Cabo San Lucas Hosts Three Tournaments at Once Logo
Cabo San Lucas Hosts Three Tournaments at Once

 
 

Photo of Second place for the blue marlin, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Second place for the blue marlin division in the 2001 Bisbee's Alumni vs. Champions Challenge tournament at Cabo San Lucas went to this 332-pound marlin caught by Martha McNab.

FISHING EVENTS CONVERGE DURING LAST WEEK OF OCTOBER

By Gene Kira, Oct. 23, 2001, as published in Western Outdoor News:

Three major fishing tournaments were held at Cabo San Lucas last week with a total of 121 boats competing in a fast-paced warm-up for the Bisbee's Black & Blue tournament scheduled here October 23-27.

The week's first competition was the Los Cabos Billfish tournament, sponsored by the Los Cabos Hotel Association. On Tuesday, 72 boats were registered for three days of fishing for prizes given for largest blue marlin, striped marlin, tuna, dorado, and wahoo, as well as prizes for most billfish released. The overall top prize went to the team fishing aboard the Finish Line, which collected over a quarter of a million dollars in prize money at an awards banquet held at the sponsoring Hotel Plaza las Glorias on Saturday evening.

Final results of the 2001 Los Cabos Billfish Tournament: Largest Blue Marlin, Tom Shiba, Finish Line, 350 pounds; Largest Striped Marlin, Sam Kahazan, Yayo II, 202 pounds; Largest Tuna, Mike Mullen, Chupacabra, 134.4 pounds; Largest Dorado, Darin Antin, Summertime, 60.6 pounds; Largest Wahoo, John Mason, Ruthless, 45 pounds; Most Billfish Releases, Kevin Cottner, Pedro Gonzalez, Corey Stach, and Kevin O'Hara, 8 releases, Solmar I; Day 1 Release Jackpot, Guerita, 3 releases; Day 2 Release Jackpot, Hot Pursuit, 2 releases; Day 3 Release Jackpot, Hot Pursuit, 2 releases; 3-Day Billfish Jackpot, Finish Line. Total releases during the tournament, 72. There were 208 anglers fishing in the tournament. The top team, aboard Finish Line, of Tom Shiba, Jesus Camacho, Wade Shiba, and Carlos Castro, was awarded a total of $258,278.50, including $189,700 for daily jackpots, $46,921.88 for first place team, and $21,656.62 for biggest blue marlin.

Photo of top team in the 2001 Los Cabos Billfish Tournament.

The top team in the 2001 Los Cabos Billfish Tournament was Tom Shiba, Jesus Camacho, Wade Shiba, and Carlos Castro, fishing aboard the Finish Line. They won a total of $258,278.50, including $189,700 for daily jackpots, $46,921.88 for first place team, and $21,656.62 for biggest blue marlin.

The second tournament to fish during the week was the 14th Annual For Pete's Sake Charity Tournament, held in memory of sportfishing skipper Pete Lopiccola, who died of cancer in 1988. Funds raised in this tournament will be divided between the UCSD Cancer Research Center in San Diego, and the families of Cabo San Lucas displaced by the recent Hurricane Juliette. This year, the majority of funds available, anticipated to be near $100,000 will be administered by the tournament's local administrator, Mike Grzanich of Latitude 22. "This event would not be possible without the support of the local community," said Terri Brodeau, tournament president. "It just feels good to give back to those who have given us so much over the years."

Last year, the For Pete's Sake Tournament raised aided about 20 children who received artificial limbs, plastic surgery, chemotherapy and other treatments that would have otherwise been unavailable. Three-year-old Yulisa Gomez, a native of Cabo San Lucas, was given the gift of hearing after surgery was performed in Coeur d'Helene, Idaho following the donations of last year's anglers and supporters who raised $20,000 in just seven minutes for her special procedure.

On Saturday evening, the awards banquet for the Pete's Sake Charity Tournament was given at the sponsoring Hotel Hacienda Beach Resort. A total of 28 boats were entered in the For Pete's Sake Tournament this year, which used a format requiring the release of all billfish, and the weighing of other species, according to tournament coordinator Terri Brodeau.

Fishing on Saturday and Sunday were 21 boats with 79 anglers in the Bisbee's Alumni vs. Champions Challenge tournament, held as a warm-up for the Bisbee's Black & Blue tournament this week. The boats fished on Saturday and Sunday, and an awards banquet was held at the sponsoring Plaza las Glorias hotel on Sunday evening.

Unofficial results for the Bisbee's Alumni vs. Champions tournament, posted Sunday evening were: Largest Blue Marlin, Hugo Pino, Natural Stone, Capt. Cesar Castro, 413 pounds, $88,200.00; Second Place Blue Marlin, Martha McNab, Retriever, Capt. Jeff Hamm, 332 pounds, $52,500.00; First Place Marlin Release, Sergei Deuatkin, Sure Bet, Capt. McGrew Rice, 2 blue marlin released; Second Place Marlin Release, Tom Leblanc, Bite Me, Capt. Marlin Pateker, 1 blue marlin released.

Photo of Sam Kahazan's 202-pound striped marlin, 2001 Los Cabos Billfish Tournament. Photo of Mike Mullen's 134.4-pounder, the largest yellowfin tuna landed in the 2001 Los Cabos Billfish Tournament.

Sam Kahazan's 202-pound striped marlin, caught aboard the Yayo II, was the biggest in the 2001 Los Cabos Billfish Tournament. At right, Mike Mullen's 134.4-pounder, caught aboard the Chupacabra, was the largest yellowfin tuna landed in the 2001 Los Cabos Billfish Tournament.

(Related Cabo San Lucas articles and reports may be found at Mexfish.com's main Cabo San Lucas information page. See weekly fishing news, photos, and reports from the major sportfishing vacation areas of Mexico including the Cabo San Lucas area in "Mexico Fishing News.")




 

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