FISHING TOURNAMENTS
THE BISBEE'S
WON TUNA JACKPOT
Los Cabos has gained international acclaim as a premier destination for fishing enthusiasts, and its fishing tournaments stand out as thrilling events that attract participants from around the world.The tournaments held in this picturesque locale provide a unique blend of competitive spirit, camaraderie, and the opportunity to reel in some of the most prized catches in the sport.
One of the most renowned fishing tournaments in Los Cabos is the Bisbee's Black and Blue Marlin Tournament, often referred to as the "Super Bowl of Sportfishing." This annual event, held in October, attracts elite anglers vying for substantial cash prizes. Participants test their skills against the powerful marlin that roam the rich waters of the region. The competition is fierce, and the adrenaline is palpable as anglers battle to land the biggest marlin within the allotted time frame.
Another notable tournament is the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament, which typically takes place in the fall. This event focuses on catching billfish species like marlin and sailfish, and it attracts anglers of varying expertise. The tournament's format encourages a friendly atmosphere, fostering a sense of community among participants who share a passion for the thrill of the catch. Add the mix what has to be the largest Tuna fishing tournament in the world, the Western Outdoor News Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot with the 2023 event hosting 137 teams vying for nearly $1.5 Millio in prize money.
Beyond the competitive aspect, fishing tournaments in Los Cabos celebrate the region's natural beauty and marine biodiversity. Anglers often find themselves surrounded by stunning landscapes as they cast their lines into the deep blue waters. The tournaments also play a role in promoting conservation efforts, with organizers emphasizing responsible and sustainable fishing practices to preserve the marine ecosystem for future generations.
In addition to the excitement on the water, the social aspect of these tournaments is a highlight for many participants – and many local charities benefit as well. Evening events, award ceremonies, and gatherings provide opportunities for anglers to share their experiences, forge new friendships, and revel in the shared love of the sport. With its winning combination of challenging fishing conditions, breathtaking scenery, and a vibrant community of anglers, Los Cabos has rightfully earned its place as a top destination for fishing tournaments.
In this section of our site you'll find a complete schedule of fishing tournaments along with some helpful links and information for those looking to compete.
Historically, this one marks the start of the big money tournament fishing season in Los Cabos. The Bisbee's East Cape Tournament is held at the Buena Vista Resort where anglers will find a slower pace of life but that doesn't mean a slower bite!
The "little" Bisbee's sees the tournament crowd move south to the port of Cabo. This one is seen as the warm-up to the big one, the Bisbee's Black and Blue but with 6 and 7 figure checks handed out on awards night, it's not so little after all.
It doesn't get bigger than this... the Black and Blue has seen the largest payouts in fishing tournament history and continues to grow each and every year. Nearly 200 teams compete in this world class event that's now a television production project to boot!
The Pelagic Triple Crown of Fishing is a two-day, team fishing competition, with cash and prizes estimated at over $500,000. The tournament focuses striped marlin and yellowfin tuna while also paying out handsome cash prizes for dorado and wahoo.
The Los Cabos Billfish Tournament is a partnership between Bonnier LLC – the publisher of world renown Marlin and Sport Fishing magazines – and the Los Cabos Tourism Board. A storied history makes this one of the most anticipated events in Cabo fishing.
Western Outdoor News brings us the Tuna Jackpot Tournament – and it's a winner in our book. 2024 looks to bring over $1.5 Million in prize money for an event with just about the lowest entry fees that does not skimp on a great party – after all their motto is "fish hard, party harder."
Stars & Stripes is more than a fishing tournament.... this charity event also hosts a golf tournament and music festival with the added benefit of raising over $5 Million raised in 2023. That brings the running total to $45 Million and counting!!
A newcomer to the tournament scene in Cabo but one we think is worthy of your support. The focus of this one is on catch and release fishing using only lures or dead bait in an effort to promote conservation of the gamefish that make Cabo, Cabo.
Up the coast in the East Cape and you'll find Van Wormer Resorts - home to several smaller tournaments like the Dorado Shootout, Tuna Shootout and the Wahoo Gold Cup. Is this the year you check out the fishing in this neck of the woods?
Sure, it costs money to enter a fishing tournament. But does it have to break the bank? Not if you plan ahead and make the most of your available entry money. In fact, you don't need to be rich to fish in a Los Cabos tournament. Here's some tips that can help you make the dream come true.
It's true, competitive saltwater fishing tournaments can and do attract some of the biggest boats with some of the biggest names carrying some of the biggest wallets. Come October, a flock of private jets take part in a southerly migration that brings them to Cabo San Lucas. From within those sleek and sexy birds appear some of the wealthiest people you're ever likely to meet.
You'll see them on registration day plunking down piles of cash to enter "across the board" – often dropping $60,000 or more in entry fees and calcuttas (daily jackpots).
You'll see them boarding multi-million dollar fishing yachts loaded with every electronic option created by man stocked with so much top-of-the-line gear you'd think it was a floating tackle shop. And each one of those boats has a crew to match.
Toss in the fuel bill, dock fees, hotel rooms and such and the tab breaks into 6-figure territory real quick. Daunting stuff, no doubt. So, how the heck does a 'regular' guy afford to do it, and, more importantly... how the heck do they think they have a chance of winning? Truth is, it's the 'regular' guy that's won more tournaments in Los Cabos than the high-roller.
Well, if this was a exposé on the ins and outs of tournament fishing techniques, it would run for dozens of pages. For purposes of exploring just how you can enter competitions without breaking the bank, we'll focus our attention on how to enter events where your chances of taking home a check are not pipe-dreams but realistic endeavors.
First, pick tournaments that attract more 'regular' guy anglers. By that I mean enter events that provide reasonably priced entry fees and calcuttas and have historically shown that the 'regular' guy can win. Fortunately for you, the prospective tournament angler, Cabo has more than it's fair share of such events. Some of those are on the horizon with many landing in the months of October and November.... peak season for tournament angling in Southern Baja.
Second, take a hard look at tournaments where you and your team's skills offer you the greatest potential for rewards. If you're a hard-core tuna fisherman, enter those events that have a dedicated tuna division that includes daily jackpots for that division. If you're an avid dorado angler, same thing. Look for events that award cash and prizes for that particular species. Most important, invest your money in divisions that give you the oppportunity to fish for species that you've always targeted and concentrate your efforts on that species.
Calcuttas are daily jackpots for the largest fish in each division, each day of the tournament. After paying your entry fee, you have the option of buying into a wide variety of calcuttas. Biggest tuna, biggest dorado, biggest wahoo, biggest billfish... they're all available. Nowadays, every tournament out there has some sort of minimum weight requirement. In the world of calcuttas, if no qualfying fish is weighed in any given division on any given day, the jackpot money rolls over to the next day.
About the worst thing that can happen is that you entered some days, but not all. The first day comes and goes with no qualifier. The second day comes and goes with no qualifier. The last day comes and a couple of qualifiers come to the scales and you're fish is bigger than them all! But, you only entered day one and two.... you didn't enter all three and you just watched a check fly out of your hands along with your chance to stand in the winner's circle.
Bottomline, if you enter calcuttas, it's better to enter one division across the board than to enter all divisions for a single day. Sure, you might get lucky and win on the one day, but in all reality, it happens so infrequently that luck is about all you've got going for you. Mix a little luck with skill and forethought and your odds of winning improves dramatically.
Well, that's a matter of opinion but one thing for sure, it's my article so my opinion matters most here. For me, there are three such events that take place in October and November and all three offer a chance at fame and fortune. Take a look at the three listed below. All offer the opportunity to fish in a tourney while keeping costs between $1,200 - $1,500 per team member on a 6 person team.
Entry Fee:
$5,000
Suggested Optional Daily Jackpot:
$1,275
Tuna, Wahoo, Dorado
(Others: daily marlin jackpots, winner takes all marlin jackpot and daily billfish release jackpot)
This one is put on by the municipalities of Los Cabos and the Bonnier Corporation, the folks that publish Marlin and Sport Fishing magazines. For the 'regular' guy, this one offers the chance to enter the event and the daily Tuna, Wahoo and Dorado Jackpot for $6,275. Divide that across a team of 6 and you're looking at an investment of $1,045 and change per man. Add in the cost of chartering a decent boat for three days and you'll be in the area of $1,500 per angler. That's less than the cost of a lot of multi-day trips on cattle boats and you've got yourself in position to possibly take home a significant check!
Entry Fee:
$1,500
Suggested Optional Daily Jackpot:
$4,000
(Includes $500 and $1,000 Daily Jackpot plus $1,000 Daily Gamefish Jackpot entries)
Coming right on the heels of the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament, the Bisbee's Los Cabos Offshore, aka the 'little Bisbee's', offers up the chance to fish a big name event with a fairly low price tag. Using the same 6 man team you're looking at an event that pays out over $300,000 each year that costs about $1,200 per team-member, and that includes estimated costs to charter a decent boat for the two days of competition. And, if you win you can use the money to enter the big one.... the Bisbee's Black & Blue. The B & B holds the record for the largest single payout in tournament history... over $3.9 Million!!!
Entry Fee:
$1,000
Suggested Optional Daily Jackpot:
$2,500
(Includes $500 Tuna, $1,000 Wahoo plus $1,000 Dorado Daily Jackpot entries)
Longtime favorite, the WON Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot, is the most widely fished tournament in Cabo, year after year, and the reason is that it offers entry points with dailies for just about anyone who wants to test their skill and luck. Pay your base entry fee and sweeten the pot by also entering the $500 daily (two days at $250 per) and the $1,000 Wahoo & Dorado Jackpots. Your total entry would run $3,300. Add in about $800 a day for a decent charter boat and you're in the game for a total of $4,900 split between four anglers. That's $1,225 per angler, not too shabby when 2020 saw $1,035,700 paid out among 9 teams!