Storm Expands White Marlin Open Fishing Days To 7

OCEAN CITY — Just when it seemed the 47th White Marlin Open set for next week could not get any stranger, event organizers announced on Thursday the tournament will be extended by two days for the first time ever because of the anticipated arrival of a tropical storm off the mid-Atlantic coast.

Through much of the spring and summer, plans for the 47th White Marlin Open (WMO) have been altered and changed multiple times because of ongoing COVID-19 concerns and the need to comply with social distancing for the thousands of spectators. One early plan called for a limited number of spectators at host Harbour Island, which typically sees thousands of visitors each day during the tournament, with a “satellite” viewing spot at the municipal park at 3rd Street including large viewing screens for the daily weigh-ins and family-friendly concessions and vendors.

Last week, WMO officials announced there would be no general public viewing at the scales at 14th Street and the public would have no access to Harbour Island, making the 3rd Street park the primary venue for the 2020 WMO. The daily weigh-ins will still take place at 14th Street, but the only individuals allowed to be around the scale will be WMO staffers, technicians producing the live-stream of the event and a likely a handful of photographers and media.

As if that all wasn’t strange enough and a big departure from the typical WMO, event organizers on Thursday announced yet another wrinkle for the 2020 event. Typically, the tournament is held from Monday through Friday with boats and teams of angler choosing to fish three of the five days.

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