Insiders, the canyons are already on fire — and this week they get a whole lot hotter. The Ocean City Tuna Tournament, billed as Ocean City’s original tuna tournament and one of the biggest of its kind anywhere, drops lines July 9–12, 2026, hosted out of the Ocean City Fishing Center in West Ocean City.
This is the 37th running of the event, and the pot is stout: organizers are anticipating a record payout north of one million dollars. Boats run the canyons for tuna, and the biggest fish and heaviest stringers get paid across categories including Tuna–Single, Tuna–Stringer, Dolphin, Wahoo, Ladies, and Juniors.
Two things worth knowing for 2026. First, the added Level Q — the same optional level that over 85% of the fleet entered in 2025, paying out more than $43,000 to the winning fish — is back and stacking the pot even higher. Second, and this one’s fun: the new Level L, “Terrific Tuna,” goes to the first 200-pound tuna boated. Here’s the twist — eligible fish are scored in the order they’re boated, not the order they hit the scales, with the dock office assigning the boated time. First 200-pounder on the deck takes it. If nobody breaks 200, the money rolls to next year.
The field’s backed by a strong sponsor lineup including AFW Fishing Brands, Huk, and Costa Del Mar.
With yellowfin and bigeye already chewing in the canyons, the timing couldn’t be better. Expect the West OC scales to be busy and the leaderboard to swing right up to the final gun. We’ll be watching — and we’ll bring you the results when the last fish hits the dock.
If you’re fishing it, good luck and tight lines. If you’re watching, the weigh-ins are the show.
See you on the water.
Details via the Ocean City Tuna Tournament (octunatournament.com) and the Ocean City Fishing Center. Confirm dates, levels, and rules with the tournament before entering.