By: Harvey Shen

The giant blue marlin was first at the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament on June 9-18 at Morehead City. Then Big Rock announcer Tommy Bennett said the marlin seemed bitten.

“It would appear that this fish has been bitten by a shark,” Bennett said.

The marlin weighed 619.4 pounds and provoked loud cries and cheers from the crowd at the docks.

“Greg McCoy, the captain that caught the big fish, had been soaring as their boat backed into the dock.” But the victory was held, and officials had to examine a bite that was next to the marlin’s tail.

“I’ve never really been a money guy, but that paycheck would have been real nice. But you just, you know, we’re not gonna get our plaque on the Big Rock fountain there,” McCoy said.

When the large fish was disqualified, the first prize was sent to Sushi, a boat that brought in a blue marlin weighing 484.5 pounds. It was worth about $2.7 million, $739,500 less than the prize for the marlin over 500 pounds.

McCoy could have won if the shark didn’t bite his marlin.