Hurricane Genevieve continues to churn harmlessly off west into the Pacific, hundreds of miles from the Baja peninsula. And with that development, the stage is set for the 2026 Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore, the start of Mexico’s annual big game tournament season. HDI Marine is the tournament’s presenting sponsor. The forecast for weather and fishing for the week is looking good.
“It’s like a pond out there right now,” said Tournament Director Wayne Bisbee as he gazed at the tranquil Sea of Cortez. “The ports opened this morning and the weather is beautiful. There was a little rain from the storm, but the arroyos didn’t flood so there won’t be any debris floating around offshore. There will be some swells, but our guys know how to handle and fish in those. Anchoring off the beach won’t be a problem, either.
“The bite was good before the storm,” Bisbee added. “We’ll know soon enough if that continues. I’ve seen it kick off after one and shut down, too. The water had been warm. Hopefully that will cool down some now.”
Luis Farijo, the sport-fishing fleet manager for the host Bueno Vista Resort, echoed the recent optimistic fishing report.
“Fishing has been great. The yellowfin tuna have been averaging 55 to 75 pounds with some over 100 and another group between 90 to 100 pounds. The dorado have been running 30 to 45 pounds with a few over 50. All the game fish have been bigger this year and the schools of tuna have been really big.”
Farijo also said there have been plenty of blue marlin around, including those exceeding qualifying size (300 pounds), with stripers still present and sailfish showing up in good numbers. That bodes well for the tournament’s catch and release division.
“For the marlin ballyhoo, mackerel and sardines have been the baits of choice. The tuna have been caught on cedar plugs, plus flying fish lures under kites. The runs offshore have been from 17 to 40 miles. The water temperatures have ranged from the high 70s to the low 80s, depending on location. Eighty-three degrees is nearly perfect,” he adds.
A total of 83 teams are competing this week for a share of $1.6 million in prize money. Blue and black marlin 300 pounds and heavier are eligible to be weighed at the scales on the beach at the Bueno Vista Resort. Smaller blues, striped marlin and sailfish score points for successful release. Bigeye and yellowfin tuna must exceed 40 pounds for entry, while the minimum weight for dorado is 30 pounds.
Fishing begins Wednesday morning after a 6:30 a.m. flare start. So which will be the biggest factor for the week, Genevieve’s surge or the luminescent full moon? Or neither? The answer will be apparent by the time competition concludes Friday afternoon.
