Cabo’s Major Fishing Tournaments Just Around the Corner
Summer is fleeting. Fall is approaching.
For big-game fishermen across the globe, thoughts (and dreams) now turn to Los Cabos, a legendary deep-sea fishing mecca. In fact, more big-game fish are caught in Los Cabos, a.k.a. “Marlin Alley,” than anywhere else in the world. October, when marlin fishing is at its peak, yields the biggest trophy fish--and the biggest cash jackpots.
As always, anticipation is keen for Cabo’s trio of elite fishing tournaments. Appetites were whetted in early August, when dozens of teams competed in Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore event in Buenavista. Team Wild Hooker’s 380-pound black marlin captured the top prize ($800,848) in the billfish division.
For anglers planning to participate in the upcoming tournaments, NOW is the time to submit an entry fee. (The Early Bird deadline for the two Bisbee’s events detailed below is Aug. 31). Because Cabo’s nutrient-rich waters attract numerous prized species, the high-catch success rate applies even to novices. However, make no mistake: this trifecta of tournaments tends to attract seasoned, competitive sportsmen in quest of giant fish—and gigantic cash prizes.
Here’s a brief review of what’s to come in October.
Los Cabos Billfish Tournament. Scheduled for Oct. 16 – 18, this well-established event, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, is the first major offshore competition of the season. Final registration, captains meeting and kickoff party, slated for Oct. 15, will be followed by three days of fishing. Weigh-in and release video check-in will take place at Marina Fundadores next to Fisherman’s Landing Restaurant and Breathless Resort.
Presented by the Los Cabos Tourism Board, this tournament usually produces upwards of 150 billfish catches. Two different options are available. The base entry fee ($5,000 per team) covers the participation of all registered anglers in any of the optional weighed Marlin Jackpots, Tuna/Wahoo/Dorado Jackpot, Overall Billfish Release Points Jackpot, and Daily Billfish Release Jackpot. For fishermen on a budget, the Tuna/Wahoo/Dorado (“TWD”) daily jackpot is $1,500 per team plus $200 per registered angler.
Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore Tournament. Any fishing tournament with “Bisbee’s” in the name is a big deal in gamefish circles, for the simple reason that Bisbee’s hosts the world’s richest fishing tournaments. Slated for Oct. 19 – 22, the “Little Bisbee’s,” as it is known, would be considered a big-league affair if it did not precede the planet’s premier fishing pow-wow. Fishing takes place on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 20 – 21, with an 8:00 a.m. shotgun start both days. The weigh station, which always attracts a crowd of interested observers and party revelers, will be open on the marina side of the Puerto Paraiso Mall from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Costs range from a base entry fee of $1,500 (required for participation) to a varied menu of optional categories topped by the $20,000 Daily “Krazy Kids” Challenge, which has a $40,000 entry fee, a 100% payout, and a Winner Take All / Day purse. The Bisbee’s Offshore is a social, fun-filled event where like-minded friends can meet, swap tall tales and get in a few days of fishing before the “Big Show.”
Bisbee’s Black & Blue Tournament. Contested in Cabo for over four decades, Bisbee’s Black & Blue is a world-class event that raises the pulse of every ardent angler. Promoted as “five days of organized chaos full of hard-core excitement,” this eagerly anticipated jamboree brims with boatloads of cash--and huge bragging rights. With the lively Land’s End city of Cabo San Lucas as a backdrop, thousands of people crowd the marina walkways during the event to shop, party and watch huge fish being weighed in at the scales in front of the Puerto Paraiso Mall. Whether you take home memories or millions, Bisbee’s Black & Blue, the Super Bowl of competitive deep-sea fishing, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This year’s opening ceremonies on Oct. 24 will be highlighted by flag honors with a Mexican naval escort. Three days of fishing are planned for Oct. 25 – 27, with a schedule similar to the Bisbee’s Offshore event. The event has grown from six teams with a modest purse of $10,000 to more than 150 teams with millions of dollars on the line. In 2006, the tournament had its biggest overall cash payout of $4,165,960. This remains the largest jackpot in sport fishing history. Will this year’s payout break the record? Drop by the marina and join in the merriment to find out!