The tail was protruding and it was clear Thursday's catch by angler Bob Farris was going to be the first of the week to clear the 500-pound minimum. The first test the fish needs to pass before coming off the boat is a minimum length of 105 inches. Farris' catch dwarfed the minimum, measuring 140 inches.
"I thought he'd maybe be eight, nine hundred (pounds)," captain Skip Opalko said.
When the scales finally leveled out, the crew of the No Problem was celebrating a 1,062-pound catch, a new Maryland record, and a potential $555,000 prize.
It was a fight of more than three hours for the 63-year-old Farris and crew, and the second blue marlin Farris has caught this season, having caught a 344-pounder in June.
Farris almost couldn't finish the fight, considered giving up, but the crew urged him to keep fighting.
"They kept pouring water on me, putting wet towels on me, and I had fun," Farris said.
Many thought the white marlin and the tuna categories were pretty much locked up after the first two days with near-record-setting catches for species. Many boats were heading out looking for blue marlin and the large cash prize that could comes with it.
Information and Photo from: http://www.DelmarvaNow.com
