Billfish · 53rd Annual

White Marlin Open

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.

Aug 1–2 registration · Aug 3–8 fishing (any 3 of 6 days) · Aug 9 polygraph TBA & awards 4 p.m. Marlin Club Spectator-friendly (verify)

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Confirm entry fees, lines-out times, and public weigh-in access with organizers before you travel. Status uses US Eastern calendar dates.

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About this tournament

The White Marlin Open is Ocean City’s signature deepwater week: a Motsko-family tournament that began in 1974 with 57 boats, about 150 anglers, and roughly $20,000 in prizes. Lifetime tallies published by organizers now exceed $121 million paid. The 2025 field reached 282 boats and more than 3,000 contestants, with total prizes above $7.24 million and a top individual white-marlin award near $3.9 million. At the start of the 2026 window the official homepage listed about 334 entered boats and an estimated $9.9 million purse. Organizers brand the Open as the world’s largest and richest billfish contest.

Ocean City’s “White Marlin Capital of the World” nickname traces to a 1939 fishing day out of the then-new inlet associated with President Franklin Roosevelt. That local white-marlin reputation, plus a vacation-town spectator culture, still shapes Tournament Week: pre-dawn crowds cheer boats toward the sea buoy, and afternoon Harbour Island scales draw thousands when leaderboards flip.

The 53rd Open fishes Monday, August 3 through Saturday, August 8, 2026. For the first time, boats pick any three fishing days inside a six-day window (Saturday added after decades of a 3-of-5 structure). Tournament Director Madelyne Motsko has framed the change as a weather hedge after recent seasons forced late schedule juggling. Daily fishing hours on the official schedule run 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Full day-by-day times: WMO schedule hub.

Registration weekend: Saturday, August 1, 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. at Harbour Island Marina, plus a Cape May, NJ window the same day 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. at South Jersey Marina. Sunday, August 2, Harbour Island late registration runs 11:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. The captain’s meeting is listed for 7:00 p.m. Sunday as virtual-only on the WMO website and Facebook. Monday–Saturday weigh-ins are listed 4:00–9:15 p.m. exclusively on the Harbour Island official scale (14th Street and the Bay). MarlinFest at the Ocean City Inlet is listed 11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. each fishing day. Sunday, August 9: polygraph times/locations TBA; awards ceremony 4:00 p.m. at the Ocean City Marlin Club in West Ocean City.

Entry (per official entry-info page): anyone may fish if their boat is registered and/or they are listed as an angler on a registered boat before they fish. Base boat fee is $1,500 on or before June 1 and $1,800 afterward, with no cap on anglers per boat; that base stake competes for a guaranteed $50,000 purse. Optional added skill levels are collected at late registration August 1–2; 2026 also adds billfish levels for boats competing without omnidirectional sonar. Mail-in forms can reserve a boat before angler names are complete. Payment methods include check, cash, or card (card carries a published 5% surcharge). Deep dive: entry & anglers hub — confirm live fees on whitemarlinopen.com.

Prize structure is modular on purpose. Boats can stay near the guaranteed base purse or stack optional levels toward multimillion outcomes. About-page materials describe release-division awards for top release boats, under-40-foot categories, a 2025-introduced outboard division, and new 2026 non-sonar billfish levels. Species money historically spans white marlin, blue marlin, tuna, wahoo, dolphin (mahi), and swordfish; tourism listings also mention shark categories—always match the year’s rules PDF. 2025 published category winners included a 72 lb white marlin (~$3.91M), 929.5 lb blue marlin (~$1.24M), 188 lb tuna (~$764K), plus wahoo and dolphin leaders.

Spectators: Harbour Island weigh-ins are free and open to the public on fishing days (4:00–9:15 p.m. on the official schedule). MarlinFest (Inlet) markets live music, food and drinks, vendors, merch, and a live stream of the weigh-ins; bring ID for alcohol service and note published pet rules. Dawn inlet send-offs remain a local tradition—stay clear of working docks and sea-buoy traffic. Visitor playbook: spectators hub, merch via WMO apparel, and MarlinCam on the official site.

Visitor logistics on this site: event overview, visitor FAQ, marinas, lodging, and fishing regulations. Future Opens follow the first full week of August with the prior weekend for registration—published placeholders include August 2–7, 2027; August 7–12, 2028; and August 6–11, 2029.

At a glance

  • Host: White Marlin Open (Motsko family)
  • Venue: Harbour Island Marina (registration & weigh-ins) · Ocean City Inlet (MarlinFest) · OC Marlin Club (awards)
  • Address: Harbour Island — 14th Street & the Bay, Ocean City, MD 21842
  • 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.
  • Target species: White marlin, Blue marlin, Tuna, Wahoo, Dolphin (mahi), Swordfish, Shark (verify yearly rules), Release / under-40 / outboard / non-sonar divisions (verify)
  • Phone: 410-289-9229

For spectators

  • Harbour Island scales (14th Street bayside): free public viewing 4:00–9:15 p.m. each fishing day—arrive early; leaderboard drama peaks later in the week.
  • MarlinFest at the Ocean City Inlet: listed 11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. Aug 3–8 with music, food/drink, vendors, merch, and weigh-in livestream—ID required for alcohol; pets not allowed per Visit Maryland’s Coast listing.
  • Pre-dawn inlet send-offs draw cheering crowds; bring lights, stay off working docks, and give boats room at the sea buoy.
  • Follow Instagram @white_marlin_open and the official Facebook page for weather holds, livestream links, and same-day schedule notes.

For anglers & crews

  • You must register a boat and/or be listed on a registered boat before fishing—download the entry form or use online registration tools on whitemarlinopen.com.
  • Base fee $1,500 through June 1, then $1,800; unlimited anglers per boat on the base entry. Optional skill levels (45+ historically) are paid at Aug 1–2 late registration—budget carefully; card payments add a published 5% surcharge.
  • Mail early boat registration is allowed before full crew lists; finish angler details at Harbour Island (or the Aug 1 Cape May South Jersey Marina desk).
  • Captain’s meeting: Aug 2, 7:00 p.m., virtual-only—watch WMO web/Facebook; rules changes can be announced there.
  • Read and download the 2026 rules packet before lines out (linked from whitemarlinopen.com/rules). Polygraph testing Aug 9 (times TBA) can affect payout eligibility.
  • Divisions to confirm in the packet: release awards, under-40-foot classes, outboard division (added 2025), and new 2026 non-sonar division.
  • Awards: Aug 9, 4:00 p.m., Ocean City Marlin Club, West Ocean City.

Planning tips

  • Book lodging and marina slips months ahead—Tournament Week compresses West OC, Harbour Island, and inlet corridors.
  • Spectators: plan dinner around weigh-in rush; harbor restaurants stack tickets after 4:00 p.m.
  • Recreational charters should avoid competing with lines-out and return windows—ask captains about WMO week availability.
  • Bring a zoom camera for evening scales; phone snapshots struggle with crowds and lighting.
  • Confirm every fee, Calcutta, and species rule against the live 2026 packet—marketing pages and entry copy can lag edition numbers.

Map (approximate)

Open larger map (OpenStreetMap) — Approximate location; confirm exact gate or venue with organizers.

Tickets, registration & official links

Related fishing tournaments

Related Events calendar pages

FAQs

Does OCEANCITY.MD sell White Marlin Open boat entries?
No—register only through White Marlin Open channels (entry form, brochure, or online registration on whitemarlinopen.com). We publish visitor planning context, not the entry desk.
Can the public watch weigh-ins for free?
Yes—official tournament materials state Harbour Island weigh-ins are open to the public free of charge, listed 4:00–9:15 p.m. each fishing day. Arrive early for sightlines and respect roped-off crew areas.
What is the 2026 fishing format?
Boats fish any three days inside a six-day window, Monday August 3 through Saturday August 8, with daily fishing hours listed 8:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Saturday was newly added after prior 3-of-5-day seasons.
Where do I register a boat?
Late registration: Harbour Island Marina Aug 1 (11 a.m.–5 p.m.) and Aug 2 (11 a.m.–7 p.m.), plus South Jersey Marina in Cape May, NJ on Aug 1 (11 a.m.–3 p.m.). Mail-in and online options are described on the official entry-info page.
What does MarlinFest include?
Inlet-side festival hours are listed 11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. during fishing days, with live music, food and drinks, vendors, merch, and a livestream of weigh-ins. Alcohol service requires ID; pets are not allowed per regional tourism listings—confirm yearly on MarlinFest / Visit Maryland’s Coast pages.
Is the tournament only for pros?
No—organizers emphasize open entry with no age restrictions. Optional skill levels let teams choose purse exposure; novices and juniors have won major awards in past years. Skill ceilings still belong in the rules and safety briefings.
Will this affect my beach vacation?
Yes near Harbour Island, the Inlet, and West Ocean City marinas—expect heavier evening crowds, parking pressure, and marina traffic. Pair plans with lodging, marinas, and non-tournament charter days if you want a quieter rail trip.
What permits do anglers need?
Per the official permits page: the boat needs an HMS Permit and each angler needs the National Saltwater Angler Registry. A Maryland recreational fishing license is not required to fish the WMO. Confirm current NOAA/NMFS links on whitemarlinopen.com/permits.
How big is the 2026 field?
At tournament kickoff the official homepage listed about 334 entered boats and an estimated $9.9 million purse. Numbers update through the week—check registered boats and leaders on whitemarlinopen.com.
Where are the multi-page guides on this site?
Start at the overview, then schedule, entry & anglers, spectators, plan, and FAQs.

Sources

OCEANCITY.MD does not operate these tournaments. Always verify rules, fees, and public access with organizers.

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