Bisbee's Black & Blue Marlin Tournament Sets New World Record
with Prize Payout of Over $4.1 Million!
Top Team Wins Largest Individual Payout
in Sportfishing History
Newport Beach, California and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, October 31, 2006 — 2006 event sets new record for area tournaments. Presented by Snell Real Estate and Platinum Capital International
The 26th Annual Bisbee's Black & Blue Marlin Tournament, which took place in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico October 24-28, shattered its own 2005 World Record payout amount of $3.3 million by awarding a total of $4,165,960.00 in prize money for what turned out to be a two-day tournament for the 183 registered teams.
Several days before the tournament hurricane Paul zigged in the Pacific Ocean and headed straight for the Baja Peninsula. The Bisbee's tournament organizers were faced with the very real fact that a hurricane was on a collision course for the city and scheduled to arrive on the day of Registration. As the threat increased the Port Captain closed the port of Cabo San Lucas to all boating traffic for an undetermined amount of time.
At the last minute the hurricane took another change in course and ended up passing south of the peninsula. Although the day was stormy, tournament registration and the opening ceremonies took place as scheduled with all of the traditional Bisbee flair, thanks in part to the management at Puerto Paraiso who let us move inside the mall. However, the first of the three scheduled fishing days was canceled.
During the night the hurricane began to dissipate and made an easterly turn. The Port Captain reopened the port on the afternoon of the 25th and the tournament had a green light for the last two scheduled days of fishing.
With the tournament now being a two day event versus its normal three, all of the daily jackpot prize money for the three days was recalculated for an even split between the two days. This meant that the long awaited "million dollar daily", a milestone that was reached on registration day, was now an incredible $1.72 million per day!
On the morning of October 26th, 183 teams from all 50 states and nine countries lined up for the legendary "shot-gun" start. Narciso Agundez Montaño, the Governor of Baja California Sur, shot off the flare at 8:00am and the 2006 Black & Blue was underway.
Eighty billfish were released the first day, but only one qualifying marlin came to the scales. Angler Randy Parker of Kona, Hawaii fishing aboard the 55 ft. Hatteras Bad Company 55 captured a 361 lb. blue marlin and took all of the first day's jackpots.
Day two saw 67 billfish released and two qualifying fish. First to the scale was a 301 lb. blue marlin onboard the 61 ft. Viking Yacht Retriever with Cabo local Tony Araiza as the angler. The second blue weighed in at 422 lbs. and, incredibly, was captured by the Bad Company 55 team. Pete Groesbeck was the angler.
When all was said and done Bad Company 55, with legendary west coast captain Steve Lassley, swept all of the daily jackpots for $3,452,760.00 plus an additional $450,237.50 as the top overall team for a grand total of $3,902,997.50. Coming in as the second place team Retriever, with captain Dan Loros, earned $110,862.50.
In the Capella Pedregal Release Division, the top team was the Guerita II with 900 points (two blue marlin and one striped marlin). They received $98,865.00. Second place was worth $34,222.50 and went to Lady Holly with 700 points (one blue marlin, two striped marlin and one sailfish). Third place was won by Knock on Wood who released one blue marlin and two sailfish for 600 points which earned the team $19,012.50.
