Thursday’s LCO leaderboard was a blur of Magic Marker as one team after another brought a new entry to the scales. With two qualifying marlin now on the ledger, along with a massive tuna and stud dorado, the stage is set for Friday’s last day of competition in the 2026 Los Cabos Offshore. With nearly $2.4 million in prize money, the final stakes couldn’t be higher.
First to strike was Greg Harris and his team on Diggin Bills, a 63 Bertram based in Cabo San Lucas. This marks the first year for Harris and his boat competing in the LCO, although he is an experienced Cabo angler.
“It was a slow day, a little rough and choppy early,” Harris said. “We hadn’t had any action at all, not a bite, until a double-header mid-afternoon. There were no other boats when we hooked the fish, then during the fight three or four other boats were circling around us. We released the first fish estimated about 250 pounds before I got in the chair. My fish ate a skirted red & black lure and it took one hour and 15 minutes after quite a few jumps before we boated it. My arms are still shaking.” Diggin Bills blue marlin would tip the scales at 302 pounds, good for a brief lead.
Carlos Davis, Capt. Erick Carmack and Team Trixie, fishing aboard a 53 Scout LXF center console with five Mercury outboards, would soon snatch the daily and tournament lead away. Davis’ marlin ate a live skipjack over the outer Gordo Bank with several other boats in the vicinity. The fight on standup tackle (100 pound main line/300 pound leader) lasted just under two hours. Team Trixie’s black marlin weighed 334 pounds and the team is across the board in the optional weight jackpot entries.
“This is our first time in the LCO and we were fishing to kill one,” Carmack explained. “We have our normal crew of experienced anglers and mariners and we’ll have the same game plan tomorrow, only a little more relaxed. That’ll also be our game plan next week [for the Black & Blue],” he added with a laugh.
The second day tally of billfish included 11 blues, two blacks, 43 striped marlin and 27 sailfish. Linda Gale continued her hot streak by releasing one blue and two sails, good for 350 points and the top release boat for the second day in a row.
The first and only qualifying dorado of the week was also recorded on Thursday. Jeremy Chandler, fishing on PrimeTime, a California-based 74 Viking with Capt. Sean Oates at the helm, weighed a 46.5-pound bull to take the daily in that game fish division.
Another dose of drama came when Strictly Business (70 Viking) backed in to the weigh docks to unload its catch. The team lived up to its name by weighing a yellowfin tuna at 225 pounds, good for the daily and first place overall in the category. David Carson was the angler.
“It was a long day with no bites until that fish hit. It ate a skipjack bait and the fight lasted two hours on a Shimano Tallica 50 combo,” Carson recalled. “It’s my biggest tuna, by far.”
With one day remaining in the 2026 Los Cabos Offshore, the Magic Marker is likely to be constantly in use yet again.
Photo credits: Sebastian Harris and Capt. Dan Jacobs
