Bisbee's Black & Blue
The Super Bowl of Sportfishing
Forty-five years of the world's richest sportfishing tournament. From Bob Bisbee's tackle shop in Newport Bay to the $11.6 million record purse in Cabo San Lucas. Every champion, every payout, every story.
In October each year, the marina at Cabo San Lucas transforms into the most expensive piece of saltwater on Earth. Six anglers competing on a single boat can walk away with more prize money in three days than most professional athletes earn in a year. Sports Illustrated called it the Super Bowl of Fishing. Tournament Director Wayne Bisbee announced cumulative payouts would exceed $100 million by the 40th anniversary. This is the complete history of how Bob Bisbee's tackle shop in Newport Bay built the richest sportfishing tournament in the world.
What Makes Bisbee's the Super Bowl of Sportfishing
Most sportfishing tournaments operate on a similar economic model. Teams pay entry fees. The pool of fees creates the prize purse. Larger fields with bigger buy-ins produce bigger payouts. By this metric, the Bisbee's Black and Blue Marlin Tournament has stood apart from every other competition on Earth for over two decades. The 2022 edition produced a record $11.6 million purse and three single-team payouts exceeding $1 million each. The 2023 edition produced the largest single-team payout in sportfishing history at $3,906,550. The cumulative payouts across the 45-year history are estimated to exceed $115 million.
The Numbers That Define Bisbee's
No other sportfishing tournament on Earth has produced these benchmarks. The Bisbee's Black and Blue stands alone in the financial scale of sportfishing competition.
$11.6M
Largest purse ever
2022 edition$3.9M
Largest single team payout
2023, Team Stella June219
Largest team field
2022 edition16+
Checks over $1 million
Tournament historyWhy Cabo is the venue
- Marlin Capital of the World. Cabo waters produce blue, black, and striped marlin in October, the month the tournament is held.
- Pacific and Sea of Cortez convergence. Two ocean systems meet at the tip of Baja, creating concentrated bait and predator activity.
- Proximity to deep water. Productive offshore zones are within an hour's run from the marina. Boats can fish a full tournament day without burning fuel reserves.
- Tournament infrastructure. The Puerto Paraíso Mall on the Cabo marina hosts the weigh-ins. The setting accommodates thousands of spectators.
- Hotel and yacht capacity. Cabo's resort infrastructure can absorb 1,200+ visiting anglers plus their crews, sponsors, and families.
Bob Bisbee, the Tackle Shop, and a Conversation at the Fuel Dock
The story of the world's richest sportfishing tournament begins not in Mexico but in Southern California, at a bait and tackle shop on Balboa Island in Newport Bay. Bob Bisbee operated the shop and an adjacent fuel dock through the 1970s, serving the offshore fleet that ran the West Coast from San Diego to Alaska. The shop was the first to set up a land-based marine single-sideband radio, which became the only reliable communication for boats running long distances along the coast. Bisbee's radio became the lifeline for the West Coast fleet, relaying messages from families, parts orders, and weather reports.
Summer 1981: The fuel dock meeting
During the summer of 1981, two men walked into Bisbee's fuel dock looking to talk fishing. Luis Coppola, a former United States Air Force pilot who owned the Hotel Finisterra in Cabo San Lucas, and his nephew Bill Baffert, who managed the hotel, had a proposition. The waters off Cabo were producing extraordinary marlin catches. The infrastructure for a serious tournament was lacking. Bisbee had the connections to the Southern California fleet, the equipment, and the reputation. The three men sketched out the framework for what would become the Bisbee's Black and Blue Marlin Tournament. John Doughty, owner of J.D.'s Big Game Tackle Store and at the time an employee of Bisbee's, drew up the initial set of tournament rules.
The first edition
- Year: 1981, October
- Venue: Cabo San Lucas marina, Mexico
- Participation: 6 teams
- Total purse: $10,000
- Format: Three days of fishing, weigh-ins at the marina, winner determined by largest qualifying marlin
The first edition was small by any measure. Six teams competing for $10,000 was meaningful prize money in 1981 dollars but a fraction of what specialized fishing tournaments would offer in subsequent decades. What the first edition established was the format, the venue, and the relationships that would compound year after year. Word spread through the Southern California fleet. The 1982 edition grew. The 1983 edition grew again. Within a decade the tournament was the most anticipated billfish event on the West Coast.
The Bisbee family legacy
Bob Bisbee passed away after 58 years of marriage to his wife Aina. His enduring legacy is now managed by his son Wayne Bisbee, the current Tournament Director, who has overseen the tournament's expansion from a single event to a three-tournament series with annual cumulative payouts exceeding $20 million. The Bisbee family and staff has watched the Black and Blue evolve from a small marlin tournament into what Sports Illustrated hailed as the Super Bowl of Fishing.
The Three Bisbee's Tournaments
What started as a single tournament in 1981 has grown into a three-tournament series that runs from summer through fall. Together the three events form the most lucrative tournament circuit in sportfishing.
East Cape Offshore
The East Cape Offshore Tournament was added in 2000 to expand the Bisbee's footprint to the east side of the Baja California Sur peninsula. Held in Buenavista, the event includes marlin, dorado, and tuna categories. It now serves as the season opener for the Bisbee's circuit.
Added 2000Los Cabos Offshore
Added in 2002 due to popular demand, the Los Cabos Offshore is held in Cabo San Lucas in the days leading up to the Black and Blue. It uses the same multi-species format as the East Cape Offshore. Many teams use it as preparation for the main event.
Added 2002Black & Blue
The founding event and the crown jewel of the series. Held in Cabo San Lucas immediately after the Los Cabos Offshore. Focused exclusively on blue, black, and striped marlin. The largest purse, the highest stakes, and the most prestige in sportfishing.
Founded 1981The tournament calendar
The Bisbee's tournament season has settled into a predictable rhythm. The East Cape Offshore runs in early July in Buenavista. The Los Cabos Offshore runs in mid October in Cabo San Lucas. The Black and Blue runs the final week of October in Cabo San Lucas. Teams that fish all three events represent the deepest commitment in tournament sportfishing.
How the Tournament Works
The Bisbee's Black and Blue follows a tournament format that has been refined over four and a half decades. Understanding the entry structure, jackpot categories, and scoring rules is essential to understanding how the prize purses get to be so large.
Entry structure
- Base entry: $5,000 per team. This is the minimum to compete.
- Across-the-board entry: $70,000 to $131,500 depending on the year and number of jackpot categories offered. Top tournament teams typically pay the maximum to enter every category.
- Daily jackpots: $500 to $10,000 per category, optional. Categories include blue marlin, black marlin, tuna, and dorado on certain days.
- Team size: Up to six anglers per boat, with captain and mate not counted in the angler total.
The scoring system
- Three days of fishing. Tournament days are typically Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday with the awards ceremony Saturday.
- Weight categories. The largest blue marlin and the largest black marlin weighed during the tournament win the primary purses.
- Minimum size limits. Marlin under 300 pounds are typically penalized to discourage killing small fish that would not contribute to the conservation goals.
- Release category. Boats that release qualifying marlin (rather than weighing) compete for a separate release division based on time of release, with the fastest first-day release winning.
- Daily jackpots. Each day has its own pool for the largest fish of that day. Unclaimed daily jackpots roll over to the next day, creating massive single-day prizes.
The pari-mutuel reality
The prize money comes entirely from team entry fees and optional jackpot buy-ins. The tournament organization takes a fee but the vast majority of the purse goes back to winning teams. This makes the tournament a pari-mutuel system. Bigger fields with bigger buy-ins produce bigger payouts. The years with $11 million purses required entry totals of roughly that amount across 200+ teams. The years with $4 million payouts required smaller fields but high jackpot participation.
Timeline of the Biggest Payouts
For the first 22 years of the tournament, no single team had ever received a seven-figure check. That changed in 2003 and the pattern has continued ever since. Below is the chronological record of the most significant payouts in tournament history.
The Founding
Bob Bisbee organizes the first Black and Blue with 6 teams competing for a $10,000 purse. The event runs out of Cabo San Lucas in October. John Doughty drew up the initial rules.
The First Million Dollar Check
148 teams entered. Team Que Sera with angler Brady Bunte landed a 656 pound blue marlin and received the first seven-figure check in tournament history: $1,165,230. The threshold was broken. Every year afterwards would feature at least one million dollar payout.
The Largest Payout in Sportfishing History
Anthony Hsieh's Team Bad Company received $3,902,997 for their winning catch under Captains Steve Lassley and Pete Groesbeck. The six-angler crew included James Kingsmill, Keith O'Brien-Morton and Andy Horner. The overall purse that year was $4,165,960, the largest total tournament purse in the world at the time. This single-team payout would stand as the record for 17 years.
The 32nd Annual: Second Largest Payout
Team Frantic Pace claimed the second-largest single payout in tournament history at $2,396,800. The story was remarkable: angler Dave Sanchez had never caught a marlin before. The largest fish he had ever caught was a largemouth bass near his home in Kansas City. His 465-pound blue marlin was the only qualifying fish weighed during the entire tournament, sweeping every category that Frantic Pace had entered.
Tranquilo Joins the Million Dollar Club
Ken Cofer's Team Tranquilo received $2,511,462. The check became one of several seven-figure payouts of the era and reinforced the new normal of multi-million dollar tournament awards.
Chinito Bonito and the $4M Purse
Team Chinito Bonito took home $3,004,900, the second-highest payout in tournament history at the time. The full tournament purse settled at $4,038,625, second only to the 2006 record. Team 4 Yahoos won Day One with a 395-pound fish caught by Max Briggs, worth $645,425 in jackpot money.
The $11.6 Million Record Purse
The 42nd edition broke all tournament records. 219 teams competed, the largest field ever. The total purse reached $11,651,300, the largest prize money ever offered in any sportfishing tournament in history. Three teams received checks over $1 million totaling $7,387,925: Team El Mexicano $3.5M (Adrián Ponce de León, 461 lb blue marlin, last day), Team Happy Ending $2.5M (Dion Beckner, 449 lb blue marlin, 2 hour 22 minute fight), and Team R.V. Rentals $1.5M (Michael Ciardullo, 344 lb blue marlin aboard Vida Loca).
The New Single Team Record
The 43rd edition produced the largest single-team payout in tournament history. Team Stella June took home $3,906,550 for a 368 pound black marlin caught on Day One. This narrowly broke the 2006 Team Bad Company record by $4,000 after standing untouchable for 17 years.
The 44th Edition
174 teams and 1,200+ anglers competed for a $6,847,200 total purse. Team Crudo won the largest fish: a 634 pound black marlin earning $854,150. Team Stella June returned with a 439 pound black marlin worth $901,500. Team Sneak Attack took $800,000 for a 351 pound black marlin. 123 marlin were caught (108 blue + 15 black) with a release rate of 80%.
The 45th Annual: Magic Touch Dominates
October 22 to 25, 2025. 177 teams entered, a record participation level. Total purse $7,452,775. Team Magic Touch won approximately $2.44 million by landing a 459 pound blue marlin on the final day. The team had also taken a 344 pound backup blue on Day Two. All three top teams won $1.5 million or more. 123 marlin caught (113 blue + 10 black).
The 46th Edition
Scheduled October 19 to 24, 2026. Expectations point to another record participation level and potentially another record purse. Two of the last three editions have produced single-team payouts exceeding $2.4 million, suggesting the trend will continue.
2025: The 45th Annual Black and Blue
The 45th Annual Bisbee's Black and Blue Marlin Tournament ran from October 22 to 25, 2025 in Cabo San Lucas. The edition set new tournament participation records and produced one of the most decisive single-team victories in recent years.
Team Magic Touch Sweeps the Final Day
Team Magic Touch entered the 2025 tournament with serious credentials and the full across-the-board entry that gives teams the maximum payout potential. On Day Two, the team weighed a 344 pound blue marlin, putting them on the leaderboard. On the final day, they returned to the scales with a 459 pound blue marlin, securing the top position and approximately $2.44 million in combined jackpot money.
The 2025 edition produced 123 marlin caught: 113 blue marlin and 10 black marlin. The blue marlin numbers reflected the warm water conditions of the late October period that has historically defined the tournament. All three top teams received checks exceeding $1.5 million, continuing the trend of concentrated million-dollar payouts at the top of the leaderboard.
Key takeaways from 2025
- Participation continues to grow. 177 teams set a new record, surpassing previous editions and confirming that demand for the tournament has not plateaued.
- The fishery remains productive. 123 marlin landed over three days demonstrates that Cabo waters continue to support the species concentrations the tournament was built around.
- Million dollar payouts are now standard. The era of single team payouts in the $1.5 to $4 million range is no longer exceptional. It is the expected pattern at the top of the leaderboard.
- Cabo's infrastructure handles the scale. Hosting 177 boats, 1,200+ anglers, and tens of thousands of spectators demonstrates that the marina and surrounding city can accommodate the world's largest sportfishing event.
The Bisbee's Foundation and Catch and Release
A tournament built on landing and weighing marlin has an inherent tension with conservation. Bisbee's has addressed this tension by combining three pillars: aggressive release rate incentives within the tournament rules, donation of all kept fish to local communities, and a dedicated conservation fund that supports marine and wildlife protection across the region.
The 80 percent release rate
In 2024, 80 percent of the marlin hooked during the Bisbee's were released rather than weighed. This statistic reflects both the tournament rules (which include a dedicated release category with significant prize money) and the conservation ethos of the modern sportfishing fleet. Teams chasing the weight categories must decide whether each marlin they hook is likely to compete for the top weight purses. Most fish do not meet that threshold and are released.
Fish donation program
Every marlin weighed at the tournament scale is destined for community donation after the official weigh-in. The Bisbee's Foundation has long-standing partnerships with local orphanages and food assistance organizations across the Cabo region. The fish are processed and distributed to families in need, transforming the trophy weigh-in into a food security program for hundreds of local recipients each tournament week.
Bisbee's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fund
Separate from the tournament prize money, the Bisbee's Foundation operates a dedicated Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fund. The fund raises money annually to support marine and terrestrial conservation projects across the Baja region, with a particular focus on endangered species protection and habitat preservation. The fund has supported sea turtle protection programs, marine sanctuary monitoring, and research into pelagic species populations.
How to Experience the Tournament Without Fishing
Most visitors to Cabo during tournament week will not be competing on a $200,000 sportfishing yacht. They will be experiencing the tournament from the sidelines. This is a substantial experience in its own right. The Bisbee's weigh-ins have been compared by Sports Illustrated to a championship sporting event.
The weigh-in experience
Each tournament day, qualifying marlin are brought to the official scale at Puerto Paraíso Mall on the Cabo San Lucas marina. The weigh-in window typically runs from late afternoon through evening, with most fish arriving between 3pm and 7pm. Thousands of spectators line the marina each day to watch trophy fish hoisted onto the scale and to learn the running tournament standings. The atmosphere has been compared to a championship sporting event.
How to spectate
- Location: Puerto Paraíso Mall on the Cabo San Lucas marina, southern end.
- Time: Afternoon weigh-ins each tournament day (typically Wednesday, Thursday, Friday).
- Cost: Free. Public viewing area along the marina malecón.
- Best viewing: Arrive by 3pm to secure a position along the rail near the scale. Spectators stand three deep at the rail during peak weigh-in periods.
- Dress code: Casual. The setting is open-air, dockside, in Cabo's warm October weather.
The awards ceremony
The lavish awards celebration is held Saturday evening following the final fishing day. The event is invitation-based for competing teams and sponsors, but the spectacle of the weigh-ins themselves provides the public experience that has built the tournament's reputation. The atmosphere on the marina during tournament week is electric, with restaurants, bars, and boat charters all operating at peak capacity.
Booking a fishing trip during tournament week
For anglers who want to fish in Cabo during tournament week without competing in Bisbee's, private charters continue to operate normally throughout the week. Daliken Sportfishing runs private charters from Puerto Los Cabos Marina in San Jose del Cabo throughout October, including during the tournament dates. The proximity to the same productive offshore zones means non-tournament anglers can fish the same waters where the world's richest competition is being decided.
Glossary of Tournament Terms
- Across the board
- A team entry strategy where the team buys into every available jackpot category. The maximum entry investment but also the maximum payout potential.
- Awards ceremony
- The Saturday evening event following the final fishing day where prize checks are distributed to winning teams. Hosted by Tournament Director Wayne Bisbee.
- Bad Company
- The team owned by Anthony Hsieh that won the 2006 Black and Blue with the largest single team payout in sportfishing history at $3,902,997. Captained by Steve Lassley and Pete Groesbeck.
- Balboa Island
- The Southern California location of Bob Bisbee's original bait and tackle shop and fuel dock, where the 1981 tournament was conceived.
- Bisbee's Foundation
- The charitable arm of the Bisbee's tournament organization. Operates fish donation programs and the Bisbee's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fund.
- Black & Blue
- The flagship Bisbee's tournament held annually in late October in Cabo San Lucas. Founded 1981. Focused on blue, black, and striped marlin.
- Bob Bisbee
- The founder of the tournament. Operated a tackle shop and fuel dock at Newport Bay. Passed away after 58 years of marriage to his wife Aina. Father of current Tournament Director Wayne Bisbee.
- CatchStat
- The scoring system used by the tournament. Managed by David Garcia, who oversees the official scoring for every weigh-in.
- Daily jackpot
- An optional buy-in pool for the largest fish of each tournament day. Unclaimed daily jackpots roll over to the next day, creating opportunities for massive single-day payouts.
- East Cape Offshore
- The Bisbee's tournament held annually in Buenavista on the East Cape of Baja California Sur. Added in 2000. Held in July as the season opener.
- Luis Coppola
- Former United States Air Force pilot and owner of the Hotel Finisterra in Cabo. Met with Bob Bisbee at the Newport Bay fuel dock in summer 1981 to propose the tournament that became the Black and Blue.
- Los Cabos Offshore
- The Bisbee's tournament held in mid October in Cabo San Lucas, immediately preceding the Black and Blue. Added in 2002.
- Magic Touch
- The team that won the 2025 Black and Blue with a 459 pound blue marlin worth approximately $2.44 million.
- Pari-mutuel
- The economic structure of the tournament where the prize purse comes entirely from team entry fees and jackpot buy-ins, not from external sponsors. Bigger fields produce bigger purses.
- Puerto Paraíso
- The mall and entertainment plaza on the Cabo San Lucas marina where the official tournament weigh-ins take place.
- Release category
- The tournament division for boats that release qualifying marlin rather than weighing. Scored by time of release. Conservation-aligned alternative to the weight categories.
- Stella June
- The team that set the all-time single team payout record at the 2023 Black and Blue with $3,906,550 for a 368 pound black marlin.
- Tournament Director
- The chief operating role of the tournament. Currently held by Wayne Bisbee, son of founder Bob Bisbee.
- Wayne Bisbee
- The current Tournament Director and son of founder Bob Bisbee. Oversees the entire three-tournament Bisbee's series.
- Weigh-in
- The public process of bringing qualifying marlin to the official tournament scale at Puerto Paraíso. Open to spectators each tournament afternoon.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Bisbee's Black and Blue tournament?
Who founded the Bisbee's tournament?
How much money does Bisbee's pay out?
When does the Bisbee's tournament happen?
How much does it cost to enter the Bisbee's?
What is the largest single payout in Bisbee's history?
Can you watch the Bisbee's tournament as a spectator?
Where does the prize money come from?
Can I fish in Cabo during tournament week without competing?
What happens to the fish weighed at the tournament?
References
- Marlin Magazine. The Bisbee's Black and Blue: A Comprehensive History. Detailed founding story, Wayne Bisbee interview, payout records.
- Bisbee's Tournaments Official Site. News and Tournament Results Archive. bisbees.com
- Mexico News Daily. Bisbee's Black & Blue Annual Fishing Tournament Offered Record US$11.5 Million in Prizes. 2022 tournament coverage.
- BD Outdoors. Frantic Pace Wins $2,396,800 in Bisbee Black and Blue. 2012 tournament coverage and tournament history.
- Cabo Villas Blog. 32nd Annual Bisbee's Black & Blue Fishing Prize. Frantic Pace and Dave Sanchez story documentation.
- Galati Yachts. 2026 Bisbee's Black & Blue Tournament. Founding story and tournament dates.
- Cactus Tours. Bisbee's Black and Blue Fishing Tournament in Cabo. 2025 tournament results, 45th annual edition documentation.
- Escape to Cabo. All You Need to Know About Bisbee's Black and Blue Tournament. 2024 tournament participation and payout figures.
- Florida Sport Fishing Magazine. Bisbee's Black & Blue Tournament: Cabo's Legendary Super Bowl of Sportfishing. Spectator experience and Newport Bay history.
- Bisbee's Tournament Documentation. Tournament Article 67 and 151. Direct tournament records of 2018 and 2022 editions.
- Hacienda Cabo Resort. Bisbee Black and Blue Marlin Tournament Overview. Entry fees and historical payout context.
- Karla Erick Cabo Realty. Bisbee's Black & Blue: Cabo's Must-See Fishing Tournament. Modern tournament context and prize structure.
- Sports Illustrated. Coverage of the Bisbee's Black and Blue. The "Super Bowl of Fishing" designation.
Fish Cabo During Tournament Week
Daliken Sportfishing runs private charters from Puerto Los Cabos Marina throughout October, including during the Bisbee's tournament dates. Fish the same productive offshore zones where the world's richest sportfishing competition is being decided.