MOOREHEAD CITY, N.C. — RELEASE, a boat based in Hatteras, North Carolina, and its crew made the catch of a lifetime at this year's Big Rock Tournament: a 504-pound blue marlin worth over $1.7 million.
While Captain Rom Whitaker has been competing in the annual tournament for decades, this is his first time bringing in a blue marlin, event organizers say. And it's not your average marlin: the 504-pound catch was the second-heaviest blue marlin caught on day one of the tournament.
The crew spent an hour and seven minutes on the 53-foot Sullivan boat fighting the massive fish, organizers say.
"The crowd went wild when they heard '504 pounds.' On the spot, the crew became millionaires," said Big Rock Tournament.
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RELEASE won the MTU & Western Branch Diesel Level V Fabulous Fisherman’s prize of $1,729,750. Another boat, GAME TIME, claimed the top spot with its 516-pound blue marlin worth $1.8 million.
For more information on this year's Big Rock Tournament, click here.
