2025 White Marlin Open Recap | Phenom 43

We went to Ocean City with the Phenom 43, a boat full of fishing gear and one goal: catch a white marlin that would put us in the running at the 2025 White Marlin Open.

By the end of the week, we’d fished rough water, spent four days watching the weather and come up one pound short at the scales. We also released three white marlin and were still chasing another bite with minutes left in the tournament.

It was a week that tested our patience, gave us plenty to talk about and reminded us why we look forward to this tournament every year.

Monday Made Us Work for It

We knew the weather was going to be a factor, and Monday didn’t ease us into the week. We were fishing in seas around six to eight feet, with heavy winds making for a tough day offshore.

We had three shots at white marlin and couldn’t turn any of them into a release. That’s a frustrating way to start, especially when everyone is working hard and you know how much a single fish can mean here.

The Phenom 43 got us out there and gave us the platform to keep fishing, but we headed back knowing we needed to make the next opportunities count.

A Better Day and a Close Call

Tuesday started early. At 5 a.m., we were getting ready to head back toward the Washington Canyon area, hoping some fish had moved in overnight. We had our teasers and dredges prepared and were ready to put the spread out as soon as it was time.

The weather was better, and we finally got a little redemption. We released one white marlin out of three opportunities and caught a few dolphin along the way.

One of our closest moments that week came at the scales. We brought in a dolphin that weighed 19 pounds. We needed 20.

One pound. That was all that separated us from a qualifying fish.

Even with that disappointment, pulling into the basin was an experience. People were cheering as we came around the corner, and we got to be part of the weigh-in atmosphere we’d been looking forward to. We would have loved another pound on that fish, but we were glad we brought it in.

Four Days Is a Long Time to Watch the Weather

After fishing Monday and Tuesday, we waited. And then we waited some more.

The tournament had been extended through Sunday because of the offshore forecast, giving us seven days to use our three fishing days. That left us with one day to fish and a lot of time to decide when to use it.

We spent four days checking the weather and talking through our options. By Saturday, we were joking that it felt like day 96 of the tournament. We were ready to get back on the boat.

Sunday finally gave us that chance.

One Last Run, Right Down to the Clock

We headed out for the roughly 70-mile run with one more chance to find the fish we needed.

When we reached the area, things looked promising. There was a nice rip, bait on the surface and a white marlin finning behind the boat. After sitting around for days, that was exactly what we wanted to see.

One of our bites came on the port-side lure. The fish boiled up, came tight and took off, peeling line all the way into the backing. It was a beautiful white marlin, lit up and giving us a good fight.

But when we measured it, we had 63 inches. We needed 70. We released it and kept fishing.

With about ten minutes left in the tournament, we hooked another white marlin. We measured that one just outside the boat, and it was short, too. Another release and more points, but we still wanted one more shot.

With five minutes left, we were two for four on white marlin for the day and keeping our fingers crossed. We fished until lines out at 3:30.

Why We’ll Want to Do It Again

We finished with three white marlin releases across our three fishing days. We didn’t bring a qualifying fish to the scales, and there were opportunities we wish we could have back. That’s tournament fishing.

What we did have was a crew that worked well together and a Phenom 43 that carried us through the long runs and demanding days offshore. We got to fish hard, show people the boat and spend a week in a town that gets behind this tournament in a big way.

The people, the food, the docks and the excitement around the scales are all part of what brings us back. We left with good memories, a few close-call stories and plenty of motivation for the next one.

Watch the full recap above to spend the week with us. Take a closer look at the Phenom 43, explore pricing and available options, or reach us at boats@phenomyachts.com.