It seems as if nothing can stop Bisbee’s from breaking records. Not even a global pandemic.
The season started hot in August at Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore, when prize money cracked the million dollar mark for the first time ever on the basis of a record 72 entered teams, and Team Chupacabra boated the biggest blue marlin – 704 lbs. – ever weighed during the 21 year history of the event.
And the heat has continued into October, with Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore. The recently completed tournament (Sunday was the final day) saw a record number of 128 teams push the prize purse to another record: 1.44 million dollars. Team Sporty Game walked away with the biggest check – $837,816 dollars – for bringing in the biggest billfish (a 514 lb. black marlin) plus daily jackpot earnings. Pocket Aces came in second, but still walked away with over $293,500 for a few days of fishing in gorgeous sunshine. True Grit, meanwhile, took home pride (and a check for $138,760) after winning the tuna category with a 228 lb. yellowfin tuna.
Another tournament, the non-Bisbee’s sponsored Los Cabos Billfish Tournament, also saw plenty of action. The biggest moment, literally, may have been when angler Hugo Pino aboard the Stella June bagged a whopping 593 lb. black marlin. That catch still wasn’t good enough to win the title on total points, an honor that went to perpetual contenders El Suertudo and fishermen Greg DiStefano, who caught both qualifying blue and black marlin (over 300 lbs. minimum) to help the team take a home a check for a cool $344,700 dollars.
The 22nd annual Los Cabos Billfish Tournament took place from Oct. 11th to 15th, the 19th Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore from October 15th to 18th.
Still to come, of course, is the biggest tournament of them all: Bisbee’s Black & Blue, aka The Super Bowl of Fishing and The Richest Fishing Tournament in the World. Last year, Bisbee’s handed out three separate checks of over 1.3 million dollars at the Black and Blue, so there’s no telling how high the prize pool could go this year, at least based on the way each succeeding tournament seems to get bigger and better.
The 40th annual Bisbee’s Black and Blue starts today, so we should know soon just how many teams have registered and how much money may be on the line. Could the 2020 event break the record purse of 4.165 million in 2006, which was and still is the largest payout in sportfishing history?
Based on what’s happened so far this year, don’t bet against it.
The record numbers, it must be noted, should in no way suggest Bisbee’s has ignored the Coronavirus. Indeed, new safety protocols have been in place since the first tournament, the East Cape Offshore, got the go ahead over the summer. In addition to social distancing between boats and virtual captain’s meetings, only one team member has been able to be present at weigh-ins (the one who caught the fish in most cases), with a mask on. An increased focus on pre-registration has also helped to limit personal contact, and the weigh station has been moved from Puerto Paraiso to the cruise ship dock to discourage the forming of crowds to “ooh” and” aah” over incoming catches.
No one would argue it hasn’t been a strange year. But if you love fishing and love competing for huge prizes, it has at least been a great year by those standards. And the best may be yet to come.
For more information about events, activities and villa rentals in Los Cabos, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com, or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.
Photo credit: Los Cabos Billfish Tournament
Upcoming Events Calendar
October
Los Cabos Billfish Tournament – Oct. 11 – 15
Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore Fishing Tournament – Oct. 15 – 18
Top Chef Los Cabos 2020 – Oct. 17
Bisbee’s Black & Blue Fishing Tournament – Oct. 20 – 24
Restaurant Week San Jose del Cabo – Oct. 23 – 30
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Oct. 29
Viva La Plaza in Cabo San Lucas – Oct. 30
Day of the Dead Festival (“Secrets of La Catrina”) – Oct. 31 – Nov. 2
November
Day of the Dead – Nov. 2
WON Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot – Nov. 4 – 7
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Nov. 5, 12, 19, 26
Viva La Plaza in Cabo San Lucas – Nov. 6, 13, 20, 27
Los Cabos Film Festival (online only) – Nov. 11 – 19
Gastrovino Baja Food and Wine Festival – Nov. 13 – 15
53rd Annual SCORE Baja 1000 – Nov. 16 – 21
Los Cabos Big Game Charter Boat Classic – Nov. 17 – 20
Revolution Day – Nov. 20
December
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Nov. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
Viva La Plaza in Cabo San Lucas – Nov. 4, 11, 18, 25
Feast Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe – Dec. 12
Official Start of Whale Watching Season – Dec. 15
Las Posadas – Dec. 16 – 24
Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) – Dec. 24
Navidad (Christmas) – Dec. 25
Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) – Dec. 31
Please let me know what you think about this!