2006 TOURNAMENT ARCHIVE
Oct 17 2006
LOS CABOS BILLFISH TOURNAMENT ANNOUNCES RECORD TURNOUT
The 8th annual Los Cabos Billfish Tournament registered
a record number of boats during its opening ceremony and
kickoff party at the beautiful Playa Grande Resort in Cabo
San Lucas, Mexico.
Seventy-three vessels will ply the billfish-rich waters
off the coast of Cabo this year, up from 68 during the 2005
event. What’s more, this year’s event will boast
a record purse – approximately $800,000 in cash and
prizes will be paid to the winning teams!
“We’re thrilled with the turnout this year,” said
tournament director Dan Jacobs. “The thing that impresses
me most is we have guys from Finland, Bermuda, Hawaii and
all across the U.S. We’re just thrilled these guys
are coming down to fish our event.”
On the eve of the first day of competition, more than 350
participants -- comprising some of the finest big-game fishing
teams around -- enjoyed a spectacular cocktail party and
buffet, complements of the Los Cabos Hotel Association.
Each team received a captain’s bag as they checked
in, filled with great products from the likes of Mustad,
Tormenter, MoldCraft and Gamakatsu. Anglers also were given
door-prize tickets for chances to win prizes from top manufacturers
such as Berkley, Okuma, Furuno and Pelagic, and then rubbed
elbows with event sponsors on-sight displaying their wares,
such as Pro Soft Lures, Joseph Henry and Hi-5 Custom Lures.
Day One of the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament kicks off with
a shotgun start at 7:30AM on Wednesday, Oct. 18. Daily prizes
and awards are up for grabs, as well as category winners
for the three-day event. The tournament culminates with a
spectacular awards ceremony on Saturday, the 21th, at Playa
Grande.
Oct 18 2006
TRACY ANN HAS BIG DAY AT THE LOS CABOS BILLFISH
TOURNAMENT
The 8th annual Los Cabos Billfish Tournament kicked off
in dramatic fashion Wednesday, Oct. 18, as 73 of the finest
fishing teams from around the globe took to the waters off
Cabo San Lucas.
The action started early with a fantastic catch aboard Go
Deep, as angler John Bullo landed a gargantuan 310-pound
yellowfin tuna within several hours of the official “lines
in” start at 7:30AM.
“As the first fish of the tournament at the scales,
that was very impressive,” said tournament director
Dan Jacobs. “And overall, the day really produced quality
fish.”
Twenty billfish were caught on Day 1. Seventeen of those
were released, while three blue marlin were weighed at the
scales. Juhn Hassel, of the Finnish team Tracy Ann,
took top honors for the largest blue of the day with a beautiful
438-pounder. That fish won Tracy Ann an unofficial
$96,916, including the Level 1-4 daily marlin jackpots.
Sun Dancer currently leads the Winner Take All
Jackpot, however, thanks to a dandy 344-pound blue caught
by angler Jimmy Carter. Hans Matheus of Team Crusader,
meanwhile, caught a 333-pound blue marlin to move into third
place in the team division. And in the billfish release division,
Sir Fishalot turned loose two fish, good enough for top honors
for the day and an unofficial $9,333 in cash.
Go Deep ’s big yellowfin proved large enough
to take a commanding lead in the Largest Tuna category. Team
Santana landed the biggest wahoo of the day with a 34.2-pounder,
and Reel Dream leads the Largest Dorado category
with a 27.4-pound fish.
Meanwhile, Stimulator won a new MacKay Communications
satellite phone on the merits of its first billfish release
among early registration teams.
Day Two of the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament kicks off with
the traditional shotgun start at 7:30AM on Thursday, Oct.
19. Approximately $800,000 in cash and prizes are up for
grabs during the three-day event, with the tournament culminating
with a spectacular awards ceremony on Saturday, the 21th,
at the Playa Grande Resort.
Oct 19 2006
STAKES RISE AS THE LOS CABOS BILLFISH TOURNAMENT
ENTERS FINAL DAY
Through two days of the 8th annual Los Cabos Billfish Tournament,
37 billfish have been caught and the stakes have jumped dramatically
entering the final day of competition.
No marlin were brought to the scales Thursday, and so nearly
$200,000 in unofficial jackpot money is up for grabs on Day
3, as the Levels 1-4 Cabo Chips Daily Marlin Jackpots roll
over.
Despite the slow action for large billfish, plenty of smaller
ones were released Thursday. Seventeen fish were turned loose,
with Team Chupacabra earning an unofficial $9,333 in
the King Sailfish Mounts Daily Release Jackpot.
Sir Fish-A-Lot maintains its lead atop the Berkley
Most Billfish Release category, but the race has tightened.
Nine other boats are now in contention for that prize, all
of which have two billfish releases.
Without question, the top catch of the day came aboard Safari,
as Kevin Mitchell brought a thick 79.8-pound wahoo to the
scales. That fish was just shy of a tournament record and
was good enough to take the lead in the largest wahoo category.
Mitchell also went on to land a 33.4-pound dorado Thursday
and leads that category as well.
John Bullo’s giant 310-pound yellowfin tuna caught
Wednesday aboard Go Deep still holds a commanding lead
in the largest tuna category, while Tracy Ann remains
perched atop the pack for the largest blue marlin, thanks
to a strong 438-pound fish taken Wednesday by angler Juhn
Hassel. Sun Dancer, meanwhile, still leads the Carey
Chen Winner Take All Marlin Jackpot, complements of a 344-pound
blue landed by Jimmy Carter
The final day of the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament kicks
off with the traditional shotgun start at 7:30AM on Friday,
Oct. 20. Approximately $800,000 in cash and prizes are up
for grabs, with the tournament culminating with a spectacular
awards ceremony on Saturday, the 21th, at the Playa Grande
Resort.
October 23, 2006
TRACY ANN TOPS THE FIELD AT LOS CABOS BILLFISH TOURNAMENT
Forty-four billfish were caught on a red hot final day at the
8th annual Los Cabos Billfish Tournament, but no one in the
fleet of 73 boats could catch Tracy
Ann.
The Finnish team won a total of $451,350, thanks to a 438-pound
blue marlin caught on Day One by angler Jukka Hassel. The awards
and sponsor prizes were presented Saturday evening during a
spectacular dinner ceremony and raffle banquet at the Playa
Grande Resort.
“It was a very good strike, and it turned out to be a
great fish,” said team member Timo Helle of the prize-winning
marlin.
“This is the first year we’ve fished this event and
we’ll absolutely be back next year -- possibly with three
boats.”
Tracy Ann caught their
big fish 12 miles out on a 6-pound dorado rigged on a 50-pound
class outfit. They boated the marlin in 45 minutes, and for
their efforts, collected $290,750 in the Days 1-3, Levels 1-4
Cabo Chips Daily Marlin Jackpots.
They also earned $73,000 as the Furuno First-Place Team,
and took $87,600 in the Okuma Largest Blue Marlin category.
Although they didn’t catch a marlin large enough to unseat Tracy
Ann, Team Incognito might
as well have been called Team En Fuego during the last day,
as they released 10 billfish to come from nowhere to win $29,200
in the Berkley Most Billfish Releases category.
Incognito also took
an additional $9,333 in the King Sailfish Mounts Daily Billfish
Release Jackpot. Sir Fish-A-Lot won
the same prize amount for the Day One jackpot with two releases,
while Chupacabra collected
the Day Two release jackpot.
Sun Dancer finished
the event overall in second place with $194,200 thanks to a
dandy 344-pound blue marlin caught on Day One by angler Jimmy
Carter. That fish was good enough for $29,200 in the Melton
International Tackle Second-Place Team division and $165,000
in the Carey Chen Winner Take All Jackpot. Hans Matheus of Team
Crusader, meanwhile, caught a 333-pound blue marlin – also
on Day One -- to secure $14,600 as the Playa Grande Resort
Third-Place Team.
One of the real highlights of the week was the first fish brought
to the scales on Wednesday, a bruiser of a tuna caught by John
Bullo aboard Go Deep.
Bullo’s yellowfin weighted 310 pounds – a new tournament
record -- and earned Go Deep $12,250
in the Yaupon Embroidery Largest Tuna Jackpot. Kevin Mitchell
of Safari nearly had
a tournament-record wahoo, but his 79.8-pound fish taken on
Day Two was just a bit shy. It did, however, earn Safari $12,250
in the Yaupon Embroidery wahoo jackpot. And Martin Estis aboard Picante
Pride landed a 34-pound dorado on the final day to collect
the same amount for the dorado division.
Finally, kudos to Capt. Ricardo Agundez, who led Tracy
Ann to their top catch, and subsequently was named the
Joseph Henry Marine Chronometer Top Captain Award. Also, Teams Stimulator and Sneak
Attack didn’t leave Cabo empty handed, either:
They each won satellite phones from Mackay Communications for
releasing the first two billfish of the event among teams that
registered early.
The 8th annual Los Cabos Billfish Tournament has been growing
steadily, with this year’s event attracting a tournament
record 73 boats, up from 68 last year. The event is also fast
becoming international in scope; in addition to the winning
Finnish team Tracy Ann,
some of the top big-game vessels from around the globe are
making the trek to Cabo, including teams from Bermuda, Hawaii,
Canada and all across the U.S. Next year’s event is scheduled
for Oct. 16 to 20. Contact tournament director Dan Jacobs at
dan.jacobs@worldpub.net for more information.
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