Waste Knot earns nearly $3.7 million for the heaviest white marlin and Sequel wins the release category!
Two angling teams competing in their custom Jarrett Bays were able to dominate what is inarguably one of the largest & richest billfish tournaments in the world. The 51st Annual White Marlin Open was held out of Ocean City, Maryland August 5-10 with 318 boats participating and approximately $8.5 million in prize money up for grabs.
Team Waste Knot holding a large ceremonial check for $3.7 million after winning the heaviest white marlin category at the 2024 White Marlin Open.
Sequel Sportfishing team proudly posing with their $55,002 check after winning the release category.
The Waste Knot team, fishing in their 67’ Jarrett Bay and led by Captain Michael Tickle, made their mark relatively early by bringing angler Ven Poole’s 77.5 lb white marlin in on the second day of the tournament. It would then be a waiting game the rest of the week to see if anyone could top that fish.
Team Waste Knot poses with their winning 77.5-pound white marlin at the White Marlin Open on August 6, 2024.
With the remnants of Hurricane Debby bearing down on the region later in the week, playing the weather window and lay-days got interesting, and ultimately tournament organizers decided to add a day of fishing on Saturday the 10th. This decision provided competitors with more flexibility and chances at a payout after a very stormy Friday limited the fleet to just 17 boats. It was a longer than usual wait, but the Waste Knot’s fish held on to take top honors and a total payout out of $3,699,630!
The Waste Knot team, including owners Lonnie, Ven & Scott Poole, are no strangers to the winner’s circle and have perennially been top competitors in North Carolina and Bermuda tournaments since taking delivery of their Jarrett Bay in 2009. This included a tournament trail feat very few can claim in also capturing top honors at the two other major sportfish events on the East Coast – Weighing the largest white marlin in the 2017 Mid-Atlantic Tournament and winning the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament back in 1998 with a 564-pound blue marlin.
The 67’ Waste Knot is Jarrett Bay Boatworks custom huIl #54, and her sistership #55 is the 64’ Sequel, formerly known as Bench Mark and Reel Quick. The Sequel Sportfishing team finished the White Marlin Open atop of the release leaderboard with 980 points amassed in the first three days. They caught 9 white marlin and 2 blue marlin, earning them in $55,002 in winnings.
This terrific week at the White Marlin Open follows a strong showing by Jarrett Bay teams in the 2024 Bermuda Triple Crown in July, where Builder’s Choice, Sea Striker and Waste Knot all placed in one of the three events in the series.
Congratulations to all of our Jarrett Bay family members!
