Category: News

A released billfish will be awarded 125 points. If the team provides indisputable video or photo evidence that the released billfish is a blue marlin, the team will be awarded 400 points.

This is the same rule that the Big Rock Tournament adopted in 2017 for blue marlin verification.

RULE 12. RELEASE POINTS: A cash prize will be awarded to the boat that scores the most number of points first.

125 Release Points will be awarded:

1. For all billfish including blue marlin, white marlin, sailfish, hatchet marlin and spearfish and
2. When mate touches the leader before the fish is released and
3. Team turns in a release form provided by the Tournament Committee attested to by signature of the captain and mate or angler on board the boat at the time of the release. This form may be submitted to the OFFICIAL WEIGH MASTER AT TOURNAMENT HEADQUARTERS or submitted electronically.

Release forms must be turned in no later than 10:00 p.m. on Saturday to qualify. Other than blue marlin, billfish forms may also be photographed and emailed to forms@thebigrock.com. If you do not receive an email confirmation, please call tournament headquarters to confirm. In the event of ties, the first boat to achieve the winning totals shall be declared the winners.

400 Release Points will be awarded:

1. Blue Marlin if the team provides indisputable video or photo evidence to the Rules Committee. To qualify for the 400 points, teams must turn in a Release Form in person along with the SD Card, Micro SD Card or Compact Flash Card from their camera. Forms and Media Cards can be turned in at the Official Weigh Station in Morehead City. The Media Card and Release Form must be turned in no later than 10:00 p.m. on Saturday to qualify. The Media Card must show continuous video or a clear single photo of the mate touching the leader and clear and indisputable evidence responsibility of the participants to ensure that their camera’s Clock/Date is set accurately to reflect the time and date of the Releases to qualify for the 400 points. All videos will become property of the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament. If the rules committee is unable to see indisputable evidence that the fish is a blue marlin, the release will be scored at 125 points. The tournament will NOT allow photos or video from cell phones. Date and time stamp must be 100% accurate.

KWLA Tournament Rules & Registration

The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament is excited to announce the return of the Big Rock, Big Hero experience.

“Big Rock, Big Hero was a dream come true last year. Our board members have decided to make the experience a tournament tradition to share our accomplishments with those that protect our homeland so that we have the freedom to fish,” explains tournament Director Crystal Hesmer.

Active duty military stationed in North Carolina are welcome to register to be part of the program. Service members will be selected based on boat availability during tournament week. Our goal is to provide the attendees a fishing experience of a lifetime. They will be hosted by some of the best anglers in the country, on exquisite boats with high tech fishing equipment.

This year, the second annual Big Rock, Big Hero is proudly sponsored by Salt Life. Big Rock, Big Hero attendees will be decked out in Salt Life apparel and featured at the weigh station. “We were happy to combine our efforts into Big Rock, Big Hero for the 2019 tournament”, commented Jeff Stillwell, Salt Life President. “The tournament has built a strong relationship with the military and we are pleased to provide funding to take it to the next level”, he continued.

Service members interested in the program can register via our website and social media platforms. Find the Big Rock, Big Hero thread and follow the instructions. Community members are also encouraged to nominate a service member. Finalists will be notified mid-May.

We are hoping to engage active duty military stationed at MCAS Cherry Point, MCAS New River, Camp Lejeune, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, Fort Macon Coast Guard Station and Fort Bragg. Service members chosen for the program must be able to provide their own transportation to and from the tournament.

The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament is the largest tournament of its kind in the United States. Our mission is conservation, innovation, and charitable giving. To date, the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament has donated over $5 million dollars to charity and worthy organizations.

For more information on Big Rock, Big Hero, contact Executive Director Crystal Hesmer at 252-241-1515.

The Big Rock board of directors have increased the Dolphin “winner take all” level to $2500 for the upcoming 61^st Annual tournament.  Based on last year’s Level VI entries at 172 participants, the purse would round out at $365,500 for the winning dolphin!

“This definitely increases the excitement for this level”, commented Crystal Hesmer, Tournament Director. “We can’t wait to see that winning fish!”.

Last years winner, Goombay with Captain Brian Peele and angler Jeff Ross, weighed the winning dolphin on Thursday of Big Rock week taking home $146,200. Their fish totaled 71.1 pounds.

Big Rock board also increased the Level II to $2500 which makes an “all-in” entry an even $25,000.

The 61^st Annual event is slated for June 7-15, 2019

@fishhuntphoto

Morehead City, NC —The North Carolina Seafood Festival and The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament are synonymous with the Crystal Coast community bringing huge impacts to the area, but this time when the two event producing power houses joined forces the impact is going to hundreds of individual families directly!
After the 32nd Annual North Carolina Seafood Festival was cancelled, the North Carolina Seafood Festival Board of Directors felt they needed to do something to help their community after the devastation of Florence. They knew that trying to pull some semblance of the award winning North Carolina Seafood Festival would be too much stress for the people, businesses and the general well-being of the entire area. Even though many of the board members themselves were suffering personal displacement and loss off property, they were relentless in their efforts to make an event to benefit their beloved home. But it costs money to put on an event and that is when Chairperson Ed Stack made a connection with the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament to join forces with the North Carolina Seafood Festival to create an event that would give back and support the tremendous needs of the people in this area.
On November 3rd, the North Carolina Seafood Festival teamed up with the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament as the Co-sponsor and produced a new event as their way of outreach to help their community that was in desperate need of assistance beyond the initial impact of hurricane Florence.
“We knew that the needs of the community would be different as weeks went by, so we did some research” stated Ed Stack. “That is when we found out that people would need money; money to help with bills, food and basic necessities.” After feeling what it is like to be without power for a week or more, the board decided to donate the funds raised to Salvation Army who has a program in place to vet families in need to assist with payment of utility bills amongst other basic human comforts.
After the Amped Up for You-tilities event, the funds were configured and allowed for a donation totaling fifty thousand dollars to the area Salvation Army. Both The North Carolina Seafood Festival and The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament are proud to present a check for $50,000 to the local division of the Salvation Army to answer the needs of their beloved community of Carteret County.
The North Carolina Seafood Festival is a not-for-profit organization in Carteret County whose vision is to promote the positive social and economic impact of the seafood industry. To learn more about the North Carolina Seafood Festival and stay updated on the 2019 festival, visit www.ncseafoodfestival.org.

Pictured in photo: Board Members of The North Carolina Seafood Festival and The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament gather for a moment of “Cheer-ing” with the delivery of $50,000 from Amped Up for YOU-Tilities that will be used to help those in need in the area with their utility bills through the Salvation Army
Back Row: L-R// Ari Meltzer, Jim Bailey, Howard Basnight, Thomas Bennett, Kirby Sloan, Casey Wagoner, Warren Benton. Front Row: L-R// Mitch Gay, Crystal Hessmer, Dale Britt, Ed Stack, Mayor Jerry Jones, Major Dewey Alderson, Stephanie McIntyre, Sarah Garner, Caroline Petrilli, and Emery Ivey.
Photo by Jody Merritt photography

BIG ROCK Charitable Donations Exceed $5 Million Dollars!

The Big Rock Board of Directors have made their charitable giving decisions for the year topping out at $470,975. These donations, including the NC Seafood Festival/Salvation Army donation of $50,000, make a cumulative donation total of $5,381,001.

The Big Rock Board of Directors and its Charity Committee have committed to a core group of charities in the community to receive consistent funding from the tournament. This core group consists of local soup kitchens, medical needs, and general community enrichment. In addition to these yearly donations, the board also reviews new larger impact community projects. The entire process is driven by the fit between Big Rock’s five-point mission statement and the destination of the charitable funds. The donations are funded by the success of the tournament, sponsor income and retail sales revenue. Big Rock’s Major Sponsor, Jarrett Bay Boatworks, plays an integral part in the upward spiral of this tournament and the expansion of Big Rock’s charitable giving for worthy organizations across the county and state.

Big Rock’s largest donation this year, a whopping $150,000, will be to the Morehead City Little League, for improvements to field 5 in Swinson Park. Other notable donations include $22,700 to Beaufort Middle School, $20,000 to Croatan High School and $20,000 to Whiteoak Elementary.

The Big Rock Board of Directors are an 18-member volunteer group who donate their time and energy to make Big Rock a success. This year’s Charity Committee consists of Tommy Bennett-Chairman, Dale Britt, Richard Crowe, Caroline Petrilli and Curtis Strange.

In the spring of 2018, Big Rock announced their donation of $200,000 to Carteret County Domestic Violence Program for the construction of it’s new SAFE Shelter. Together Big Rock & other community partners succeeded in raising $1.5 million to build a new domestic violence shelter to provide safe, temporary emergency shelter to victims of abuse and their children in Carteret County.

Big Rock president Dale Britt and other board members presented a check for two-hundred thousand dollars to the Carteret County Domestic Violence Program. ​​“We here at the Big Rock are humbled to help provide a safe harbor for many desperate individuals and their children who are victims of domestic violence in our county,” explained Britt.

The current CCDVP shelter continues to deteriorate beyond repair. Estimates for major repairs and renovations coupled with costs required to modify the building to safety are building code standards show that new construction is the most cost-effective option for the CCDVP.

For more information on the SAFE campaign visit thesafecampaign.com.

Morehead City, NC– The North Carolina Seafood Festival announced its partnership with The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament for the “Amped Up For You-Tilities” Hurricane Relief Benefit to be held on November 3rd. The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament will be helping to sponsor the event with the intentions of bringing relief aid to the community.

President of The Big Rock Marlin Tournament, Dale Britt says “I’ve been seeing Carteret Strong signs all around town and I must say that it is the best description I have seen about our community and the folks that are here. On behalf of our Board of Directors, our Executive Director Crystal Hesmer and her great team we are pleased to announce that the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament is joining forces with the North Carolina Seafood Festival to help hold this important hurricane relief benefit on November 3rd”.

The organizations have chosen the Salvation Army as the recipient of designated funds raised from the event. The Salvation Army has a program within its framework that vets families in need of assistance to pay their utility bills.

During the press conference Major Dewey Alderson of the Salvation Army stated “What is going to happen in another month when their utilities bill is due? You have a choice to make: do I feed my family for another month or do we pay the utility bill. That is what this money is going to do. We promise you that this money is going to be spent here on utility bills, rent, and whatever else we can do in Carteret County”.

The ‘Amped Up’ event will be held from 11 AM – 11 PM on November 3rd in Jaycee Park on the Morehead City Waterfront. The event will feature non-stop music, as well as restaurants and non-profit food vendors. For more information visit our website and follow us on social media.

The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament is a non-profit 501C3 corporation donating it’s proceeds to charity and worthy organizations. The North Carolina Seafood Festival is a not-for-profit organization in Carteret County whose vision is to promote the positive social and economic impact of the seafood industry. To learn more about the upcoming event and stay updated, visit www.ncseafoodfestival.org.

 

The names left to right are as follows:

Ed Stack, Current Chairman of the North Carolina Seafood Festival

Howard Basnight, Board Member of Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament

Jim Bailey, Board Member of Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament

Crystal Hesmer, Executive Director of the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament

Casey Wagner, Board Member of Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament

Stephanie McIntyre, Executive Director of the North Carolina Seafood Festival

Emery Ivey, Board Member of Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament

Dale Britt, President of the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament

Congratulations to Big Rock participant, Captain Randy Bryant! 60′ Hatteras, MAGGIE, wins the 2018 NC Governor’s Cup. See the complete list of standings below.

The Big Rock was proud to attend the ground breaking ceremony for the new Salvation Army facility in Morehead City, NC.

In 2017, The Big Rock Foundation presented The Salvation Army of Carteret County’s ‘Anchor the Army’ fundraising campaign with a $262,500 donation to help fund the construction of a 7,500 square foot Center for Worship and Service and an 11,000 square foot Family Store. The planned facilities have features that enable The Salvation Army to have a greater impact on Carteret County residents, such as a private social services office; larger food pantry with more efficient commercial cooler and freezer; large commercial kitchen for disaster service and collaborative feeding programs; a larger meeting area for community gatherings; a safer Family Store donations area; and a larger shopping space that can produce more funds to sustain increased programs and services.

In attendance were Big Rock legend sponsor, Randall Parker (left), Lt. Roland Lewis, Tournament Director, Crystal Hesmer and Big Rock board member and charity chairman, Tommy Bennett. (pictured above)

MOREHEAD CITY N.C. – Craziness became commonplace at the 60th annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament as a record seven blue marlin were weighed in Saturday to complicate the distribution of a record $2,560,925 purse during the competition’s final day.

In the end, Honey Hush, captained by Chuck Lindner, Morehead City, held on to take first place and win $753,875 with a 518.5-pound blue marlin reeled in by angler Robert Gorrell. Honey Hush grabbed the tournament lead Tuesday and managed to win by a very narrow margin. It was part of what made the contest so crazy.

The three fish that finished atop the blue marlin standings were separated by 17.6 pounds. The difference between first and second place was just 4.2 pounds. At one point third place was decided by a tenth of a pound.

That’s crazy … and it got crazier.

Carterican captain Lee Smith, Morehead City, brought a 500.9-pound blue marlin to the scales midway through the Saturday weigh-ins.  The catch, landed by angler Cole Ammons, Cedar Point, qualified – by less than a pound – for the Level V Fabulous Fishermen prize of $501,500.

But the Carterican team couldn’t celebrate.

That’s because the Islander was still headed to the scales with a blue marlin that was boated before the Carterican’s catch . By rule, since the Islander boated its blue marlin first, its catch would count first. Carterican would have to wait for the Islander to weigh its blue marlin.

But the Islander wasn’t really the Islander.

Islander captain Bobby Schlegel, Greenville, had busted a propeller Friday and needed to borrow another boat to be able to finish the Big Rock. Schlegel borrowed Hatteras Fever and made the most of it.

Schlegel’s team released a blue marlin early Saturday and won $48,520 for scoring the most release points that day. Then they landed a 429.2-pound blue marlin that was good enough – at the time – for third place in the standings.

This may be the first time in Big Rock history that a borrowed boat helped an opposing team win this much prize money. It’s definitely the first time that a fishing team scored the most billfish release points on the same day that they weighed in a blue marlin heavy enough to make the leaderboard.

The craziest thing is this: The distribution of Big Rock’s record $2,560,925 purse looked somewhat set Saturday morning before lines went in the water. No blue marlins had been boated Wednesday or Thursday and the lone blue marlin catch Friday did not meet tournament minimums.

Then came 11 a.m. on the final day and a switch seemed to flip. Five blue marlins were boated in 44 minutes and two more were landed before the fishing day was through. Up to that point, only four blue marlins had been brought to the scales.

VooDoo Child, captained by Zack Adams, Morehead City, brought a 409.1-pound blue marlin to the weigh station Saturday that was reeled in by Steve Tingley, Youngsville. It moved into third place for 59 minutes but got bumped out of the standings when Carterican reached the scales. Two other Saturday blue marlin catches did not meet tournament minimums.

The final weigh-in of the 60^th Big Rock put the standings in concrete. Fender Bender captain Carl Beale, Virginia Beach, brought a 514.3-pound blue marlin to the scales that was reeled in by Havelock angler Col. T.J. “Bucket” Dunne. Dunne’s catch missed winning the Big Rock by 4.2-pounds but it earned the team $262,450 for finishing in the runner-up spot.

Carterican finished third but won $634,000. This included the $501,500 Fabulous Fishermen prize and a Gregory Poole $5,000 first-release-of-the-day prize.

Wallhanger, a boat captained by Gary Blount, Greenville, won $200,457 for the most release points (1,325) scored during the tournament. Wallhanger captured a daily and the overall release category with three blue marlins and one white marlin release.

Shifting Gears, a boat captained by Alan Scibal, Beaufort, finished second in the release division with 1,200 release points. Shifting Gears, owned by NASCAR legend Terry Labonte, released three blue marlins to earn $91,162.

Shenandoah, captained by Alan Willis, Morehead City, won a daily release prize and finished third in the release division to earn $109,295. Crews from Coverage, Double B and Release all won $48,520 in the daily release competitions.

Goombay, captained by Brian Peele, Salter Path, won the winner-take-all dolphin division with a 71.1-pounder pulled in by angler Jeff Ross. Goombay won $146,200 plus $7,000 in daily and other weekly prizes.

Sarcastic, captained by Jonathan Rose, Burlington, won the wahoo division with a 74.4 pounder caught by angler Gary Teer. The Sarcastic catch earned the team $7,000 in daily and weekly prizes.

Reel Country, captained by Mark Chambers, Morehead City, won the tuna division with a 19.9-pounder landed by Mark Ellington. The Reel Country catch earned the team $7,000 in daily and weekly prizes. It was the only tuna boated during the tournament.

Ironically Carterican, which had to bide its time until the Islander team weighed in its blue marlin, won the drawing for the sixth and final 60^thBig Rock Rolex watch. At the time, the Carterican crew was busy celebrating its Level V victory. It’s a good bet they’ll be on time for the distribution of prizes set 7 p.m. Saturday at the Crystal Coast Civic Center.