The Blue Marlin Grand Championship returns to The Wharf in Orange Beach this week as "The Greatest Show in Sportfishing" welcomes teams and fans from across the Southeast. Debuting in 2012, The Blue Marlin Grand Championship has evolved into the premier big game fishing tournament on the Gulf Coast while raising money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The Blue Marlin Grand Championship is part fishing tournament, part live sporting event, part rock and roll concert and all show! A full-on broadcast production features non-stop live coverage of the weigh-ins on Friday and Saturday nights from Marlin Circle on Main Street with two jumbotron screens, huge crowds cheering on their favorite teams while getting to see the big fish up close, champagne-drenched celebrations and of course the famous ‘Flaming Marlin.’ Tournament host and emcee Jim Cox will again be joined by Kelly Finley for the live broadcasts.

More than 60 teams are registered to compete in this weekend’s event, with total tournament prize money expected to be north of $1.5 million dollars. The fleet includes last year’s tournament champion and the only two-time winner (2012) of the Blue Marlin Grand Championship, A Work of Art, as well as the 2023 Gulf Coast Triple Crown Champions, Team

Supreme. Those two teams currently sit in first and second, respectively, in this year’s Gulf Coast Triple Crown standings heading into this weekend’s finale. Past Blue Marlin Grand Championship Champions also fishing this weekend include Double J (2015), Chasin’ Tail (2017), Skin Deep (2021), and It Just Takes Time (2022)

Fans are encouraged to watch the boat parade and shotgun start on Thursday, July 11 from noon-12:30, from the Perdido Pass area or from any Orange Beach beachfront condo west of Perdido Pass. There is no charge to watch the weigh-ins live from The Wharf on Friday or Saturday night nor is there a charge to park at The Wharf.

Live coverage of all weigh-ins will be streamed on BlueMarlinGrandChampionship.com, and regular tournament video updates with Jim Cox will be live on Facebook throughout the tournament weigh-in.

2024 Blue Marlin Grand Championship schedule:

Thursday, July 11 @ 10:00 am - 10:30 am

Boat departure from The Wharf Marina

Thursday, July 11 @ 12:00 pm - 12:30 pm

Shotgun Start – Boats may depart Perdido Pass – Fishing commences

Friday, July 12 @ 7:00 am - 8:00 am

Early Bird Tournament Weigh-In

*Tournament will alert fans via social media by Thursday at 9PM if there will

be a weigh-in.

Friday, July 12 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Tournament Weigh-In hosted by Jim Cox and Kelly Finley

Saturday, July 13 @ 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Tournament Final Weigh-In – The Greatest Show in Sportfishing hosted by Jim Cox

and Kelly Finley. Plus, the awarding of the 2024 Gulf Coast Triple Crown

Championship