INTERNATIONAL BILLFISH TOURNAMENT RESULTS

July 21, 2004, Bob Blair, Fishing San Carlos, International Billfish Tournament and San Carlos, Mexico Fishing Report:

I was on the Andale ll with Jose Arriola. This is the first time I have heard of this and I sure it is has been done before, but we had on the Andale ll a triple marlin hook up and brought them all in. And I can tell you there was just a ton of luck involved. It was an angler tournament instead of a boat tournament. When we got the triple one of the party that was not one of the anglers on the boat grabbed one of the rods and pulled it out of the holder so I had to disqualify that marlin.

At the ceremonies that evening in San Carlos I got more congrats from being an honest fisherman than for bringing in the triple.

My Capt. Julio got a special trophy for bringing the three in. I told them I was running the boat, but they would not even talk to me...just kidding.

As in the last two tournaments, this year the Dorado fishing is just so bad. More billfish caught than dorado.

The largest weighable fish that got day money Sunday was a 17-pound dorado, no crap. It was the only weighable dorado that day, not bad for $2000.

My two boats were out yesterday along with another boat and caught 2 marlin and 7 dorado. More dorado than 45 boats caught in 3 days. Quien Sabe.

Yesterday the Andale pulled in a 55 pounder on the dorado. It was a good day.

Results of the 2004 57th International Billfish Tournament. July 15, 16, 17, 18. San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico:

OPEN CATEGORY:

PLACE, ANGLER, POINTS, BOAT, SKIPPER, released, brought in:

1st, Skip Andree, 715.4, Pure Joy, Gustavo Ortega, 3 marlin, 1 SF, 45 Lb dorado

2nd, Ron Hunter, 600, Sueltame, Carlos Hernandez, 3 marlin

3rd, Gustavo Felix, 417, Don Efes, Jaime Rodriguez, 2 marlin,, 17 Lb dorado

4th, Billy Gesswein, 400, Vagabundos, G. Ramos, 2 marlin

5th, Jose Arriola, 306, Andale 2, Julio Anaya, 1 marlin, 1 SF, 36 Lb dorado

6th, Ron Cooper, 270, Encantada, Linda Cooper, 1 marlin, 1 SF

7th, Doug Wolfee, 210, Freedom, 3 SF

8th, Sam Harrelson, 200, Sassy Lady, 1 marlin

9th, Allan Baker, 200, Inspector, 1 marlin

WOMAN CATEGORY:

1st, Becky Byttrum, 90, D' Becca, Sony, 1 SF, 1 dorado

JUNIOR CATEGORY:

1st, Jacob Carpenter, 1 SF, 2 dorado

DORADO

Open Category

1st, Skip Andree, Pure Joy, Gustavo Ortega, 45 Lb dorado

2nd, Jose Arriola, Andale 2, Julio Anaya, 36 Lb dorado

3rd, Anthony Mattz, Pez Vela, Mapo, 26 Lb dorado

Women

1st, Becky Byttrum, D' Becca, 20.6 Lb Dorado

Junior

1st, Jacob Carpenter, Two C's, 16.8 Dorado

Best Skipper of the tournament:

Gustado Ortega of "Pure Joy"

The largest fish weighed was a sailfish that weighed 77.6 pounds caught by George Wick, boat "Sugar Time". Skipper Vicente Grajeda.

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