$10,000 PRIZE MONEY FOR PACIFIC SIDE BAJA FISHING TOURNAMENT

Sept. 23, 2006, Juanchys Aguilar, La Bocana, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

This Saturday, Sept. 16, 2006, we had a big sportfishing tournament for Punta Abreojos and La Bocana, which was organized by Oscar Daccarett of the financial secretariat, Chuy Valdez of East Cape's Buena Vista Beach Resort, and Clicerio Mercado of the Bisbee's offshore tournament circuit.

There were $10,000 U.S. dollars of prize money for the tournament, supported by state of Baja California Sur and its governor Narciso Agundez Montaño.

This Abreojos-La Bocana tournament was for black sea bass, grouper, and yellowtail.

For black sea bass, the winners were: first prize, Ignacio Zuñiga, 185.8 pounds, $2,000; second, Carlos Rodriguez, 183.4 pounds, $1,500; third, Santos Mendez, 171 pounds, $1,000.

The prize money for the three yellowtail placing was, $1,500, $1,000, and $500.

The prizes for the children's beach fishing category were $500, $300, and $200.

There were no grouper caught during this year's tournament.

I fished as captain for the second place black sea bass winner Carlos Rodriguez, and also fishing in our boat was Julio Rodriguez.

We had very good fishing for the tournament, no wind, water clear, and we fished at the famous Gringa Bank, at 120 feet of depth. Excellent fishing!

In total we had 43 boats fishing in the tournament with 126 anglers competing, including Nick Borgwat, and Chuck and Rob Smyth, of Lake Shasta, Calif., who fished in their boat, Thank You 2U John, for tuna, dorado, calico bass, and many yellowtail. This week was excellent fishing for yellowtail.

The next tournament will be at La Bocana on Oct. 29th, and it will be for black sea bass, grouper, and yellowtail, with free entry, paying just $12 to $15 for a fishing license if you don't already have a valid one.

There will again be $10,000 in prize money, and a category for children fishing from the beach.

(See "Mexico Fishing News" online for current fishing reports, photos, weather, and water temperatures from Baja and other major Mexican sportfishing areas. Vacation travel articles, fishing maps and seasonal calendars, and fishing related information for Baja California may be found at Mexfish.com's main Baja page.