2019 Bisbee Tournament Awards $4,584,450
THREE TEAMS RECEIVE RECORD-BREAKING $1.3+ MILLION EACH
Photos courtesy of Scotty Nesbitt
Surrounded by beautiful ocean waters, Los Cabos, Mexico is renowned as one of the top fishing destinations in the world.
Whether you take home memories or millions, the action-packed Bisbee’s Black & Blue Tournaments have been taking place in Cabo San Lucas on the Baja Peninsula in Mexico for over 30 years.
The 39th annual Bisbee Black and Blue Marlin Fishing Tournament established a new record by awarding the top three teams a prize of over $1 million each. Never before have they awarded more than two million dollar checks in one tournament. The total prize money for the eight winning teams was $4,584,450. There were 126 teams consisting of 862 anglers from the United States and other countries.
The Bisbee’s Black & Blue Tournament takes place every October in Cabo and holds virtually all sportfishing events records, including the largest individual team payout in its history at $3,902,997, the only tournament ever to award a team over $2 million three times, and the only tournament to award over $1 million to an individual team 18 times.
THIS YEAR’S THREE CHECKS OF OVER A MILLION DOLLARS WERE:
1st Place of $1,411,375 went to Tranquilo, homeport of Quepos, Costa Rico at Marina Pez Vela, and Carolina Beach. The team represented Costa Rica, South Florida, Virginia, and Maryland with the 577 pound blue marlin, the heaviest in the tournament. Angler Bill Pino, owner SQUIDNATION, landed the brute following a 44-minute fight. Although Team Tranquilo took the largest fish prize during Day Three, Wild Hooker’s amount of $1,751,462 included winning the additional Chupacabra jackpot.
2nd Place for $1,296,062, Day Two’s top prize, went to Jim Putnam aboard True Grit for his 498-pound black marlin; the True Grit team represented California, New Mexico, and Hawaii.
3rd place, $1,751,462 went to Day One Team Wild Hooker with Paul Beaullieu, angler, aboard Wild Hooker, who caught a 466-pound black marlin. Team members are from Texas, Hawaii, Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida.
It was the third consecutive tournament day of over $1.3 million in payouts, a first-time happening for the event!
In the just-concluded tournament, the 862 anglers released 118 blue marlin, 42 striped marlin, 15 black marlin, and 1 sailfish giving the tournament an outstanding 95% release-to-catch ratio.
“Approximately 7,000 pounds of fish brought to the scales equaling 17,500 meals were donated to local charities to feed the economically challenged families in the area by the anglers,” Bisbee announced.
Another excitement-filled tournament – the Black & Blue is a once-in-a-lifetime experience you’ll never forget!
