Final day in the Big Rock, has leading team showing nerves of steel

Somewhere off the coast of southern North Carolina, Matthew Brown and his fishing buddies are about as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

The team on the Mercenaria – a Cherrystone-based boat fishing out of Rudee Inlet – has managed to hold onto its lead in the 64th annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament since Monday. They are using today (Saturday) to quell their nerves by fishing the final day of the six-day event. Teams can fish any four of six days. Team Mercenaria played on Tuesday (to take polygraph tests) and yesterday – knowing that sitting at the docks twiddling their collective fingers would probably be too much to stand.

So what’s all the fuss?

Try nearly $4 million in prize money.

Yep, Team Mercenaria has led several divisions and the overall biggest blue marlin since day one – when brown manhandled a 572.6-pound blue to the deck of the 72-foot Viking. A couple of other fish caught on day one challenged, but Mercenaria held onto its lead – for day after agonizing day.

Much of the 266-team fleet is on the water today, taking one last shot at the biggest overall prize in big game fishing history.

Mercenaria and crew stand to pocket $3,489 million if they can hold on.

Capt. Neil Sykes said Tuesday that the team is guaranteed nearly $800,000 for automatically winning two smaller divisions and the Fantastic Fisherman prize that is worth $777,777.

Not a bad take if someone bumps the team from the top today.

But you can bet that somewhat nervous crew is working hard to top their leading fish and secure the big bucks.

Lines in are this afternoon and it will take a few hours to determine the winner, as teams stagger to the weigh station – where live broadcasts can be viewed at: thebigrock.com

We’ll be back this evening after a conversation with captain and angler.