68th Annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament
The 68th annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament will go down as one of the most, if not the most, unforgettable weeks in tournament history.
With 278 boats in the fleet and more than $9 million paid out across six days of fishing, the 2026 Big Rock delivered everything the tournament is known for—a record-breaking catch, dramatic leaderboard shakeups, unforgettable camaraderie throughout the fleet, and nonstop offshore competition from start to finish.
Five Jarrett Bay boats won a combined $6,553,188 of the tournament’s record $9,038,225 purse—meaning 72.5% of the entire purse was awarded to just five boats that were built right here in Carteret County. “Marlin Fever” accounted for more than 99% of the Jarrett Bay winnings, taking home $6,513,188. That left $2,485,037 of the purse to be divided among the rest of the 278-boat fleet.
A total of 331 billfish were released throughout the tournament, including 126 blue marlin, 120 white marlin, and 84 sailfish. The fleet posted an incredible 97.6% blue marlin release rate, continuing Big Rock’s long-standing commitment to conservation while showcasing some of the best offshore fishing in the world.
On Day 2, the 63’ Jarrett Bay “Marlin Fever” arrived at Big Rock Landing with a fish that immediately stunned the crowd gathered around the scales. But long before the boat reached the docks, rumors had already spread across town that the crew was bringing in something enormous—possibly even a record breaker.
“Marlin Fever,” a 63′ Jarrett Bay captained by Cameron Guthrie, weighed in a tournament record fish in the the 2026 Big Rock. Their 919.9 lb. blue marlin, landed by angler Connor Daniel, also brought the team a record-breaking payout of $6,513,188. Article and photo courtesy of www.thebigrock.com.
When the renowned orange hull finally began backing into Big Rock Landing, the rumors were confirmed. Moments later, the scales made it official.
Angler Connor Daniel’s massive 919.9 lb. blue marlin shattered the all-time Big Rock tournament record, officially becoming the largest blue marlin ever weighed in tournament history.
Caught aboard the 63’ Jarrett Bay captained by Cameron Guthrie, the historic catch ultimately secured the staggering $6,513,188 payday—another tournament record. The payout included the Fabulous Fisherman’s Prize worth $871,250, along with the massive Level VI Super 20 Category worth $3,978,000, plus levels I – IV prizes totaling $1,663,938.
Mate Jackson Weeks later described the moment the crew realized just how special the fish truly was.
“We knew she was a good one — a very good one. But when we finally put the tape measure on her, it just confirmed what we were seeing with our own eyes,” Weeks said. “Justin was holding the dumb end, I was holding the smart end, and when I looked down at the number, my eyes got real wide. I looked at him, looked back at the tape again, and started crying. It completely overwhelmed me.”
Just after 7:00 pm on Day 3, “Fender Bender” pulled into Big Rock Landing with angler Chris Scerri’s 644.1 lb. blue marlin, rocketing the team into second place overall and locking in their second place prize of $467,963.
“Haphazard” made a dramatic late-night arrival on the last day of fishing with a 635.6 lb. blue marlin caught by angler Joey Belton. The catch put the team into third place overall and earned them $311,975.
The Release Division once again proved to be one of the most competitive categories in the tournament, with leaderboard shakeups happening nearly every day offshore.
In the Free Fly Level VII Release Division, “Double G” surged into first place on the final day of fishing with 1,850 points after releasing four blue marlin and two white marlin.
“Wasabi” secured the victory in the Level IX Non-Sonar Release Division with 800 points from two blue marlin releases.
In the Parker Offshore Level VII Dolphin Winner-Take-All Division, “Doc Fees” earned the largest gamefish payouts of the tournament after Lady Angler Keaton Gilleece weighed a 66.1 lb. mahi on Day 1. The fish brought the team a $584,500 payday ($569,500: Level VII + $15,000: Level I).
“Watertight” took the title in the Tuna Division with a 70.8 lb. tuna caught by angler Nick Gallaher.
The 55’ Jarrett Bay “Magic Moment” weighed in a 53.4 lb. wahoo caught by angler Cullen Sharpe to win Heaviest Wahoo.
More information, including a complete leaderboard and dates for next year’s Big Rock, can be found at www.thebigrock.com.
