Who doesn’t like winning? Answer: nobody that we know. 
We can guarantee Team El Suertudo likes it after taking home the biggest checks ($117,350 in 2019, $344,700 in 2020) during each of the last two Los Cabos Billfish Tournaments.
Despite the impressive prize pools (49 teams competed for $$742,500 in 2020), the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament is always going to be a bit overshadowed when it comes to fishing tournaments in Cabo San Lucas. After all, it takes place in October, when Bisbee’s hosts its even more lucrative Black and Blue and Los Cabos Offshore Tournaments (the two combined to offer over six million dollars in prize money last year).
But the LCBT doesn’t need to have the biggest name or offer the biggest prize pools to distinguish itself. That has never been its recipe for success.
The recipe for success for the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament is simple. Have fun fishing, and when the fishing is done, keep on having fun.
Or, as the organizer like to put it: “Fish all day, party all night!”
The fishing and fun will once again be on full display again for the 2021 edition of the tournament, which is scheduled to take place October 10th through the 14th (three days of fishing on the 11th, 12th and 13th, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time following shotgun starts from both the Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Los Cabos marinas).
Also on display…an estimated three-quarters of a million dollars or more in prize money.
Base entry for the first of Cabo San Lucas’ iconic October fishing tournaments (the LCBT sets the stage for Bisbee’s events to follow) is $5,000 per team (up to six anglers), or $25,000 “all-in” to cover all the daily and optional jackpots.
Here’s how it works. All fishing must be done within a 40-mile radius of Cabo San Lucas, and the only species eligible to be caught are marlin (black, blue and striped), sailfish, spearfish, tuna (both yellowfin and bigeye), wahoo and dorado. All black and blue marlin must be 300 pounds or more to qualify. Minimum weight for tuna, wahoo and dorado is 25 lbs.
Here’s where it gets interesting, though. Only two marlin may be weighed per day, per boat, and only one per day per angler. And if they don’t meet the minimum weight requirement, teams are penalized 300 points, plus two points for every pound the fish is underweight. So if you catch a 280 lb. marlin it actually costs you 340 points!
For fish that do meet the minimum requirements, points are scored as follows: 300 points for every blue or black marlin officially caught and released (video verification required) or 1.5 points for every eligible blue or black marlin officially boated and brought in to the weight station.
The top three teams in billfish scoring over the course of the tournament are in the money…as of course are all the daily and optional jackpot winners for game and billfish.
For some perspective, El Suertudo’s winning tally in 2020 was 1244 points over three days of fishing, followed by 889.5 points for second place Stella June, and 793 for third place Artemis. A total of 49 teams and 256 anglers competed last year, catching a total of 70 qualifying billfish (3 blue marlin, 3 black marlin, 52 striped marlin, 1 sailfish, 1 spearfish).
The biggest single catch in 2020 was the 593 lb. black marlin caught by angler Hugo Pino (fight time: just over two and a half hours) for team Stella June, accounting for all of their second place points. It took a 350 lb. blue marlin and a 396 lb. black marlin for El Suertudo to top them.
Expect more great catches in 2021, and, after the fishing is all done, another fun-filled Awards Ceremony at Playa Grande’s picturesque Beachside Terrace.
Can El Suertudo make it a “threepeat” with a third consecutive victory this year? Will combined prize money top one million dollars in 2021?
There’s only one way to find out, and that’s by entering. Well actually, you could just wait for us to tell you what happened. But trust us; it’s a lot more fun when you’re one of the lucky people fishing all day, partying all night, and quite possible making lots of money too!
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
September
Viva La Plaza in Cabo San Lucas – Sep. 3, 10, 17, 24
Mexico Independence Day – Sep. 16
October
Viva La Plaza in Cabo San Lucas – Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Los Cabos Billfish Tournament – Oct. 10 – 14
Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore Fishing Tournament – Oct. 14 – 17
Bisbee’s Black and Blue Fishing Tournament – Oct. 19 – 23
November
Baja Ha-Ha Cruisers Rally – Nov. 1 – 13
Day of the Dead – Nov. 1, 2
WON Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot – Nov. 3 – 6
Life Luxe Los Cabos Jazz Festival – Nov. 4 – 8
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Nov. 4, 11, 18, 25
Viva La Plaza in Cabo San Lucas – Nov. 5, 12, 19, 26
Los Cabos Film Festival – Nov. 10 – 17
SCORE Baja 1000 – Nov. 15 – 20
Revolution Day – Nov. 20
December
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Dec. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Viva La Plaza in Cabo San Lucas – Dec. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
El Dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe – Dec. 12
Las Posadas – Dec. 16 – 24
Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) – Dec. 24
Navidad (Christmas) – Dec. 25
Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) – Dec. 31
January 2022
Los Cabos Pro-Am Golf Tournament at Twin Dolphin and Cabo del Sol – Jan. 9 – 13
May 2022
Warren Hill’s Los Cabos Jazz Festival – May 15 – 18
Please let me know what you think about this!