[NCangler]

MOREAHEAD CITY – N.C. Marine Patrol officers confiscated an undersized blue marlin brought to the docks for the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament Friday.

The fish, landed by the vessel The Toplesss of Ocean City, Md., measured 97 inches in length, said Marine Patrol Officer Carter Witten. The minimum size limit for blue marlin in North Carolina is 99 inches.

Additionally, the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament requires blue marlin landed to meet either a 110-inch or 400-pound size limit.

Marine Patrol Officer Mitch Stone was at the Big Rock Landing when the fish was brought in to be weighed between 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. Friday.

The boat captain, Alan Evans Fields of Juniper, Fla., was cited for possession of an undersized blue marlin and given a mandatory court appearance where a judge will decide his fine.

The fish was given to Dr. Jeff Buckel, assistant professor at the N.C. State University Center for Marine Sciences and Technologies in Morehead City to be used for research.