Michael Jordan caught a dolphinfish to capture an early lead in a $3.4 million fishing tournament in North Carolina

• Michael Jordan brought his boat to the Crystal Coast for the 2021 Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament.
• The NBA icon and his Catch 23 crew hit the leaderboard on Day 1 by catching a 25-pound dolphinfish.
• Jordan and company are competing for a $3.4 million purse in the top North Carolina fishing event.

Michael Jordan has gone fishin' - and he came back with a dolphinfish.

The NBA legend broke out his boat - an 80-foot Viking Yacht named Catch 23 in a play on Jordan's iconic Chicago Bulls jersey number - for the 63rd annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament. Jordan and his crew made a splash on the first day of this year's fishing competition, reeling in a 25-pound fish that landed them on the dolphin leaderboard early in the contest.

This isn't Jordan's first run in the well-known event, which takes place along North Carolina's Crystal Coast. Last year, His Airness and company hauled in a massive, 442-pound blue marlin - the fourth-biggest catch of the day across all 204 participating boats.

This time, the Catch 23 crew is one of 270 contenders competing for the tournament's $3.4 million purse. And so far, Jordan and his eight crewmates haven't had much luck outside their dolphinfish heist. Though they were hooked up Tuesday afternoon, their catch was the wrong species and promptly released back into the water, a representative for the tournament told Insider.

Still, Jordan looked to be all smiles in photos released from the event. He and his team have until Saturday to hook something big and climb back onto the competition's leaderboard.

And given that the six-time NBA champion and five-time league MVP is known as one of the most competitive athletes in all of sports, he's sure to do everything in his power to reel in a winner.