Fishermen arrive for Blue Marlin Classic
SANDESTIN - As the full-time boat captain of The Sunset, Matt Dunn makes his living on the water.
When it comes time to get his competitive juices flowing, the Fort Walton Beach man sticks to the playing surface that he knows best.
The 36-year-old Dunn, who has captained two crews to fishing tournament championships, will lead the crew of Testing the Water in the 6th Annual Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort.
Last year, Dunn and the crew he's teaming with at the Blue Marlin Classic won a tournament in Biloxi, Miss., by snagging a 535-pound blue marlin.
"We were in the right place at the right time," Dunn said. "We put together a good team. Winning a tournament is really a team effort. I can't say enough about my crew."
Dunn and Co. will need the same combination of luck and team work to reel in the big one at this year's Blue Marlin Classic, which officially sets sail at 7 p.m. Thursday after a boat parade at Baytowne Marina. About 80 crews have registered for the event and organizers are hoping some late additions will boost the number to 90.
That would be twice as many participants as the 45 who took part in the inaugural Blue Marlin Classic and up from the 84 who took part last year. Also growing is the prize money, which has risen from $1.3 million last year to nearly $1.5 million this go-around after starting at $371,250 in its 2003 debut.
"This is the sixth year of tournament, and every year it's gotten better," said Craig Falanga, director of resort activities sales and marketing.
The tournament record is a 692.6-pound blue marlin caught by Sean McClellan of the Big Adventure in 2006. Last year's winner, Steve Keinath of the Dreamin' On, hauled in a 627.7 pound blue marlin, but he and his crew aren't expected to be on hand to defend their title.
The first weigh-in period will take place from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday at Baytowne Marina, while the final weigh-in runs from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday. Along with blue marlin, other categories include dolphin, tuna, Wahoo and billfish release.
"If everybody has a good time, and we hit our goals for the number of boats, and the purse is big, and we weigh some big fish this weekend, then it's going to be fun for everybody," Falanga said.
Competitiveness does go along with the fun, as crews such as Dunn's expect to win.
"Absolutely, 100 percent," Dunn said.