Staying Fit
Photo: Triwork Studios
Fishermen often talk about luck: sometimes good luck; sometimes bad luck. But in successful angling, especially in the high-octane, pressure-cooker environment of tournament competition, luck has surprisingly little to do with success. The successful formula is largely a combination of preparation, determination, experience and hard work. Anglers, by and large, make their own luck.
Jeremy Duffie is an example of that combination. Duffie is a saltwater angler who has been prowling the waters along the Maryland coast and beyond for years. His experience runs as deep as the ocean waters he fishes.
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Competitive fishing isn’t Duffie’s business. That’s real estate development. But last August, competing in the 2022 White Marlin Open tournament out of Ocean City, Maryland, aboard the Billfisher, a sportfishing rig built and captained by his brother, Duffie landed a 77.5-pound white marlin on the tournament’s final day, which, it turned out, was the winning fish, netting a record $4,536,929 in prize money.
“We got lucky,” Duffie said. “You don’t expect it.”
Anglers might not expect to end up in the winner’s circle. But they prepare for it, hope for it, attempt it.
At the dock, as anglers mingle with fans and are immersed in the camaraderie that underlies the competition, the mood often feels festive, even jovial. Fishing tournaments at every level are family-friendly events. But on the boat, away from the dock and on the water, the atmosphere is electric and occasionally jolted by purely unpredictable moments of absolute pandemonium. The strike of a big fish does that. Bringing a marlin to hand requires teamwork, coordination, concentration ... and maybe a smidgen of luck.
The on-the-water competition is friendly but fierce. Last year the Billfisher was one of 408 boats in the White Marlin Open. Tournament officials said more than 3,500 contestants competed.
Given the unpredictability of fishing, the action is surprisingly scripted. The rules must be strictly followed: There are set fishing hours, minimum fish sizes and weights. Minimum and maximum numbers of days that must be fished. All-tackle International Game Fish Association rules generally apply. They are pages long. An error can lead to disqualification.
On board a saltwater event, angling is a team effort. There is no limit on the number of anglers a boat can carry. But it’s not a tag-team effort. Once fish and fisherman are connected it largely becomes a one-on-one struggle, as mandated by tournament fishing guidelines that prohibit anyone other than the angler handling the rod to fight the fish. No one else is even allowed to touch the angler unless it’s to keep the fisherman from falling overboard.
The fight can last minutes or hours — more likely hours, but every hookup is different. As often as not, it ends with the fish disappearing into the deep and the exhausted angler wrestling to slow his or her heartbeat and reassemble his nerves.
Jeremy Duffie with The Billfisher took first place and a prize of more than $4.5M in the 2022 White Marlin Open Tournament with a 77.5lb White Marlin.
Photo Credit: White Marlin Open
Winning boat crews are, at the discretion of the tournament director, subject to a polygraph examination.
While the 10-member crew of the Billfisher savored the victory and shared in the lifestyle-altering winnings, fishing was and remains largely a family affair for Duffie.
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