The Latest Catch

As the two crews whooped and hollered, drowning out the sounds of camera shutters clicking, Wayne Bisbee confided, “This is the first time in the history of the ECO that all the jackpots were covered in the first couple of hours.”  Little did he know, but by the time for “lines out,” there would be four qualifying billfish brought to the weigh station:

There are countless ways to gauge success in today’s society. From presidential polls to college football rankings, friends, followers and likes to stocks and commodities values, all measure degrees of achievement, standings and wealth. The benchmark for the Bisbee’s Black & Blue Marlin Jackpot Tournament, the richest sport-fishing contest in the world and presented this year by Orca Coolers, is the unofficial Pacifico Index. By all accounts the 2016 edition was a resounding success with an overall purse of $3,511,900 at stake for the 121 boats entered.

It wasn’t the biggest marlin Julio Fernandez has ever caught. And it wasn’t the hardest fighting fish, either. But the black marlin he landed Thursday morning in the 2016 Bisbee’s Black & Blue Marlin Jackpot Tournament will be the most memorable, without a doubt. Catching a fish worth close to $2 million dollars tends to stand out, regardless.

It was a fitting end to the 36th annual Bisbee’s Black & Blue Marlin Jackpot Tournament. The SoCal team aboard C-Bandit was the last to the scales Friday night with a solid contender definitely in tow. Russ Armstrong was on the rod when a black marlin ate a live 12-pound yellowfin tuna near Vinorama right at noon. Even though it stayed down at first, Armstrong suspected it was a good fish. As he applied more drag, the black came alive and started leaping out of the water 200 feet behind the transom.

The Bisbee’s Black & Blue, presented by Orca Coolers, is well-known as the world’s richest sport-fishing tournament. But for those who have competed in or followed the event over the years, it’s also known for its high-stakes drama. Many a winning fish has come to the scales in the last day or last hour throughout the B&B’s 36-year history. So Wednesday’s scenario on the first day of fishing added a somewhat early twist.

The first day of the 2016 Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore Tournament started with a big bang and that doesn’t even count the 8 a.m. flare start that sent 108 boats racing off in search of big fish and even bigger prize money. A total of more than $773,000 is at stake in this two-day event. By the time the scales closed 12 hours later, six marlin had been hoisted aloft, along with three qualifying yellowfin tuna. Marlin must weigh at least 300 pounds, while tuna have a 40-pound minimum.

The normal association of the word avalanche is massive walls of snow pummeling down a frozen mountain pass. Or in the case of arid climates like Baja California Sur, pebbles triggering rocks triggering boulders in a raucous cavalcade until it all comes to a pulverized rest in the arroyo far below.

The ‘Little Bisbee's” is little no more. The Los Cabos Offshore Tournament, long known as the diminutive warm-up for the Black & Blue, has announced its presence with authority. One hundred and eight boats competing for more than $773,000 in prize money proves that, thank you very much. And if there was still any lingering doubt, a look at the team rosters confirms the popularity of this combo billfish/game fish format. Take Juan Barraga and his crew, for example.