Category: News

Omie Jennings “Sportsman” Tillett, 90, of Wanchese, NC passed away on Friday, July 5, 2019. Capt. Omie was a legend to the sportfishing industry & our state. Tillet is credited with the original “Carolina Flare.” Omie Tillett, a pioneer in custom Carolina boat building, constructed one-of-a-kind sportfish boats throughout the 1970s for both charter captains and private owners. He’d fish the summer and build boats in the winter out of his Manteo-based operation named Sportsman Boat Works. “While he is best known for the boats he built and inspired over the decades, what many sportfishermen will remember about Tillet was his voice. For years Tillet would read hand written, 12-plus minute prayers over the VHF to the fleet at the Big Rock Tournament.”

Big Rock Board Member & President of Jarrett Bay Boatworks, Randy Ramsey, named Omie Tillett as one of the most influential people to contribute to Jarrett Bay’s success over the last 25 years.

He wrote:  I was fortunate enough to meet Capt. Omie when I fished with him in 1982 on “Sportsman”. We traveled to the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center that fall, and while we were anxious to take part in the white marlin fishing, Capt. Omie wanted a “few fish for the dock”. Little did I know that his definition of a few fish was having a box full! When we started in, the wind breezed up and I was amazed by the way the boat handled in the sea and how well she did compared to the boats I had run. Soon after that trip, we set our goals to build a similar boat that we would use in our charter business.

As time passed, we got to know Omie better and in the fall of 1986, we set out with a plan to build “Sensation”. We went to see Omie and he told us as much as he could about how he built his boats. He gave us advice about methods, materials, and shared his life lesson “nuggets” along the way. We soon started “Sensation” and Omie was open and helpful throughout the entire process. For many years, I have been proud to say our boats have a direct lineage to Sportsman Boatworks.

Over the years Omie has become a wonderful friend and I am proud that he kids with me and calls me his son. He is a favorite at the Big Rock, and many people are inspired by his morning prayer on the radio. He always makes time to share his knowledge, give you a hug, and let you know he “loves you”. Omie’s generosity and sense of family has been a guiding force in all we do at Jarrett Bay, and we are proud that he is part of our lineage.”

We’re blessed to have been apart of Capt. Omie’s journey & will continue to honor his legacy. Thank you Captain Omie Tillet for the countless lessons, inspiration & memories.

Top Dog became “Top of the World” Saturday when it landed a record breaking 914-pound blue marlin to win the 61^stannual Big Rock Blue Marlin tournament.

Top Dog captain Ryan Knapp of Ocean City, Md., and angler Todd Dickerson, Damascus, Md., fought their catch for more than five hours and then needed an additional 90 minutes to get the 15-foot fish partially into their 60-foot Buddy Cannady. Dickerson’s catch crushed the Big Rock’s previous record of 831 pounds set in 2000 by the Summertime Blues.

The whole crew and all the fans at the weigh station let out a mighty howl when the weight of the fish was announced to the crowd. The crew was dog tired, the catch looked a bit dog-eared after being squeezed through a tuna door but, doggone, it was a heckuva catch.

Top Dog won $793,188 from the Big Rock’s record $2,869,150 purse.

The 61^stBig Rock took a surreal turn on the final day of the tournament when five boats sent the tournament into overtime. It was the second straight year Saturday fishing showed some craziness as the winners weren’t completely determined until just before midnight.

One blue marlin was boated and five boats were still battling blue marlin at the final day 2 p.m. cutoff. Since Big Rock rules allow fights to continue until a resolution (boated, released or lost), four of the five boats battled long past the normal deadline.

Triple S was the first to the scales with a 429.3-pound blue marlin landed by the husband-wife team of Todd and Shelly Smith of Newport. The Smiths brought their catch to gaff after a 42-minute fight.

Double B and Theresa Jean – the first of the overtime boats to resolve their fights – followed with larger catches. The Double B, captained by Harry Smith, Greenville, and angler Brooke Smith, Greenville, brought a 497.6-pound blue marlin to the scales after a 67-minute fight.

Throughout the week, Wolverine was bulletproof and managed to stay atop the leaderboard. Wolverine captain Rocky Hardison, Beaufort, and angler Cory Zeigler teamed to catch a 588.9-pound blue marlin on opening day and maintained their lead through 2 p.m. Saturday … the usual celebration time.

But this was the year of the Dog.

A final weigh-in at 10:55 p.m. put the contest in concrete. Wall Hanger, captained by Gray Blount, Greenville, nearly caused a final leaderboard shake-up with a 569.5-pound blue marlin landed by angler Brian Allen, Raleigh. But Allen’s catch came close … but it weighed less than the 569.9-pounder reeled in by Donna Mae angler James Luihn. The close-call finish in third place was worth $192,575 for the Donna Mae crew.

Wolverine finish in second place and captured $289,863 from the Big Rock purse. Hardison, who was the mate of the Big Rock winner in 1996, came as close to a second victory as you can come.

Annie O, a boat captained by Brad Sutton, Raleigh, won $147,375 for the most release points (1,850) scored during the tournament. Annie O captured a daily and the overall release category with four blue marlin, one white marlin, and a sailfish release.

Drillin & Billin, a boat captained by Lee Martin, Wanchese, finished second in the release division with 1,600 release points. Drillin & Billin released four blue marlins to earn $141,950 in overall and daily “winner take all” (WTA) prizes.

Full Pull, captained by Ryan Riggs, N. Charleston, S.C., won a release WTA prize and finished third in the release division with 1200 release points for three blue marlin releases to win $113,475. Crews from Starflite, Viking 80, and Goombay all won $56,525 in the daily WTA release competitions.

Job Site, captained by Bill Farrior, Greenville, won the WTA dolphin division with a 53.7-pounder pulled in by junior angler Michael Cripe. Job Site won $368,250 in WTA, daily and other weekly gamefish prizes.

Uno Mas, captained by Brooks Smith, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., won the wahoo division with a 59.3 pounder caught by angler Jeremy Certas. The Uno Mas catch earned the team $7,000 in daily and weekly prizes.

Predator, captained by Chris Barnett, Frisco, won the tuna division with a 145.1-pounder landed by Wayne. The Predator catch, believed to be the largest in Big Rock history, earned the team $7,000 in daily and weekly prizes. It was one of two tunas boated during the tournament.

By the end of the competition, anglers released 80 blue marlin, 54 white marlin, 17 sailfish and two spearfish. Doc Fees, captained by Taylor Pleasant, Wilmington, and his crew scored the 61^strelease of the 61^stBig Rock to win the tournament’s special $6,100 prize.

Since the tournament ran late and polygraphs need to be completed, results will not be official until Sunday. Winners are slated to receive their checks at 1 p.m. at the Big Rock weigh station.

The 61^stannual Big Rock Blue Marlin tournament gamefish (dolphin, tuna and wahoo) division has solidified in the final hours of competition and several teams will earn big money when checks are distributed at the awards ceremony Saturday night.

Big Rock competitors don’t normally target gamefish but a bycatch of these species can be special. A record $361,250 winner-take-all (WTA) dolphin prize is up for grabs for any boat that happens to catch the largest fish in that category.

Heading into the final hours of fishing, Job Site captain Bill Farrior, Farmville, holds the WTA lead with a 53.7-pound dolphin reeled in Monday by junior angler Michael Cripe.

Tuna and wahoo catches have been somewhat scarce this week but Big Rock anglers have managed to boat several big ones. Predator captain Chris Bennett, Frisco, put angler Wayne Wray on a 145.1-pound tuna Friday to take the overall lead in that division. Wray’s catch is worth $7,000 in daily and weekly prize money and is believed to be the biggest tuna caught during a Big Rock competition.

Uno Mas took the lead in the wahoo division Friday with a 59.3-pounder reeled in by Jeremy Certas. Uno Mas captain Brooks Smith, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and Certas put their team in position to win $7,000 in daily and weekly gamefish prizes.

Sea Wolf (dolphin), Marsh Madness (tuna) and Bill Collector (wahoo) currently hold second place in those respective weekly gamefish divisions. Sea Wolf captain Donnie White, Kitty Hawk, and angler Tim Wood teamed to catch a 48.4-pound dolphin Monday. Marsh Madness captain Bob Marsh and junior angler Graham Marsh, Raleigh, teamed to reel in an 18.1-pound tuna Friday. Bill Collector captain Stephen Draughon, Morehead City, and junior angler Will Hanley caught a 56.5-pound wahoo Tuesday. 

 Competitors in the 61st Big Rock are allowed to fish four-of-six days and must notify officials of the days they do not intend to fish. Fishing hours are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., except Saturday when the fishing hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Any fight that starts before the end-of-day deadline can continue until the hook-up reaches a resolution.

While blue marlin weigh-ins draw most of the media attention at Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament scales, billfish releases can deliver huge paydays to skillful and lucky crews.

Big Rock anglers who score the first release of the day win a $5,000 Gregory Poole first release prize. Winners this week include String Line, Good Times, Annie O, Redemption and Knot Done Yet.

Full Pull, captain Ryan Riggs, North Charleston, SC, won the first daily prize of $47,104 for two blue marlin releases (800 points) scored Monday. That prize grew to $56,525 when adverse weather in the fishing zone kept all but one boat in port Thursday.

Since no billfish were hooked and released Thursday, that daily release prize rolled to the other days when there were billfish releases. Other daily release winners include Drillin & Billin, Starflite and Viking 80.

Annie O, Full Pull and Drillin & Billin were in a tight race to capture the Level VII weekly release prize of $142,375 as the tournament headed into its final day. Annie O scored a blue marlin release early Saturday to increase its overall lead.

Annie O, captained by Brad Sutton, Raleigh, has tallied 1,825 release points for hooking and releasing four blue marlin, one white marlin and a sailfish. Drillin & Billin, captained by Lee Martin, Wanchese, has scored 1,600 points for four blue marlin releases. Full Pull captain Ryan Riggs, N. Charleston, S.C., and his fishing team have 1,200 points for three blue marlin releases. Second place in the Level VII division is worth $85,425. The team that finishes third will receive $56,950.

Competitors in the 61st Big Rock are allowed to fish four-of-six days and must notify officials of the days they do not intend to fish. Fishing hours are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., except Saturday when the fishing hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Any fight that starts before the end-of-day deadline can continue until the hook-up reaches a resolution.

It’s official – the 61^stannual Big Rock Blue Marlin tournament has become a one-day shootout.

The Big Rock went full swing Friday as 172-of-184 boats headed offshore one day after 183 boats stayed in port. While it was nice onshore, conditions in the fishing zone were rough until the final two hours of the day.

Dropped Call, captained by Junior Johnson, Newport, boated the only blue marlin of the day and then experienced engine trouble on the way back to port. Dropped Call’s blue marlin, reeled in by Jason Wright, Wilmington, Del., tipped the scales at 524.7 pounds. Dropped Call’s catch was a disconnect from the leaderboard, coming up 21 pounds short of what was needed to dial up a spot in the standings.

That means the tournament heads into the final day with no blue marlin leaderboard changes since Monday. Wolverine captain Rocky Hardison, Beaufort, maintained his lead with the 588.9-pound blue marlin reeled Monday by angler Cory Ziegler. Donna Mae, captained by Joe Webb, Anna Maria Island, Fla., holds second place with a 569.9-pound blue marlin hauled in by angler James Luihn.

Sweetums captain Pete Rae, Plano, Tx., led the 61^stBig Rock initially with a 545.1-pound blue marlin caught by Scott DeWolf. Sweetums captured the Level V Fabulous Fishermen prize of $531,250 for being the first boat to land a blue marlin that weighed at least 500 pounds.

Anglers tallied 12 blue marlin, nine white marlin and two sailfish releases Friday. For a while, it looked as if several boats might bring blue marlin catches to the scales.

Mama Love and 18 Reeler took their fights to overtime. After a five-hour battle, there was no love for Mama Love as its fish got away. Competitors on the 18-Reeler trucked back to port empty handed, too, after suffering a pulled hook that brought an end to a 50-minute fight.

Two Big Rock Big Hero (BRBH) anglers were honored Friday when they arrived at the scales to weigh the dolphins they caught offshore. Lt. Col. Scott White, US Army, who has served 20+ years, reeled in a 7.7-pound dolphin aboard Builder’s Choice. Staff Sgt. Dean Smith, U.S. Army, who has served 12 years, caught an 18.0-pound dolphin on the El Cazadore.

BRBH anglers are nominated, vetted and selected for the program. BRBH anglers are provided with an experience of a lifetime after giving so much to this country.

 Big Rock artist Steve Goione created special artwork to commemorate the eight BRBH anglers chosen to fish in this year’s Big Rock. The crowd at the weight station cheered both BRBH anglers as they received the Goione’s artwork and other gifts proved by Big Rock, Salt Life and other tournament sponsors.  

 The 61^stBig Rock has been hard to figure out. A midweek storm played havoc with the fishing zone, but perfect offshore conditions are projected to be back Saturday. The bite was consistent Friday despite the rough conditions. It’s a sign that predatory fish are on the feed.

The wildest catch of the day was a 145.1-pound tuna, believed to be the largest tuna ever caught during a Big Rock competition. Predator angler Wayne Wray and captain Chris Barnett, Frisco, teamed to reel in the huge gamefish after a 15-minute fight. Wray’s catch was just the third tuna caught in the last four Big Rocks.

Through Friday, there have been 67 blue marlin, 35 white marlin and 16 sailfish releases tallied during the Big Rock. Doc Fees, captained by Taylor Pleasant, Wilmington, and his crew scored the 61^strelease of the 61^stBig Rock to win the tournament’s special $6,100 prize.

During Thursday fishing hours, no boat qualified for the Level VIII Daily Release Winner Take All (WTA) Thursday prize of $47,104. All that money rolled to the other days, increasing the daily release WTA payout to $56,525.

Fishing continues Saturday with 182-of-184 boats eligible to fish the final day. Competitors are allowed to fish four-of-six days and only one boat is fished out entering the final six hours of fishing.Fishing hours Saturday are from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Any fight that starts before the end-of-day deadline can continue until the hook-up reaches a resolution.

Paved For captain Jason Daniels, Clayton, turned the 61stBig Rock Blue Marlin Tournament into a solo act Thursday when he elected to be the only competitor to go offshore. Even though 183-of-184 boats took 1-of-2 mandatory lay days, Daniels liked his chances.

Daniels entered Paved For in the mandatory Level I and optional Level IX (Outboard) portions of the tournament. If Daniels could catch two dolphins on this “no-opposition” day, he would have won all but $500 of his entry fees. If Daniels managed to catch and release a billfish, the Paved For team would be money ahead.

Daniels finally got a hook-up minutes before the 3 p.m. deadline. Unfortunately for Paved For, that fish got away.

Three days earlier, when the tournament began, seven blue marlin were landed and five of those spent time on the Monday leaderboard. Since then, there have been no changes to the blue marlin division.

But that is projected to change. Weather conditions are forecasted to improve Friday and be perfect Saturday. That sets up a late tournament shoot-out since all but 14 boats can fish both days.

Wolverine captain Rocky Hardison, Beaufort, maintained his lead through Thursday with the 588.9-pound blue marlin that was reeled Monday by angler Cory Ziegler. Donna Mae, captained by Joe Webb, Anna Maria Island, Fla., holds second place with a 569.9-pound blue marlin hauled in by angler James Luihn.

Sweetums captain Pete Rae, Plano, Tx., led the 61^stBig Rock initially with a 545.1-pound blue marlin caught by Scott DeWolf. Sweetums captured the Level V Fabulous Fishermen prize of $531,250 for being the first boat to land a blue marlin that weighed at least 500 pounds.

Sea Striker and Fender Bender brought blue marlins to the scales Tuesday but both catches missed making the leaderboard. Sea Striker’s blue marlin tipped the scales at 500.2 pounds. Fender Bender’s blue marlin finished a bit higher at 504.8 pounds.

Even though this year’s leaderboard features large blue marlins, recent history suggests larger fish are still out there. In 2014, Inspiration won the 56^thBig Rock with a 754.3-pound blue marlin. In 2015, Viking 62 scored a victory in the 57^thBig Rock with a 680-pound blue marlin.

In 2016, the Ashley Lauren followed up a win at the 19^thKeli Wagner Lady Angler tournament with a victory in the 58^thBig Rock. Ashley Lauren “doubled up” when that fishing team landed a 621.4-pound blue marlin. 

Through Thursday, there have been 55 blue marlin, 26 white marlin and 14 sailfish releases tallied during the Big Rock. Doc Fees, captained by Taylor Pleasant, Wilmington, and his crew scored the 61^strelease of the 61^stBig Rock to win the special prize of $6,100 for that accomplishment.

Fishing continues Friday morning at 9 a.m. Competitors in the 61st Big Rock are allowed to fish four-of-six days and must notify officials of the days they do not intend to fish.

Fishing hours are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., except Saturday when the fishing hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Any fight that starts before the end-of-day deadline can continue until the hook-up reaches a resolution.

Long before he became “The Voice of the Big Rock,” board member Randy Ramsey was a tournament captain, preparing his charter boat for the start of competition.

Then Ramsey got the phone call he dreaded most. Ramsey was asked to take a news reporter offshore on the opening day of the 34^thBig Rock.

While history did not capture Ramsey’s unsuccessful argument against hosting the reporter, what follows next is the account of what actually happened that sunny day in June …

Randy Ramsey, captain of the charter boat Sensation, out of Harkers Island, was steering his way through the slough at Cape Lookout shoals when a fog came out of nowhere. It was just a few hours before the start of the 1992 Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament. It was no time to run aground on the shallow shoals.

But limited visibility hardly bothered the seasoned captain, fishing in his 11th Big Rock tourney, as he guided his 52-foot custom-built Jarrett Bay craft through the narrow passage.

“That’s the slough,” Ramsey said as the fog lifted and his boat cleared the last of the shoals. It was a tone of voice reserved for rookies (this reporter) who had never made the passage out into blue marlin waters.

Below deck, a trio of anglers from Benson, Bobby “Roho” Barefoot, Donnie Dean McLamb and John Allen made the best of the 90-minute ride offshore. They ate, slept and smoked cigars, in that order. The smoke got so thick in the flying bridge that Ramsey put the boat on auto pilot and headed down the ladder.

“Sure … and leave me with the smoke,” Curtis Pearson, owner of the Bert’s Surf Shop chain, said to Ramsey after he came back to the bridge.

“You could have gone below,” Ramsey retorted. “We all could have. The boat knows the way by itself.”

That might have been stretching things a bit, but the boat sure knew what to do once it got on station. At 9 a.m., when the 1992 Big Rock got under way, Pearson and Sensation mate Joey Johnson quickly got all the lines set on the spreaders and into the water. Ramsey began a systematic pattern of trolling for a blue marlin. The time for joking was over.

… Except for the “Benson boys,” who continued to eat, sleep and smoke cigars. For them it was a day at the beach, in a manner of speaking. The only thing missing was the sand.

But all that changed when Ramsey put the lines over a hungry blue marlin. The centrally stationed Penn Reel began to sing out, and the entire crew sprang into action. Johnson and Pearson wound in the other reels while Barefoot was strapped into the chair. Even this reporter helped out by falling down the ladder to get out of the way. It was 10:15 a.m.

Ramsey backed the boat down and “Roho” cranked the fish up. Soon the leader was in sight … then the fish.

The blue marlin, which was judged to be 250 pounds, was tagged and released by Pierson and Johnson after a 15-minute fight. A brief round of congratulations swept through the boat, but there wasn’t much time to waste on that. Lines were re-threaded on the spreaders and the boat got back to trolling. It was tournament time. Hearts would beat hard for a while in a personal celebration of the catch.

But they pumped up to full speed again at 2:30 p.m., when Ramsey once again got a marlin to go after his bait. This time, McLamb got a turn in the chair and reeled in an estimated 200-pounder for the tag in less than 20 minutes. The crew tried, without success, to hook up a third fish in the nine minutes left before the 3 p.m. deadline. Still, they agreed it had been a most successful day.

“This was the best day I’ve had in 11 years,” Ramsey said, smiling. “You just don’t know how special this day has been. They say the odds of hooking a blue marlin are 1 in 22 trips. What happened today was extra special.”

Barefoot, a commercial catfish farmer whose right hand was swollen twice normal size from a bout with poisonous catfish spines, agreed. “I haven’t been able to do anything with this hand for a week,” he said. “I was so excited when we hooked up the fish I didn’t even feel the pain while I was cranking.”

The “Benson boys” and crew of the Sensation made port at Calico Jack’s on Harkers Island and prepared for the next day of fishing. Johnson cleaned the boat and prepared bait. Ramsey arranged for the fuel. Allen smoked another cigar.

The cigar smoke wasn’t quite as thick as the fog at the beginning of the trip, but it filled the air. Still … nobody seemed to mind after such a great day of fishing.

Hooking up two blue marlins in one day has a way of making everything else seem unimportant.

Author’s note: The reporter who went offshore that day has been to every Big Rock since. Big Rock competition gets in your blood. At least that’s what happened to me.

When the first half of the 61^stBig Rock Blue Marlin Tournament came to an end Wednesday, competitors were equally concerned with what had already happened as with what lay ahead.

When the tournament began Monday, seven blue marlins were landed and five of those spent time on the leaderboard. Since Monday, there have been no changes to the blue marlin division and Thursday looks like a lay day since high winds are building offshore.

Wolverine, captained by Rocky Hardison, Beaufort, maintained its lead halfway through the tourney with a 588.9-pound blue marlin that was landed Monday by angler Cory Ziegler. Donna Mae, captain Joe Webb, Anna Maria Island, Fla., holds down second place with a 569.9-pound blue marlin reeled in by angler James Luihn.

Sweetums captain Pete Rae, Plano, Tx., led the tournament initially with a 545.1-pound blue marlin caught by Scott DeWolf. Sweetums captured the Level V Fabulous Fishermen prize of $531,250 for being the first boat to land a 500-pounder in the tournament.

Sea Striker and Fender Bender brought blue marlins to the scales Tuesday but both catches missed making the leaderboard. Sea Striker was looking for its third Big Rock win but its blue marlin topped out at 500.2 pounds. Fender Bender’s blue marlin weighed 504.8

Even though this year’s leaders are not as big as winners in previous years, anglers are worried that it might hang on to win. Boat crews from 147-of-184 boats stayed in port Wednesday and a similar number are expected to follow suit Thursday. That means most of the fishing teams will have burned up both of their two required lay days and must fish out if they hope to win.

A storm system is expected to blow 15-to-25 knots throughout the day Thursday in the Big Rock fishing zone but much better weather is expected after that. The first two days of the competition were near perfect but nothing is certain for the next 72 hours.

Anglers managed to release only three blue marlin, two white marlin and one sailfish Wednesday. Annie O, captained by Brad Sutton, Raleigh, scored the first release of the day to win the $5,000 Gregory Poole first release prize.

Starflite, captained by Joey Johnson, Harkers Island, won the $47,104 Level VIII Daily release prize for the boat’s blue marlin release.  Full Pull won the $47,104 prize Monday with two blue marlin releases. Drillin & Billin won the $47,104 prize Tuesday with three blue marlin releases.

So far, there have been 55 blue marlin, 26 white marlin and 14 sailfish releases tallied during the competition.

Big Rock officials confirmed the winner of the $6,100 special release prize for the 61^st release of the tournament. After reviewing all data, Doc Fees, captain Taylor Pleasant, Wilmington, and his crew made the timely release.

Fishing continues Thursday morning at 9 a.m. Competitors in the 61st Big Rock are allowed to fish four-of-six days and must notify officials of the days they do not intend to fish.Fishing hours are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., except Saturday when the fishing hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Any fight that starts before the end-of-day deadline can continue until the hook-up reaches a resolution.

While Big Rock competitors don’t normally target gamefish (dolphin, tuna and wahoo) they know a bycatch of these species can sometimes mean a boatload of money.

Gamefish division prizes have grown bigger every year. This year, a record $361,250 winner-take-all (WTA) prize is up for grabs for any boat that happens to catch the largest dolphin.

Job Site captain Bill Farrior, Farmville, and junior angler Michael Cripe reeled in a 53.7-pound dolphin to take the first-day lead in the WTA dolphin category. Job Site locked up the Monday dolphin daily prize of $2,000, and maintained the overall dolphin lead through end of fishing Tuesday. Carterican, with a 32.4-pound dolphin, captured the Tuesday $2,000 daily dolphin prize.

Bill Collector captain Stephen Draughon, Morehead City, and his crew landed the first wahoo of the Big Rock Tuesday. Bill Collector junior angler Will Hanley reeled in the 56.5-pounder to win the $2,000 daily prize. 

For the second straight day, no tuna catches were brought to the scales.Competitors in the 61st Big Rock are allowed to fish four-of-six days and must notify officials of the days they do not intend to fish. Fishing hours are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., except Saturday when the fishing hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Any billfish fight that starts before the end-of-day deadline can continue until the hook-up reaches a resolution.

The 61^stBig Rock Blue Marlin Tournament changed gears Tuesday, producing 49 billfish releases but no big changes to the overall standings.

Competitors brought just two blue marlins to the scales during the Big Rock’s second day. Just 24 hours earlier, seven blue marlins were boated and the three biggest catches set a high bar in the standings for the remainder of the competition.

Wolverine captain Rocky Hardison, Beaufort, is in first place with a 588.9-pound blue marlin landed Monday by angler Cory Ziegler. Ziegler’s catch bumped Sweetums, the tournament’s inaugural leader, to second place.

Sweetum captain Pete Rae of Plano, Tx., arrived at the scales with a 545.1-pound blue marlin to win the Level V Fabulous Fishermen prize of $531,250. Sweetums angler Scott DeWolfe, Plano, TX, reeled in his catch in 44 minutes.

Sweetums was later bumped to third place when Donna Mae captain Joe Webb, Anna Maria Island, FL, and angler James Luihn, Vero Beach, FL., arrived at the weigh station. Luihn’s blue marlin tipped the scales at 569.9-pounds.

These three teams were understandably unnerved Tuesday afternoon when it was announced that Sea Striker had boated a blue marlin. Boat owner Adrian Holler, Morehead City, won the Big Rock in 1995 and 2001. Holler finished second in the Big Rock in 1986 when his 603-pounder was topped by a 608.5-pound blue marlin.

This by itself is enough to make a competitor’s skin leak … but there’s more.

Sea Striker’s angler Christian Bedsworth, Pine Knoll Shores, has more wins in his family than Holler. Bedsworth is the grandson of “Little George” Bedsworth, who won the Big Rock four times back when the tournament went by another name.

The remainder of the Sea Striker crew is a “Who’s Who” of fishing. Captain Pete Zook, Morehead City, comes from three generations of boat captains. Vince Johnson, Morehead City, won the Big Rock as an angler. Keith Henry, Atlantic Beach, captained the Miss Judy to an NC Governor’s Cup award.

If ever there was an all-star fishing team, this was it.

But the Monday Big Rock leaders dodged a bullet when Sea Striker’s catch topped out at 500.2 pounds. The Sea Striker had a big catch … but it wasn’t quite enough. 

“The calculations showed (our fish was) a little bit bigger,” Holler said after the weight was announced. “We had to take that chance (to forego 400 release points.)”

Fender Bender angler Greg Fulcher, Newport News, Va., landed the only other blue marlin during the second day of the 61^stBig Rock. Fender Bender captain Carl Beale, Hampton, Va., and Fulcher teamed to bring in a 504.8-pounder … which was big enough to finish in the money last year … but not this year.

Releases dominated the second day as 161-of-184 boats battled 36 blue marlins, seven white marlins and six sailfish. So far, 51 blue marlin, 23 white marlin and 12 sailfish have been released.

Big Rock officials determined the winner of the $6,100 special release prize for the 61^st release of the tournament. After confirming all data, Doc Fees, captain Taylor Pleasant, Wilmington, and his crew made the timely release.

Fishing continues Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. Competitors in the 61^stBig Rock are allowed to fish four-of-six days and must notify officials of the days they do not intend to fish.

Fishing hours are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., except Saturday when the fishing hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Any fight that starts before the end-of-day deadline can continue until the hook-up reaches a resolution.