High Stakes Fishing Season Heats Up in Los Cabos

Who wants to be a millionaire? No, we’re not talking about a game show. We’re talking about Cabo San Lucas’ premier series of fishing tournaments, one of which–Bisbee’s Black & Blue–annually pays out cash prizes in the seven figure range. And wouldn’t you rather be fishing anyway?

Last year’s winner of the Black and Blue, angler Charlie Lee and his Chinito Bonito crew, took home a check for over $3,000,000 after landing a 510 lb. black marlin on the first day of the tournament, besting 113 other teams. This year, the stakes are expected to be even higher, with the world’s best big-game anglers descending on Cabo San Lucas during the month of October for the Black & Blue, as well as Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore. The latter, commonly known as “Little Bisbee’s”, is scheduled for October 17 – 20, with the Black & Blue, or “Big Bisbee’s”, following Oct. 22 – 26.

Bisbee’s actually hosts a trio of tournaments in Los Cabos each year. The first, the East Cape Offshore, traditionally kicks off the season in early August, and is generally a bellwether for participation and prizes when the headline events come around in October. And if that indicator holds true, this year is going to set new records across the board.

Team El Suertudo, which won the top prize at the 20th annual ECO with a 381 lb. blue marlin, was rewarded with a check for $619,800. That’s the largest winning payout in the history of the event, which each year draws world-class fishermen to Buena Vista on Los Cabos’ picturesque East Cape.

Topping the record at the Los Cabos Offshore may not be so easy, since it was just set in 2018–the 18th edition of that benchmark event–with over a million dollars in prize money doled out plus the chance to make a real difference for local families. That’s because the LCO has maintained its long-running commitment to charity, even as the prize money has increased dramatically in recent years. Last year, for instance, the equivalent of over 8600 meals was donated to those in need.

There’s no need to worry about charitable endeavors at the Black & Blue. This one is just for pride, everlasting glory and a big boatload of cash. That’s how it got its nicknames: “The World’s Richest Fishing Tournament” and “The Super Bowl of Fishing.”

The biggest of big-game tournaments, this marlin fishing tournament originally premiered in 1981 (when the purse was a mere $10,000), and remains to this day the highest profile annual event in Los Cabos. The $4.165 million payout in 2006 was and still is the largest in the history of tournament fishing, although last year’s kitty of $3.693 was nothing to sneeze at, particularly since it only took team Chinito Bonito one hour and 37 minutes to boat their winning marlin.

We’re not real good at math, but that works out to somewhere around 2.4 million dollars per hour! In other words, good work if you can get it.

Base entry for this legendary event is $5,000 U.S. per team, and requires a $71,500 U.S. outlay across all categories, jackpots and challenges. Prizes are awarded for the top five catches of black and blue marlin, assuming they meet the minimum standard of 300 pounds.

Got the picture? Good. Then we’ll repeat our first question. Who wants to be a millionaire? Remember, even if you don’t win the LCO or B&B, you still get to spend 10 in Cabo San Lucas, and go fishing for marlin on five of them. That’s definitely worth something.

We won’t mention second place, which in last year’s Black & Blue was a measly $544,250 dollars.

We will mention, however, the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament, which is the biggest non-Bisbee’s sponsored tournament in October, and fairly lucrative in its own right. Last year’s overall payout, after all, was a respectable $642,300.

This year’s version is scheduled for Oct. 13 – 17, so might as well tell your travel agent to go ahead and make that 14 days in Cabo San Lucas.

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:  Bisbee’s Offshore Fishing Tournaments

Upcoming Event Calendar

September

Día de la Independencia (Mexican Independence Day) – Sep. 16

 October

Sammy Hagar Birthday Bashes at Cabo Wabo Cantina – Oct. 9, 11, 13

Los Cabos Billfish Tournament – Oct. 13 – 17

Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore Tournament – Oct. 17 – 20

Bisbee’s Black & Blue Tournament – Oct. 22 – 26

Van Wormer Resort Tuna Shoot Out – Oct. 26

Halloween – Oct 31

November

Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) – Nov. 1 – 2

Pelagic Rock Star Tuna Tournament – Nov. 1 – 3

Ironman Los Cabos 70.3 Half-Triathlon – Nov. 3

21st WON Tuna Jackpot – Nov. 6 – 9

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Nov. 7, 14, 21, 28

Los Cabos Film Festival – Nov. 13 – 17

52nd Annual Baja 1000 – Nov. 19 – 24

Sabor a Cabo International Food & Wine Festival – Nov. 30

 December

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Dec. 5, 12, 19, 26

Dressed to the K9s Charity Gala – Date Not Yet Announced

Feast Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe – Dec. 12

Official Start of Whale Watching Season – Dec. 15

Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) – Dec. 24

Navidad (Christmas) – Dec. 25

Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) – Dec. 31

January

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Los Cabos Pro-Am Golf Tournament at Cabo del Sol – Jan. 12 – 16

Tropic of Cancer Concert Series in Todos Santos – Jan. 15 – 19

 February

Todos Santos Writers Workshop – Feb. 1 – 8

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27

Todos Santos Artists’ Open Studios Tour – Feb. 7 – 9

San Jose del Cabo Jazz Weekend – Dates Not Yet Announced

21st Annual Baja Hog Rally – Dates Not Yet Announced

Carnaval in La Paz – Feb. 20 – 25