NBA legend Michael Jordan and his crew aboard his 80-foot Viking sportfishing yacht “Catch 23” landed a 442.3-pound blue marlin on the second day of the 62nd annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament on Tuesday. It wasn’t the day’s biggest but got the most of the attention.
According to WITN, three other blue marlin weighing 470.4, 450.2 and 450 pounds were also caught Tuesday as anglers vie for the record purse of $3.34 million in what is said to be the largest and oldest sportfishing tournament in the country.
Big money–$552,500—remains on the table for the first boat to catch a blue marlin 500 pounds or bigger. The largest blue marlin of the tournament will net $1.14 million.
“I’d love to be back with a little bit bigger fish,” Jordan said in the post-catch interview with Big Rock TV, according to Inside Carolina. He’ll have more time to try as the tournament runs through Saturday.
Michael Jordan's 'Catch 23' lands a 442.3 pound blue marlin at Big Rock fishing tournament in Morehead City. Story:https://t.co/bUl27MaLFc pic.twitter.com/wFGQ9GZy8D
— Ross Martin (@RossMartin_IC) June 9, 2020
In the interview, Jordan also talked about his love for the state of North Carolina where he first made a name for himself playing at the University of North Carolina under the legendary Dean Smith.
“I’m always looking for an excuse to be back in North Carolina,” Jordan said, according to Inside Carolina. “It [fishing] is a chance to come back home. I love coming back home.”
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Not surprisingly, Jordan was the center of attention at the Big Rock weigh station Tuesday afternoon as he posed for photos with his team and the blue marlin. The crowd cheered, and the legendary Chicago Bulls star loved it.
“I always feel North Carolinians come out to support their stars,” Jordan said.
Jordan, fresh off the recent airing of the ESPN documentary “The Last Dance,” is better known for his golf game, as hobbies go. But he’s become quite the fisherman as well. Besides this fishing tournament, Jordan and his crew usually also compete in the White Marlin Open in early August in Ocean City, Maryland.
Photo courtesy of the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament.