MERCENARIA wins record $3.4 million for 572-pound blue marlin

MERCENARIA
The winning team MERCENARIA took home more than $3.4 million in the 2022 Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament. (photo courtesy of Big Rock Blue Marline Tournament)

Their prize money is an industry record

The 72-foot Viking MERCENARIA won the top prize in the 2022 Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament. Captained by Neil Sykes with Mates Jake Keech and Kurt Ward, anglers Chad Ballard, Matthew Brown, Ben Fox, and Tim Rapine were the first team to bring a blue marlin to the scales of this year’s event. 

Their marlin, which weighed 572.6 pounds, was the first one listed on the leaderboard and it held out as the heaviest one throughout the tournament, which was held June 10 – 19 in Morehead City, N.C.

With a bonus of $777,750 for being the first team of the tournament to weigh a blue marlin, their total prize money topped $3.4 million. 

WALL HANGER took second place with Lady Angler Stacy Allen’s 556.4-pound blue marlin, earning them $426,288. Third place went to HIGH YIELD with their 536.8-pound blue. They took home $283,525.

For full results of the 2022 Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament, click here.

About Brian Cope 2726 Articles
Brian Cope is the editor of Carolina Sportsman. He has won numerous awards for his writing, photography, and videography. He is a retired Air Force combat communications technician, and has a B.A. in English Literature from the University of South Carolina. You can reach him at brianc@sportsmannetwork.com.

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