Abstract:
At the beginning of 1957's fishing season, several Morehead City businessmen, headed by Tom Potter, met at the Sanitary Restaurant and decided to put up prize money to encourage fishermen to participate in offshore marlin fishing. This first pot of seasonal prize money was the start of what would eventually become Morehead City's Annual Blue Marlin Tournament. On September 14, 1957, the MARY Z, a private fishing vessel, headed offshore helmed by Capt. Bill Olsen. Angler Jimmy Croy, of Raleigh, reeled in Morehead City's first boated blue marlin on this trip. The fish weighed 143 and one-half pounds and measured 8 feet, five inches.