The last week of October transforms Cabo San Lucas into the epicenter of global sportfishing. Bisbee’s Black & Blue Marlin Tournament, the world’s richest fishing competition, brings over 100 teams to the marina for three days of offshore fishing with a total purse that exceeded $4.7 million in 2024. Single-team payouts have reached as high as $3.9 million. But Bisbee’s is just the peak of a longer autumn season that makes Cabo the most productive billfish destination on the planet.
Bisbee’s Black & Blue: The Main Event
Bob Bisbee launched the Black & Blue in 1981 with 29 boats. Today it draws 100 to 120 teams from across North and Central America for three fishing days during the last full week of October. The base entry fee runs roughly $5,000 per team, but the real cost sits in the optional daily jackpots and category add-ons. Teams typically invest between $25,000 and $75,000 in total entry fees and jackpot buy-ins, and a competitive three-day campaign including boat charter, fuel, crew, bait, flights, and accommodations runs $50,000 to $150,000.
The prize structure is what sets Bisbee’s apart. The 2024 total purse of over $4.7 million came from base entries and the optional jackpot system that can multiply a team’s investment into seven-figure payouts for a single fish. The largest single-team payout in tournament history belongs to Team Bad Company, which collected roughly $3.9 million in 2006 for a 540-pound blue marlin. For 2026, the estimated purse sits at $11.5 million or more, reflecting continued growth in participation and jackpot contributions. The official tournament site at bisbees.com posts current registration details and prize schedules.
The event follows a tight schedule. Fishing runs Wednesday through Friday, with a shotgun start at 8:00 AM and lines out at 5:00 PM. Weigh station hours at Puerto Paraiso Mall run from 2:00 PM to 9:00 PM, and the minimum qualifying weight for blue and black marlin is 300 pounds. The weigh-ins are free and open to the public, drawing crowds every afternoon as boats return to the marina.
Why Cabo’s Waters Deliver
Cabo sits at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez. Jacques Cousteau called the Sea of Cortez “the world’s aquarium,” and the numbers back him up. The collision of cold Pacific upwelling with warm tropical Gulf waters creates one of the most productive marine ecosystems on the planet. More concretely, the 1,000-fathom line where the continental shelf drops into deep water lies just one to three miles offshore from Cabo San Lucas. That puts blue-water game fish within a 15- to 30-minute boat ride, something no other major fishing destination can match.
During peak season from September through November, blue marlin in the 300- to 600-pound range are common, and tournament data consistently shows Cabo producing more marlin strikes per angler-day than any other destination worldwide. A competitive team fishing the October Bisbee’s window averages three to eight marlin raises per day. The year-round fishery means striped marlin run from September through March, blue marlin peak July through November, yellowfin tuna are present year-round with summer peaks, and dorado run strong from May through November. There is no dead season.
The Autumn Tournament Calendar
Bisbee’s Black & Blue is the headline act, but the autumn tournament season builds toward it through a series of events that keep the marina active for months. The full calendar runs from May through November with more than 15 organized tournaments, and October is the peak.
The week before Black & Blue, Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore runs from October 14 to 16 in 2026, with a base entry of $1,500 and an estimated purse of $2.7 million. Many competitive teams fish both events as a tune-up and a double shot at prize money. Together, the two Bisbee’s tournaments create roughly ten days of activity including registration parties, practice days, fishing days, weigh-ins, and awards ceremonies. The Los Cabos Billfish Tournament runs October 8 to 10 with a $5,000 base entry and over $750,000 in cash awards, kicking off the month’s action. November closes the season with the Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot on November 5 and 6, a two-day competition focused on yellowfin tuna with historical payouts exceeding $1.47 million. Registration and live leaderboards for all major tournaments run through CatchStat.com.
The Conservation Shift
Modern Cabo tournaments have moved substantially toward catch-and-release formats, particularly for billfish. The Black & Blue still has a weigh-in component for qualifying marlin, but many tournaments now award points for releases rather than harvested fish. The percentage of marlin released in Cabo has increased significantly over the past two decades, and the International Game Fish Association recognized Cabo San Lucas as a model for sustainable tournament fishing. Several events operate under tag-and-release protocols that contribute data to fisheries research. The shift means the spectacle of the weigh-in is balanced against a growing emphasis on conservation, and the fishery remains productive year after year.
How to Experience Tournament Season
You do not need to enter a tournament to experience the fishing fever of autumn in Cabo. The weigh-ins at the main marina plaza are free, open to the public, and genuinely exciting. Boats return between 3:00 and 5:00 PM, and the plaza fills with crews, spectators, and media. Arrive by 3:00 PM to catch the action.
For anglers who want to fish during tournament season without competing at the professional level, several charter captains enter smaller tournaments with charter clients aboard. A tournament day on a shared charter runs $2,500 to $5,000. Standard fishing charters are also widely available, with half-day and full-day options. The FishingBooker Los Cabos page lists over 180 charter options with trips starting around $250. An eight-hour fishing charter on a 26-foot boat with top-of-the-line Shimano Tiagra reels and a 300hp Yamaha engine runs about $650, including captain and crew, bait, and tackle.
The social side of tournament season is equally accessible. Bisbee’s registration party and awards ceremony are social highlights, many open to the public or available with a modest ticket purchase. The marina walk transforms during tournament weeks: boats decorated with flags and banners, crews rigging baits at 4 AM under dock lights, bars along the marina strip buzzing with after-parties. For property owners in the marina district or Pedregal, tournament season is the peak of Cabo lifestyle, and the broader luxury market in Los Cabos continues to draw buyers who cite fishing as a primary lifestyle motivation. The Los Cabos luxury growth and new resort investments reflect the same demographic that keeps the tournament scene thriving.
Reader Questions
What does it cost to enter Bisbee’s Black & Blue?
The base entry fee is roughly $5,000 per team. The real cost comes from optional daily jackpots and category add-ons, which push a typical team investment to $25,000–$75,000. A fully competitive three-day campaign including boat charter, fuel, crew, bait, flights, and accommodations runs $50,000 to $150,000. The event is invitation-based for new entrants and typically sells out months in advance.
What is the largest payout in tournament history?
Team Bad Company won approximately $3.9 million in 2006 for a 540-pound blue marlin. Total tournament purses exceeded $4.7 million in 2024, and the 2026 estimated purse stands at over $11.5 million.
When exactly is the tournament held?
Bisbee’s Black & Blue runs during the last full week of October, with three fishing days from Wednesday through Friday. In 2026, the dates are October 21 to 23, with registration and opening ceremonies on October 20. Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore, the warm-up event, runs October 14 to 16.
Can recreational anglers participate?
The Stars & Stripes Tournament, various local club tournaments, and smaller catch-and-release events welcome charter-boat teams with recreational experience. Bisbee’s Black & Blue is technically open to any team that registers, but the competitive intensity and cost structure make it primarily a professional and semi-professional event.
Sources
bisbees.com. Bisbee’s Offshore, 2026.
catchstat.com. CatchStat, 2026.
visitloscabos.travel. Los Cabos Tourism, 2026.
fishingbooker.com. FishingBooker, 2026.
