Basketball legend Michael Jordan is returning to Ocean City, Maryland, to compete in the Mid-Atlantic Tournament, one of the region’s top fishing competitions, following a dominant performance at the White Marlin Open. As they participate in a new field of top fisherman, Jordan and his crew on board the Catch 23 hope to build on their recent success.
Jordan’s squad achieved an unforgettable second-place result in the 2025 White Marlin Open earlier this month. Trey Cricket McMillan, the team’s angler, caught a 71-pound white marlin, which was only one pound short of the winning fish, which was captured by Dan Gough, a longtime resident of Montgomery County. The remarkable catch was a key highlight of the last few days of the event and earned the team a large reward of over $385,000. Jordan himself was seen at the scales, entertaining the masses who had gathered to watch the great athlete while posing for pictures with his teammates.
For many local fans, Jordan’s private jet’s entrance at the Salisbury Regional Airport marks the beginning of the competition, and his regular participation in Ocean City’s big fishing contests has become a tradition. His presence highlights the serious and fiercely competitive nature of the sport and draws attention to the events and the White Marlin Capital of the World on a national and worldwide scale.
The five-day, two-port MidAtlantic Tournament takes place from August 18–23, with weigh-ins at Ocean City, Maryland, and Cape May, New Jersey. Some of the top fishing teams on the East Coast compete in this tournament, which is renowned for its high stakes and fierce competitiveness. Jordan and the Catch 23 team have previously placed first in the white marlin category in 2022 and third in 2023, respectively, at this contest.
