Vero Beach has once again proven its elite standing in the world of premier sportfishing. At the culmination of the 2026 White Marlin Open, held over six action-packed days at the Harbour Island Marina in Ocean City, Maryland, a local angler and vessel secured one of the highly competitive tournament’s most lucrative payouts.
The 2026 White Marlin Open concluded with massive payouts across multiple categories, notably featuring Vero Beach angler Kelly Weber, who secured a $1.27 million prize for catching a 607.5-pound blue marlin aboard the local vessel MaxBet.
While sportfishing enthusiasts from across the country flocked to the high-stakes tournament, the Treasure Coast was exceptionally well-represented on the final leaderboard. Angler Kelly Weber of Vero Beach, Florida, fishing aboard the Vero Beach-based boat MaxBet, dominated the Blue Marlin category. Weber successfully landed a staggering 607.5-pound blue marlin, an incredible feat of offshore angling that earned the crew a remarkable prize payout of $1,271,797.04.
The White Marlin Open is globally recognized for its intense offshore competition and multi-million dollar purses. While the MaxBet crew proudly claimed the top blue marlin prize to bring back to Indian River County, other major winners at the 2026 event included:
- White Marlin Winner: Angler Bill Sharpe of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, aboard the Mister Pete, secured the tournament’s highest overall payout with an 80-pound white marlin worth $3,503,891.54.
- Tuna Category: John Wardlaw of Brielle, New Jersey, aboard the Gray Fox, landed a 179-pound tuna for a top-tier prize of $1,018,653.29.
- Wahoo Category: John Wardlaw also topped the wahoo division, bringing in a 69.5-pound catch worth $72,380.50.
- Dolphin Category: Ryan Jones of Welcome, Maryland, aboard Today’s The Day, caught the winning dolphin, netting $22,602.20.
Interestingly, the 2026 tournament concluded with no qualifying catches in the Swordfish category, leaving the focus squarely on the marlin and tuna heavyweights. For Vero Beach residents and the local boating community, the phenomenal success of Kelly Weber and the MaxBet serves as a proud reminder of the world-class fishing talent rooted right here on the Treasure Coast.
