PAST
WINNERS

From the first blue marlin landed off Morehead City aboard Bill Olsen’s Mary Z, to the last one caught aboard Neil Sykes’ Mercenaria, here are the Big Rock winners.

1957

MARY Z

143.5 lbs.
Captain Bill Olsen
Angler Jimmy Croy
LaGrange, NC

1958

DOLPHIN

428.5 lbs.
C.L. Safrit
Salisbury, NC

1959

BUNNY TOO

397.25 lbs.
J.D. Rivers
Durham, NC

1960

BUNNY TOO

390.5 lbs.
Carroll Williams
Petersburg, VA

1961

TOM N' JERRY

474.5 lbs.
Capt. Ben Day Sr.
J. Duckett/W. Turner
Cherry Point, NC

1962

SEA HAG

487 lbs.
Dr. Leroy Allen
Raleigh, NC

1963

BOLO JR.

420 lbs.
Calvin Koonce
Raleigh, NC

1964

DOLPHIN

427 lbs.
Curt Seifart
Charlotte, NC

1965

NO FISH LANDED DURING TOURNAMENT

1966

bUNNY TOO

245 lbs.
Ivan Mercer
Charleston, SC

1967

DOLPHIN

350 lbs.
Rufus English
Lynchburg, VA

1968

RED SNAPPER

538 lbs.
Jerry Fulford
Washington, NC

1969

DOLPHIN 1

495 lbs.
Leland Pribble
Madison Heights, VA

1970

rEEL KING

476 lbs.
Bump Styron
Morehead City, NC

1971

ALPHA D'AMOUR

377 lbs.
Carroll Ballou
Morehead City, NC

1972

WAHOO

487 lbs.
Lance Harris
Springfield, VA

1973

SEA TRAMP

530.5 lbs.
John Waldin
Charlotte, NC

1974

C'EST LA VIE

452 lbs.
L.B. Britton, Jr.
Ahoskie, NC

1975

YELLOW BIRD IV

481.5 lbs.
Richard Miller
Rumson, NJ

1976

RESTLESS V

575 lbs.
Bob Donovan
Rockville, MD

1977

SEA BUSTER

636 lbs.
Rusty Cutshaw
Morehead City, NC

1978

KELLY BEAN

604 lbs.
Mark Mason
Greensboro, NC

1979

SEA MINT

376 lbs.
Jim O’Daiell
Wilmington, NC

1980

JET STREAM

390 lbs.
Margaret Adams
Winston-Salem, NC

1981

FLYING FISH

432 lbs.
Tom Barnes
Wilson, NC

1982

MARLIN DARLIN

398.2 lbs.
T. Teeter
Morehead City, NC

1983

PROMISES TOO

459.8 lbs.
Ken McLeskey
Virginia Beach, VA

1984

OUTLAW

720 lbs.
Brad Gillam
Windsor, NC

1985

SEA HAG

534.5 lbs.
Bruce Young
Raleigh, NC

1986

SHEARWATER

608.5 lbs.
Susan Mac Rae
Sneads Ferry, NC

1987

MIDNIGHT HOUR

576 lbs.
James Edmonds
Arlington, VA

1988

O FOUR

440 lbs.
Randall Link
Virginia Beach, VA

1989

DIAMOND GIRL

513 lbs.
Captain J. Conder
Angler Denard Harris
Charleston, SC

1990

TOP DAWG

717 lbs.
Captain Randy Ragland
Angler Dub Jones
Seabrook Island, SC

1991

LOCOMOCEAN

637 lbs.
Captain Jimmy Zeigler
Angler Jimmy Zeigler
Richmond, VA

1992

OUTLAW

514 lbs.
Captain Steve “Creature” Coulter
Angler Bob Smith
Hatteras, NC

1993

CHASER

759 lbs.
Captain Randy Fagley
Angler Kathy Keel
Edenton, NC

1994

SALTY FARE

649 lbs.
Captain Watson Caviness
Angler Bob Warren
Fayetteville, NC

1995

SEA STRIKER

400 lbs.
Captain Adrian Holler
Angler Rex Johnson
Morehead City, NC

1996

THE GIRL NEXT DOOR

535 lbs.
Captain Stan Szewczyk
Russell Orenstein
Boca Raton, FL

1997

OCEAN YACHTS 48

646 lbs.
Captain Don Wilkerson
Angler Norm Schaeffler
Virginia Beach, VA

1998

WASTE KNOT

564 lbs.
Captain Keve Clayton
Angler Karl Knudsen
Raleigh, NC

1999

DANCIN' OUTLAW

600 lbs.
Captain Thomas Wood
Angler David Wood
Harkers Island, NC

2000

SUMMERTIME BLUES

831 lbs.
Captain Al Johnson
Angler Ron Wallschlager
Kiawah Island, SC

2001

SEA STRIKER

515.5 lbs.
Captain Adrian Holler
Angler Vince Johnston
Morehead City, NC

2002

SAMANNA

541.5 lbs.
Captain Huck Harris
Angler Kent Copeland
Kill Devil Hills, NC

2003

PIPE LAYER

677 lbs.
Captain J.F. Pedersen, Jr.
Angler Jim Pedersen III
Hollywood, SC

2004

IMPULSE

555 lbs.
Captain Donald Lane, Jr.
Angler Jay Hughes
Atlantic Beach, NC

2005

SIZE MATTERS

529 lbs.
Captain Josh Ruskey
Angler Gigi Wagoner
Frederick, MD

2006

CHAINLINK

501.5 lbs.
Captain Ralph Griffin
Angler Wes Seegars
Goldsboro, NC

2007

BAK BAR

613 lbs.
Captain Tommy Lewis
Angler Montukie Lewis
Charleston, SC

2008

ARTEMIS

640 lbs.
Captain David Copleston
Angler Darryl Reyna
Charleston, SC

2009

SEA CREATURE

466 lbs.
Captain Steve Coulter
Angler Bobby Weeks
Hatteras, NC

2010

CARNIVORE

528 lbs.
Captain Ed Petrilli
Angler John Parks
Cape Carteret, NC

2011

DOUBLE B

652.8 lbs.
Captain Kenny Sexton
Travis Stephenson
Greenville, NC

2012

FLYBUOY

499.3 lbs.
Captain Robert Hollingsworth
Angler Todd Baxley
Wilmington, NC

2013

HATTERAS FEVER II

465.3 lbs.
Captain Buddy Hooper
Angler Taylor Miller
Raleigh, NC

2014

INSPIRATION

754.3 lbs.
Captain Casey Wagner
Angler Bruce Brown
Morehead City, NC

2015

VIKING 62

680 lbs.
Captain Brian Komer
Angler Earle Hall
Hampton, VA

2016

ASHLEY LAUREN

621.4 lbs.
Captain Mark Annis
Angler Doug Phillips
Atlantic Beach, NC

2017

RUN-OFF

533.8 lbs.
Captain Brian Harrington
Angler Matt Hanley
Morehead City, NC

2018

HONEY HUSH

518.5 lbs.
Captain Chuck Lindner
Angler Robert Gorrell
Morehead City, NC

2019

TOP DOG

914 lbs.*
Captain Ryan Knapp
Angler Todd Dickerson
Olney, MD

2020

PELAGIC HUNTER II

495.2 lbs.
Captain John Cruise III
Angler Riley Adkins
Sneads Ferry, NC

* Denotes Record

2021

WIDESPREAD

656.5 lbs.
Captain Jay Watson
Angler Cole Pirrung
Oregon Inlet, NC

2022

MERCENARIA

572.6 lbs.
Captain Neil Sykes
Angler Matthew Brown
Virginia Beach, VA