OCEAN CITY – There are stories behind every fish caught, but not many are as remarkable as the details surrounding a new local boat – in only its second week of operation – rewriting the state’s record books.
The summer of 2021 would have been a memorable one for The Billfisher no matter how it fared in the regional fishing tournament circuit. It marks the first year the custom-made 64-foot vessel has been in the water after being constructed from scratch in West Ocean City by boat manufacturer Duffie Boatworks, which is owned by Jon Duffie, who is the captain of The Billfisher.
Last week’s MidAtlantic was only the third tournament for the new vessel, previously fishing the Ocean City Marlin Club’s Heels and Reels ladies’ tournament and the White Marlin Open earlier this month where the boat caught the third-place white marlin – a 78.5-pound beauty worth $106,216. According to Duffie, the fish was caught on just the eighth day the new Billfisher had been in the water. When last Friday’s state record-breaking and MidAtlantic winning blue marlin was caught, it was the new boat’s 14th day in the ocean. Indeed, it’s been a summer to remember for Duffie, his family and the boat’s crew.