FISHING TOURNAMENTS IN CABO SAN LUCAS, AND THE EAST CAPE OF BAJA

If you're looking to test your skills against other sport anglers, than southern Baja and the areas of Cabo San Lucas and the East Cape should be on your list of locations for world-class tournament fishing. Fishing tournaments sprout up every year in Baja and the Los Cabos area is home to more big-money tournaments than just about anywhere on earth. In fact, the single largest tournament winner's check was written to Team Bad Company at the awards dinner at the Bisbee's Black and Blue in 2006 – the first place check was a whopping $3,902,997.50!


Captain Steve Lassley and the rest of Team Bad Company pose for a photo with their record breaking winner's check for taking 1st place and literally all of the sidepots in the 2006 Bisbee's Black and Blue tournament held in Cabo San Lucas.

Other notable fishing tournaments in Cabo San Lucas include the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament put on by the local government and the Western Outdoor News (WON) Tuna Jackpot. The Los Cabos has the distinction of being the first divisional tournament in Los Cabos that includes a release division for billfish, in fact, one year there were no qualifying marlin caught in the weight division so the team that took the honors in the release division ended up walking away with a check for over $500,000!! That's the largest check ever awarded to a release division winner in any tournament we know of and it sends a great message that conservation-minded events can be successful and offer high payouts.

The WON Tuna Jackpot attracts one of the biggest fields of any tournament in Cabo San Lucas as the entry fees are low enough to make it accessible to virtually anyone interested in entering. A team can get in for as little as $700, that's just $175 a person for a four-person team. And it's not only the fishing that makes this one interesting... it's truly a non-stop party. According to Pat McDonell, editor of WON, the key at this event is stamina if you like to fish and party at the same time. This year, it all starts on November 4th with the Costa Del Mar party with fishing and the Yokohama Boardwalk Fiest on the 5th. Fishing continues on the 6th followed by the Reactor Rock and Roll party at famous Squid Roe catered by Solomon's Landing. The awards dinner is on the 7th on the malecon at Puerto Paraiso Mall.

Boats making it back into the marina during the IGFA Offshore Championship held in May of 2008

One tournament that you just can walk up and enter is the International Game Fish Association's Offshore Championship. To take part in this one, you have to be invited and to get one of those coveted invites you'll need to have won one of the 140 tournaments (at last count) that make the grade as an IGFA Offshore qualifying event. Every year, teams from as many as 60 countries from around the globe make the trip and participate in the event making it the most international of any sport fishing tournament in the world. The tournament is actually put on by the Bonnier Corporation of Marlin Magazine fame and the 2009 event is the second year that Bonnier is handling the event on behalf of the IGFA.