iStockphoto / Kelly Dalling
The 2023 Orange Beach Billfish Classic Tournament wrapped up on Sunday with the winning team weighing a record-setting 776.4-pound blue marlin.
The massive blue marlin caught off Orange Beach, Alabama was landed by angler Brian Stover. It set a new Orange Beach Billfish Classic Tournament for the heaviest blue marlin ever weighed in the historic fishing tournament.
The leaderboard in the blue marlin category was stacked. In addition to the record-setting 776.4 pounder, there was a fish weighed at 548.6 pounds and another that tipped the scales at 528.4 pounds.
Here is the second place fish that weighed 548.6 pounds:
There are a LOT of categories in fishing tournaments such as this. It is unclear which categories the winning crew entered but, as a point of comparison, the winning team took home $258,970 for first place in 2022.
Last year had a total of $850,000 in prize money available for the taking.
In addition to sharing lots of photos of the winning fish on Facebook, the tournament announced the winners of each category.
@thewharfmarina THAT’S A RECORD! 💯 #thewharfmarina #thewharforangebeach #thewharfoba #boattok #fishingtok #bluemarlin #trending #viral #fyp
Their official results are:
Blue Marlin
1st- 776.4 lbs. Mollie- Angler Brian Stover
2nd- 548.6 lbs. Miss Mary- Angler Joey DiFatta
3rd- 528.4 lbs. Reel Fire- Travis Dorland
Catch and Release
1st- Briar Patch
2nd- Relentless Pursuit
3rd- Southern Charm
Tuna
1st- 148 lbs. Fins Up- Angler Charlie Thomas
2nd- 143.2 lbs. Miss Ma’am- Angler Tanner Yancey
3rd- 127.6 lbs. Lifeline- Angler Lori McDowell
Wahoo: 1st – 24.4 lbs. Cotton Patch – Angler Peter Martin
Dolphin
1st- 25.2lbs. Miss Mary- Angler Daniel Cater
2nd- 20.2 lbs. Perseverance- Angler Todd Rosetti
Top Lady Angler – Mackenzie Davis on the Southern Charm
Junior Angler – Clark Adams on the Gunnslinger
In total, there were 42 boats entered into the 2023 Orange Beach Billfish Classic Tournament. 18 of the 42 boats entered were from Alabama.
This is what the morning’s shotgun start looked like for all the boats competing:
@fleurdelissportfishing Looking for the big one! #OBBC #gulfofmexicofishing #vikingyachts #charterfishing #bluemarlinfishing #fyp @A-GAME ULTIMATE HYDRATION
Congratulations poured in for angler Brian Stover aboard the Mollie, a 66′ G&S. The Facebook comments were filled with people congratulating him on the record-setting catch.
The current Alabama state fishing record for blue marlin is an 851.9 lb fish caught in Sunset, Alabama by angler Ginger Ann Myers in 2020.