World Record $4.5M Prize Fish Caught By MD Man In White Marlin Open

BETHESDA, MD — A Maryland angler is celebrating his big catch after reeling in a massive white marlin whose weight netted a world record purse during the 49th annual White Marlin Open.

Jeremy Duffie from Bethesda turned the leaderboard upside down Friday by weighing a 77.5-pound white marlin, resulting in him taking home the title for the largest price ever paid for catching a fish: a whopping $4,536,000.

"We're excited to be here and happy we can do it out with family," Duffie said during the tournament.

The five-day competition kicked off last Monday morning. Deemed the largest and richest billfish tournament in the world, 408 registered boats competed for the $8.6 million up for grabs during the event.

Sailing aboard the "Billfisher" out of Ocean City, Duffie and his team caught the big fish on the fifth and final day of the tournament.

"We just marked him, and Johnny always does a good job. Our crew does an excellent job," Duffie said. "We got a bite. About 35-40 minutes later, kind of looked at it and realized it was a nice one, and got it in the boat. We're very blessed."

According to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, white marlin can weigh up to 180 pounds and up to 110 inches in length. They can live to be 25-30 years of age.

The state record for white marlin is 135 pounds, taken in Poor Man's Canyon in Aug. 1980.

The White Marlin Open is a 48-year-old deep-sea fishing tournament held annually in Ocean City. The tournament awards prize money for catches of white marlin, blue marlin, tuna, wahoo, dolphin and swordfish.

The first tournament, held in 1974, drew 57 boats, 150 anglers and paid $20,000 in prize money with the top award of $5,000.

Jeremy Duffie White Marlin Weigh In: