The 55th annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament will be held in Morehead City from June 7 to June 15 this year. Having watched some part of the weigh-in during each of the past ten tournaments, we decided to take a look at the history of marlin fishing here on the North Carolina coast.
The first known landing of a blue marlin in North Carolina was in 1938 off Cape Hatteras. It was thought by local scientists that this was an anomaly and that fishermen should not expect to catch blue marlin with any regularity in this area. In the early 1950’s a dead blue marlin washed ashore at Bogue Banks. This got the members of the “Fabulous Fishermen” a local fishing club very excited about the possibilities. The club membership included local businessmen who believed that blue marlin fishing could make the Morehead City area a vacation destination for fishermen from around the world. In 1957 some members of this club raised some money for a pay out for the first blue marlin brought in that summer. It took until September but an angler named Jimmy Croy fishing aboard the Mary Z caught a 143 lb blue marlin and brought her in. This fish changed the fortunes of the charter fleet and Morehead City forever.
Although no one knows for certain where this catch was made, most fishermen believe that it was in the Gulf Stream near an area called the Big Rock. The Big Rock is not a rock but a grouping of ledges and outcroppings that rise from the ocean floor and provide a habitat for many species of fish. Many predator fish like the blue marlin feed on the smaller species. It is this area that inspired the eventual name of the blue marlin fishing tournament we know today.
Over the years the tournament has grown from this humble challenge into a highly organized professionally run event that not only pays prize money for catching a variety of fish, but also raises considerable amounts of money for local charities. In some circles the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament is considered to be the “Super Bowl” of billfishing. From its humble beginnings to today’s world class event, blue marlin fishing in North Carolina has made a major economic impact for many people in this part of the world.
