The Latest Catch

Wayne was excited to welcome the 98 teams competing for approximately $1.8 million (U.S.).

Team Stella June’s 375-pound black marlin caught on the second day of the 3-day event held in the East Cape area earned the Team an enormous $1,286,385 payday at Saturday Nights 23rd East Cape Offshore Awards banquet held on the sand in front of the Buena Vista Oceanfront and Hot Springs Resort managed by the Valdez Family for the past 46 years.

Wanna be a millionaire? So did the ninety-seven teams still hoping to get in the hunt on the final day of the 23rd Annual Bisbee ECO! With the first two days of fishing behind them, a few awaiting the 7:30-am start were hoping to add to their successes.

Joe Musich aboard "Buena Fortuna" released a dorado 25 minutes after the flare gun went off – the first fish of the day. Hopefully, he would live up to the name of his boat, translated as "Good Fortune!"

Long after lines out, Team Stella June arrived with a black marlin that was the first qualifying billfish to be brought to the scale during the first two days of competition. The usual debate, "Would it qualify?" ricocheted through the enormous crowd of spectators. The noisy debate continued as the scale was zeroed, and the giant fish was hoisted up. Seconds went by as the numbers settled on the scale and stopped. "THREE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-FIVE POUNDS," Wayne Bisbee declared.

Ninety-seven boats crossed the starting line determinedly – with a plan. Although, admittedly, some looked like they had no "plan" in mind!

Some teams targeted a single species, billfish, dorado, or yellowfin tuna.

Those Teams targeting billfish complained that they found the dorado to be a nuisance. However, most billfish hooked did not meet the Tournament's minimum weight of 300-pounds, so they were released.

The 2022 Bisbee's East Cape Offshore edition begins with 97 teams who, for the third year in a row, are vying for another RECORD-BREAKING TOTAL of $1,614,425, according to the final numbers listed in CatchStat.  Anglers from Cabo to La Paz share optimism after the positive results of several successful events for specific species kicking off this season in Baja.

BISBEE’S RULES ADDENDUM - EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 14 TO OCTOBER 23, 2021

For the 2021 Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore and Bisbee’s Black & Blue Marlin Tournament

This is a change/addition to what is published in the 2021 tournament magazine’s rules regarding the points/prize money deductions for non-qualifying marlin weighing less than 300 lbs. (specifically rule #18 of the 2021 published “General Tournament Rules”).

Rule #18 remains as is, with the following change/addition:

In the Tuna Division, the only tuna brought to the scale was by Team “Don Julio,” by Sean Feeney, from La Costa, Calif., who also has a vacation home at Ranch Leonero. Often a participant in other local tournaments in the area, including the Las Palmas Dorado Shootout that his Team has won in the past, Team “Don Julio” will receive a total of $34,425. for their efforts.

The 96 teams entered in the 22nd Annual East Cape Offshore Tournament all had one thing in common – they were still in the hunt on the third and final day for the right fish that could put them on the leader board for this year’s already record-setting event.

entered in the 22nd Annual East Cape Offshore Tournament all had one thing in common – they were still in the hunt on the third and final day for the right fish that could put them on the leader board for this year’s already record-setting event.