Being competitive on the high-stakes tournament circuit requires several elements. Expertise, skill and teamwork are certainly necessary. Timing is also, plus a bit of luck helps. Teams that consistently combine several of these factors bet on success in the form of optional jackpot entries. Catching the heaviest fish usually means a bigger payout. But not always. Teams that bet can win more money, even if they didn’t catch the largest fish. That was the case in this year’s Bisbee's Los Cabos Offshore with nearly $2.4 million in prize money up for grabs.
Team Trixie, a 53 Scout with Capt. Erick Carmack on the throttles, was the week’s biggest winner, money-wise. Even though the team finished third overall with a black marlin weighing 334 pounds, that catch swept all possible Day 1 & 2 daily billfish jackpots, earning the team a check totaling $1,589,007, the largest single payout in the tournament's history. Team members included Miguel Cota, Carlos Davis, owner Troy Herbst, Lucas Peralta and Adam Runge.
Loose Crew, with Capt. Ed McClintock and anglers Edgar Gomez Ojeda, Juan Luis Montano and Michael Thompson, were narrowly edged out of first place on the last day by three pounds. Their 347-pound blue marlin still won second place overall and two daily jackpots for $183,893 in winnings. Loose Crew was fishing on a 41 Luhrs Convertible.
Team Tiki Perro Pescador earned Top Tournament Team honors with a 350-pound blue marlin, also caught on the afternoon of the last day. Owner/angler John Russell, Tim Bonneville, Tim Duncan, Douglas McDaniel, Freddie Mendoza, Jim Sorg, Albert Lopez Jr., Capt. Martin Castillo and mate Kimberly Bonneville earned $131,559 for the catch. The team was fishing on a 48 Ocean based in Cabo.
Linda Gale, a 82 Viking based in Sarasota, Florida, was the big winner in the Release Division. Anglers Roxanna Lopez, Lee Scott and mates Will Froelich, Carlos Jimenez, Darius Kirschner and Capt. Nicholas Froelich earned 1,275 points overall for releasing four blue marlin and three sailfish on Days 1 and 2. That effort paid $129,200 in prize money. True Grit, a 66 Hines Farley with Capt. Pablo Pino on the flying bridge, won the Day 3 release jackpot with one black marlin and two striped marlin (350 points), good for a check totaling $64,600.
The hotly contested tuna division saw Caliente (Capt. Keith Banks/61 Viking) weigh the heaviest yellowfin, a 259-pounder. The base entry check for that catch was $25,620. The daily jackpot winners included Moherek Fishing Team (Capt. Abram Lozano) for the first day at 102.3 pounds. Strictly Business II 2026 (Capt. Ruben Palos Ramirez/70 Viking) took the Day 2 prize with a 225-pound yellowfin. North Star Pro (Capt. Adrian Miranda/32 Carolina Offshore) capped off the week with a 251-pounder. All three daily tuna jackpots paid $40,800.
Only one qualifying dorado was weighed, but it was a big winner. Prime Time (Capt. Sean Oates/74 Viking) boated a 46.5-pound bull on the second day, winning first place overall and the daily game fish/dorado jackpots. That catch was worth $148,020.
The 2026 Los Cabos Offshore hosted 122 teams with 758 anglers, competing for $2,394,300 in prize money. The tournament fleet caught 226 billfish, including 119 striped marlin, 76 sailfish, 29 blue marlin and five black marlin. Only six marlin were weighed. In the game fish divisions, 46 yellowfin tuna were tallied, along with two dorado.
“What a bitchin’ tournament,” said Tournament Director Wayne Bisbee. “We dodged the storm and the excitement kept building all week with a Friday climax of quality fish. Congrats to the winners and thanks to all our teams for fishing with us, our awesome sponsors and the Bisbee crew for pulling it all off. Now it’s time for a quick reset before the Black & Blue.”
Photos courtesy of Sebastian Harris
