Blue Marlin Grand Championship

A Blue Marlin Grand Championship tournament record seventy-five teams competed for not only the heaviest Blue Marlin, but also another record, the largest-ever prize money total of $2,115,343 for a Gulf-based tournament.

A Work of Art, from Orange Beach, became the first-ever three-time tournament champions (2012, 2023), while no other team has won the tournament more than one time. Brandon Farve caught the winning 641.2-pound Blue Marlin on the same date he caught his first-ever Blue Marlin on his grandfather’s boat seven years ago. “He has fished with us a lot, but this is the first time he’s been with us for a tournament win. It’s a priceless memory for me, to have my son Scott and his son be a part of this amazing experience here at The Wharf,” said boat owner Art Farve. “He is now the third generation of our family now fishing with us and his generation is the future of our sport.”

Captain Jason Buck and the A Work of Art crew also finished in second place in the catch-and-release division, releasing seven Blue Marlin to go along with the winning fish. A Work of Art caught eight of the 66 total Blue Marlin caught in the tournament.

“It’s been an incredible tournament season,” said Buck. “We were pretty confident we had the right one shortly after we hooked it. Our crew did a great job, Brandon did a great job in the chair, and we were able to get the fish boat side in a short amount of time to get good confirmation measurement, because you can’t afford to make a mistake in a tournament like
this.”

A Work of Art’s combined winnings in the Blue Marlin and Catch and Release division earned them the largest payout in Blue Marlin Grand Championship history with a record-setting winner’s check totaling $785,556.00. The team also clinched their second Gulf Coast Triple Crown Championship in three years while Jason Buck adds to his legacy as a now five-time Gulf Coast Triple Crown Championship captain.

A total of four Blue Marlin were weighed in the tournament. C’Mon Man, also from Orange Beach, finished in second place with their 509-pound fish, winning $383,436.00 Gunnslinger, from Destin, Florida, finished in third place, weighing a 447.6-pound Blue Marlin.

66 Blue Marlin, 35 White Marlin, and 17 Sailfish were caught in the tournament. In the Catch and Release Division, Captain Myles Colley and It Just Takes Time, from Orange Beach, released five Blue Marlin, six Sailfish, and one White Marlin to claim the top spot and $264,735 in winnings, as well as the top Junior Angler award for George Pratt. A Work of Art finished in second place, while Brittney Marie from Destin finished in third place with five Blue Marlin releases.

Rising Sons won the Tuna division with a 124-pound Yellowfin Tuna. Lady D came in second, for the second consecutive year, with a 105-pound Tuna, followed by Presley Jane II in third at 94.

Annie Cooper, from Point Clear, caught the tournament’s biggest Dolphin on CE at 31.2 pounds. Miss Remy took second at 27.8 pounds, and Relentless Pursuit was third at 24.4 pounds.

Easy Trigger won the Wahoo category at 41.8 pounds, followed by Now or Never at 37.8 pounds, and Miss Remy was third at 36.8 pounds.