days, 11 Calcuttas, and 2025 payouts above $3.2 million.
- Host
- MidAtlantic / Sunset Marina (OC) & Canyon Club (Cape May)
- Venue
- Sunset Marina (Ocean City) & Canyon Club Resort Marina (Cape May)
- Species
- White marlin · Blue marlin · Tuna (bigeye / yellowfin / albacore) · Dolphin…
- Format
- $3,500 entry (hospitality included); fish any 3 of 5 days Aug 17–21; designate OC or Cape May; weigh 5–9 p.m. at your port; 11 optional Calcuttas $1k–$35k; fish within 125 mi of Cape May Sea Buoy.
- Phone
- 609-884-0177
-
Ladies · 32nd Annual (some listings say 33rd)
Capt. Steve Harman's Poor Girl's Open
Status (Eastern US date): Loading…
All-women’s billfish release tournament at Bahia Marina benefiting breast cancer research through the American Cancer Society—250+ boats, ~1,000 anglers, $2M+ donated, plus optional tuna/dolphin levels.
- Host
- Bahia Marina
- Venue
- Bahia Marina
- Species
- White marlin (release) · Blue marlin (release) · Tuna (added levels — verify) · Dolphin / mahi (added levels — verify)…
- Format
- Ladies-only billfish release with optional tuna/dolphin levels; Pink Party captains meeting; daily Bahia dockside programming ~4–9 p.m.; charity focus ACS breast cancer research.
- Phone
- 410-289-7473
-
Ocean City’s Motsko-family billfish classic—53rd year in 2026 with a new fish-any-3-of-6-days window, free Harbour Island weigh-ins, Inlet MarlinFest, and a homepage field near 334 boats / ~$9.9M estimated purse.
- Host
- White Marlin Open (Motsko family)
- Venue
- Harbour Island Marina (registration & weigh-ins) · Ocean City Inlet (MarlinFest) · OC Marlin Club (awards)
- Species
- White marlin · Blue marlin · Tuna · Wahoo…
- Format
- Open entry; fish any 3 of 6 days Aug 3–8, 2026 (8:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m.). Base boat fee $1,500 by June 1 / $1,800 after for a $50,000 guaranteed purse, plus optional added levels at late registration. Official weigh-ins only at Harbour Island 4:00–9:15 p.m.; MarlinFest at the Inlet 11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.; Aug 9 polygraph TBA and 4:00 p.m. awards at the Ocean City Marlin Club.
- Phone
- 410-289-9229
-
Ladies billfish weekend at the Ocean City Marlin Club—sits on the same dates as Marlins for Mason and immediately before White Marlin Open week, so lodging and slip demand spike hard.
- Host
- Ocean City Marlin Club
- Venue
- Fisherman’s Marina (weigh-ins) · OCMC clubhouse (awards)
- Species
- White marlin · Blue marlin · Other billfish (verify)
- Format
- Ladies billfish; register July 29 6–8 p.m.; fish 1 of 3 days July 30–Aug 1; weigh-ins 5:30–7:30 p.m. at Fisherman’s Marina; awards Aug 1 at OCMC—immediately before WMO week.
- Phone
- 410-213-1613
-
Nonprofit marlin-release tournament at the Ocean City Marlin Club and Sunset Marina benefiting the Dravet Syndrome Foundation—$650 entry goes 100% to research in honor of Mighty Mason Prather.
- Host
- Marlins for Mason / Ocean City Marlin Club & Sunset Marina
- Venue
- Ocean City Marlin Club & Sunset Marina
- Species
- White marlin · Blue marlin (release focus — verify)
- Format
- Charity marlin release; $650 entry 100% to Dravet Syndrome Foundation; fish 1 of 3 days July 30–Aug 1; optional $1,000 ladies / $2,000 open release Calcuttas; registration July 29 6–8 p.m. at OCMC.
- Phone
- 609-377-0706
-
Overnight offshore “biggest fish wins” classic at Talbot Street Pier / M.R. Ducks—record $1.256M 2025 purse, new Ladies Marlin Release, Big Fish Village vendors, Crush Party, and evening scales.
- Host
- Huk Big Fish Classic / Talbot Street Pier
- Venue
- Talbot Street Pier & M.R. Ducks
- Species
- Blue marlin · White marlin · Tuna · Swordfish…
- Format
- Overnight offshore tournament—two 32-hour slots (Fri–Sat or Sat–Sun); heaviest qualifying fish; Thu registration/captains meeting at M.R. Ducks; scales Fri–Sun at Talbot Street Pier; awards Sun 8:30 p.m.
- Phone
- 410-213-0325
-
The 22nd annual OCMC Kid’s Classic offers a family-focused one- or two-day format, Sunset Marina weigh-ins, and a Sunday carnival.
- Host
- Ocean City Marlin Club
- Venue
- Sunset Marina (weigh-ins) · OCMC clubhouse (awards)
- Species
- Junior tournament species (verify rules)
- Format
- Registration July 17; fish one or both days July 18–19; weigh-ins 3–6 p.m. at Sunset Marina; Sunday awards and carnival at OCMC.
-
World’s largest tuna tournament by recent payout scale—100+ boat fields, million-dollar purses, public scale nights at Ocean City Fishing Center and Sunset Marina, and a deep Calcutta ladder from daily tuna pots to no-sonar jackpots.
- Host
- Ocean City Fishing Center & Sunset Marina
- Venue
- Ocean City Fishing Center & Sunset Marina
- Species
- Bigeye tuna · Yellowfin tuna · Bluefin tuna · Longfin (albacore)…
- Format
- $1,500/boat; fish 2 of 3 days July 10–12 (lay day by 10 a.m. at OCFC); min 30 lb tuna; registration/captains meeting July 9 4–7 p.m.; weigh-ins Fri/Sat 4–8 p.m. both marinas, Sun 4–7 p.m. OCFC only; deep optional Calcutta ladder.
- Phone
- 410-213-1121
-
Independence Day weekend Marlin Club canyon opener—free entry for paid OCMC boat members, fish 1 of 3 days, Fisherman’s Marina weigh-ins, and holiday lodging/fireworks traffic stacked on tournament logistics.
- Host
- Ocean City Marlin Club
- Venue
- Fisherman’s Marina (weigh-ins) · OCMC clubhouse (awards)
- Species
- White marlin · Blue marlin · Mahi · Tuna…
- Format
- Fish 1 of 3 days July 3–5; registration July 2 6–8 p.m.; free to paid OCMC boat members (others confirm fees); weigh-ins 5–7:30 p.m. at Fisherman’s Marina; awards Sunday at OCMC.
- Phone
- 410-213-1613
-
An eighth annual July 4 offshore event with Canyon Club Resort and Sunset Marina listed as dual-port contacts—not the August MidAtlantic.
- Host
- Canyon Club Resort & Sunset Marina
- Venue
- Cape May / Sunset Marina, Ocean City (confirm port)
- Species
- Offshore species (verify rules)
- Format
- One-day dual-port July 4 event; verify selected port, species, entry, and weigh-in location.
- Phone
- 609-884-0177
-
Four-day Sunset Marina offshore tournament with buckle prizes, giving canyon crews a late-June warm-up before the holiday tournament run.
- Host
- Sunset Marina
- Venue
- Sunset Marina
- Species
- Offshore species (verify rules)
- Format
- Four-day offshore tournament at Sunset Marina; confirm eligible species, fishing days, scoring, and prize divisions directly with the host.
- Phone
- 443-807-0822
-
Atlantic Tackle's eighth annual kayak and SUP saltwater weekend, where measurement and photo compliance matter as much as the catch.
- Host
- Atlantic Tackle
- Venue
- Atlantic Tackle
- Species
- Saltwater slam species (verify rules)
- Format
- Two-day kayak/SUP saltwater tournament with photo and measurement requirements; verify species, launch, and submission rules.
- Phone
- 443-783-7410
-
A one-day Worcester County Chamber flounder tournament; confirm the annual weigh site, entry method, and hours before fishing.
- Host
- Worcester County Chamber of Commerce
- Venue
- Annual weigh site (confirm)
- Species
- Summer flounder (fluke)
- Format
- One-day Chamber flounder tournament; obtain the current entry, weigh-site, time, and measurement information from the Chamber.
-
47th annual Ocean City Marlin Club small-boat weekend—inshore and offshore divisions (or both), weigh-ins at Fisherman’s Marina, and awards at the OCMC clubhouse.
- Host
- Ocean City Marlin Club
- Venue
- Ocean City Marlin Club (awards) · Fisherman’s Marina (weigh-ins)
- Species
- White marlin · Blue marlin · Inshore species (division) · Other offshore (verify brochure)
- Format
- Fish 1 of 2 days (June 20–21); inshore and/or offshore divisions; registration June 19 6–8 p.m.; weigh-ins 3–6 p.m. at Fisherman’s Marina; awards Sunday at OCMC clubhouse.
- Phone
- 410-213-1613
-
Sixth-annual ladies tuna weekend at Ocean City Fishing Center—early-summer yellowfin energy, dockside hospitality, and a condensed two-day format before the bigger July tuna classic.
- Host
- Ocean City Fishing Center
- Venue
- Ocean City Fishing Center
- Species
- Yellowfin tuna · Other tuna (verify) · Mahi / jackpot categories (verify)
- Format
- Two-day ladies tuna tournament at OC Fishing Center—confirm eligibility, fishing windows, Calcutta ladder, and weigh-in times with the marina (410-212-7159).
- Phone
- 410-212-7159
-
Charity · Blues for DU (4th) / calendars may say 1st DU Derby
DU Derby (Blues for DU)
Status (Eastern US date): Loading…
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.
- Host
- Bahia Marina
- Venue
- Bahia Marina
- Species
- Bluefish · Junior angler category (verify)
- Format
- Multi-day bluefish charity derby for Ducks Unlimited—$200/boat (4 anglers), kayak entries available, optional bluefish Calcuttas; captain’s meeting June 5 at Bahia; trophies for heaviest bluefish and top junior.
- Phone
- 410-289-7473
Related fishing planning
- Fishing hub — charters, where-you-fish guides
- Fishing tournaments FAQ
- White Marlin Open visitor FAQ
- Marinas
- Fishing regulations
- Events hub — fishing crosswalk
Beach Blog on Events & tournaments
Trip reads written for this hub—pacing and advice, not a second directory.
