Big Rock withholds prize money over possible rules violation

The board of directors of the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament withheld presentation of blue marlin prize money at Saturday night's awards ceremony pending investigation of a possible rules violation -- apparently by the winning crew.

The tournament website posted this one paragraph:

"The Big Rock board of directors withheld presentation of blue marlin prize money until an alleged rules violation by the top team has been totally researched and a decision made regarding this alleged violation."

That Hatteras-based Citation won the blue marlin division and more than $1.2 million in prize money for landing an 883-pound fish last Monday, the first day of competition.

Citation was to have received more than $912,000 for the tournament's biggest fish and almost $320,000 for being the first boat to present at the scales a marlin weighing 500 pounds or more.

Carnivore, based in Cape Carteret, was due second-place money of more than $217,000 for a 528-pound marlin, and Morehead City-based Wet-N-Wild was scheduled to win more than $140,000 for its 460-pound third-place fish.

Prize money was awarded in release and daily categories on schedule.