Jun 20, 2023 by Kevin Maher
The crew of M/Y SENSATION were denied over $3 million in prize money after their 619.4-pound blue marlin was disqualified during the 65th annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament.
“It was determined that SENSATION’s 619.4lb Blue Marlin is disqualified due to mutilation caused by a shark or other marine animal,” tournament officials wrote in a statement Sunday. “It was deemed that the fish was mutilated before it was landed or boated and therefore it was disqualified.”
The decision to disqualify the catch came after careful deliberation and discussions between the Big Rock Rules Committee and Board of Directors with biologists from NC State CMAST, NC Marine Fisheries, and an IGFA official, according to the statement.
The tournament follows IGFA rules regarding mutilated fish. Rule #23 of Big Rock’s official rules states, “Mutilation to the fish, prior to landing or boating the catch, caused by sharks, other fish, mammals, or propellers that remove or penetrate the fish,” as a situation that would cause a fish to be disqualified.
M/Y SUSHI was declared the first place winner of the 65th annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament with a 484.5-pound blue marlin. M/Y CHASIN A claimed second place with a 479.8-pound blue marlin and M/Y C-STUDENT finished in third place with a 470.2-pound blue marlin.
Triton covered the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament and other big money billfish tournaments in our recent sportfishing issue. Click here to read the full story!
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