Blue Marlin Grand Championship Week is July 12-17 at The Wharf

Blue Marlin Grand Championship Week is July 12-17 at The Wharf

The over-the-top weigh-ins that give the Blue Marlin Grand Championship its “Greatest Show in Sportfishing” moniker are scheduled Friday, July 15 from 7-10 p.m., and Saturday, July 16 from 5-10 p.m. right in the middle of The Wharf’s Main St. in Orange Beach.
The BMGC has been recognized as one of the Top 20 Events in the Southeast and raises money in support of St Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Participants in the 2015 event raised $24,000 for that charity.
The Championship is the culmination of the Gulf Coast Triple Crown Series, consisting of five high-profile tournaments in the Gulf of Mexico. At stake for the top team is not only a custom six-foot marlin trophy but also the honor of being named the best billfishing team in the Gulf of Mexico for the year.
The series started with the Orange Beach Billfish Classic in May, and continued with the Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic in Venice, Louisiana, the Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic in Biloxi, and the Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic at Sandestin. The Series comes full circle for the climatic season finale in Orange Beach.
Last year’s winner, J.J. Tabor and his team aboard Double J (pictured), a 37-foot Freeman catamaran, took the title by landing a 716.6-pound blue marlin. Double J was 300 miles from The Wharf Marina when the fish was boated. Making the scales deadline with less than 20 minutes to spare after two fuel stops (the pump was broken at the first), the team earned $266,907 for the first-place tournament award and optional cash entries. The 58-boat Championship fleet, with an average length of 57 feet, was competing for $1.4 million in total prize money.

Blue Marlin Grand Championship Schedule
Wednesday July 13:
5 pm: Sponsor Village Opens in Marlin Circle along with the Billfish Outboard Boat Show
7 pm: The Justin Fobes Band and Wharf Street Party
9 pm: The One and Only – Miss Billfish Contest (pictured) on Tournament stage at Marlin Circle
Thursday July 14:
11 am: Boat departure from the Wharf Marina
Orange Beach / Gulf Shores Billfish Boat Parade – Canal Road
5 pm: “Thursdays on Main” Street Party with live music
5 pm: Sponsor Village Opens in Marlin Circle along with the Billfish Outboard Boat Show
Friday July 15:
6 pm: Sponsor Village Opens in Marlin Circle along with the Billfish Outboard Boat Show
7 pm: Weigh-In Spectacular – National Anthem; Opening Intro Video Presentation
7 pm – 10 pm: Tournament Weigh-In hosted by Jim Cox
Saturday July 16:
5 pm: Sponsor Village Opens in Marlin Circle along with the Billfish Outboard Boat Show
5 pm: Weigh-In Spectacular – Presentation of Colors; National Anthem; Opening Intro Video Presentation
5 pm – 10 pm: Tournament Weigh-In hosted by Jim Cox & Kelly Jones.
10 pm: Announcement of the Tournament Champions
10:15 – 10:35 pm: Live wrap-up show on NBC 15 from Marlin Circle at The Wharf
Sunday July 17:
7 pm: Country music superstar Dierks Bentley brings the Somewhere On A Beach Tour to The Wharf Amphitheater along with special guests: Randy Houser, Cam & Tucker Beathard.