OMG, What an amazing 2024! Big Rom and his Release Crew, including mate Cameron Morrow, a Morehead City Boy, landed their Official “Big Enough” 504 lb. blue marlin on Monday morning, June 10th, in the 66th Annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament. Quickly, the tournament excitement began with a hookup just minutes after the official 9:00 a.m. start time.
Big Rom has been chasing and perfecting his fishing game to catch a BIG Blue Marlin during the Big Rock Tournament ever since I met him, back in the early 80s. He’s had a bit of luck here and a bit of luck there but nothing quite like this. He called me Monday morning and said, “Honey, we boated a blue ….. Get in the car and head to Morehead City.” Big Rom did not share the size of the fish on the phone, but I know him well enough to know that it was a contender. Tickled pink to say the least, I made an absolute mess of packing my suitcase. Would you believe I didn’t even remember to pack my toothbrush! With high hopes of it weighing 500+ lbs., my 4 ½ hour ride from Hatteras to Morehead was filled with texts and phone calls galore, too many for me to even begin to connect with and constant prayers of “Jesus, Take the Wheel”. Even though I knew I would not make the official weigh-in, my less-than-tech-savvy self relied on my NC 12 Realty Family to keep me in the loop while driving. Listening to the live feed with dear friends via phone was a joyous celebration with lots of hollering and cheering. I have never been a part of the Big Rock weigh-in in person, so I wasn’t prepared for what awaited me at Big Rock Landing ……. Tons of people and a quick escort to the front of the crowd to celebrate his historic catch!
It’s been the celebration of a lifetime! Being the first tournament team to boat a 500+ pounder on Day 1 in this prestigious tournament has been on Rom’s bucket list forever ….. even before he left the corporate world behind 38 years ago. My heart is bursting with love, of course, but with extreme pride for the dedication and commitment he has to the fishing industry on the national, state and local stage, his community and his family. Rom rises bright and early at 4:30 a.m. seven days a week, to get his day started. That alone just exhausts me, but he does it with passion and enthusiasm. He’s always eager to provide the ultimate offshore fishing experience for his customers every single day.
Little did the Release Crew know or even remotely expect that the Monday catch would hold the 2nd place spot for heaviest blue marlin throughout the week.
I guess what has touched our hearts the most has been the outpouring of love and support from family and friends. We have been humbled by each phone call, each text, each email, and each shoutout. Thanks from the bottom of our hearts for sharing in our celebration that will never end. We are truly living the dream! Our family traveled from as far away as Texas and Georgia to attend the Awards Brunch at the conclusion of the tournament. We were totally blown away by their presence.
“MY BIG FISH MUST BE SOMEWHERE” quote by Ernest Hemingway immediately comes to my mind. The stars truly aligned.