ALMOST 70 BOATS TO FISH IN 2005 ROLEX/IGFA
OFFSHORE CHAMPIONSHIP FISHING TOURNAMENT

March 24, 2005, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico:

A record number of teams from more than 30 countries have pre-registered for the sixth annual Rolex/International Game Fish Association Offshore Championship Fishing Tournament, to be held at Cabo San Lucas May 15- 21.

Nearly 70 teams are expected to fish at Cabo San Lucas when the four-day catch-and-release world billfish championship event begins.

Each fishing team advanced to Cabo San Lucas by winning one of the 108 IGFA qualifying tournaments held in 39 countries on six continents during 2004.

This is the fourth year the anglers will be fishing Cabo San Lucas waters around the tip of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. The tournament was held in Hawaii for the first two years beginning in 2000 before it was moved to Mexico. Tournament director Sue Vermillion said, “The Cabo officials, businesses and community volunteers really contribute a lot of resources to make this such a huge success for the IGFA, Rolex and the many other sponsors and anglers.”

The abundance of billfish caught and released at Cabo San Lucas is also an important factor in the number of teams coming, said Lynda Wilson, Rolex/IGFA offshore tournament coordinator. “Last year a total of 299 billfish were released among 66 teams,” she said. “In 2003, 250 billfish were released among 42 teams. Those are some excellent release figures and the anglers remember and get excited about the great fishing here.”

Local sponsors in Cabo San Lucas include Minerva’s Baja Tackle, Pisces Sportfishing Fleet, TransCabo and Ultrajewels the official Rolex retailer in Cabo San Lucas.

Cabo San Lucas fishing tournament headquarters will be the Hotel Finisterra. Mexico tournaments will be represented by six of the teams.

The teams will draw for different Cabo San Lucas charter fishing boats each day from the local guided Cabo San Lucas charter fishing fleet. They will fish for three species of marlin (blue, black and striped) and swordfish for 300- points each along with sailfish and spearfish for 100-point values each. The catches will be scored and released alive at the boat in accordance with the IGFA tournament rules. Fishing teams also receive points (per pound) for tuna, wahoo and dorado up to two fish of each species per day above the minimum size limit of 25 lbs. Local Cabo San Lucas charities received the donations of all fish weighed at the Cabo sportfishing docks.