While all efforts are made to keep this information current, all rules and awards published on this website shall be considered unofficial. Official rules and awards will be distributed and announced at the registration check-in and captains meeting. The Los Cabos Billfish Tournament is a three-day team event with top team honors going to the team that tallies the most billfish points. The tournament pays down to third place (first, second and third). Optional billfish, tuna, wahoo and dorado jackpots will also award cash and prizes.
2023 Los Cabos Billfish Tournament Unofficial Prizes and Awards
Entry Fees
The tournament has an Early Bird drawing. The winner of the drawing gets a free entry to the following year’s tournament. To be eligible your paid entry (base entry only) must be received by September 25. The free entry is good for the following year only and is non-transferable.
The Los Cabos Billfish Tournament offers two different options to participate. You may enter in one or both to participate in the tournament.
[1] Los Cabos Billfish Tournament Base Entry – The base entry fee is $5,000 per team, which covers the participation of all registered anglers and allows your team to enter any of the optional weighed Marlin Jackpots, Tuna/Wahoo/Dorado Jackpot, Overall Billfish Release Points Jackpot and Daily Billfish Release Jackpot.
[2] Tuna/Wahoo/Dorado Daily “TWD” Jackpot Entry – The tournament allows teams that do not want to enter in the Base Entry the option to enter in the Tuna/Wahoo/Dorado Daily Jackpot only for $1,500 plus $200 per registered angler.
Note: The $200 angler fee is included in the $5,000 base entry fee. Teams not in the base entry that register for only the TWD are subject to a one-time $200 angler fee whether they are registered for one or both divisions. For example if a four angler team is registered for only the Tuna/Wahoo/Dorado Jackpot entry, the total fee would be $2,300. All-in entry fee is $30,500.
TEAM DIVISION
The tournament base-entry fee is $5,000; prize money will be disbursed accordingly:
40% goes to the tournament.
60% goes to the top three team-point leaders scoring 1.5 points per pound for marlin at or exceeding the 300-pound minimum weights for blue and black marlin, 300-points for blue and black marlin releases, and 25-points for striped marlin, sailfish and spearfish releases. In the event of a tie the team reaching the highest score fist wins with the other team assuming the next award position. This is based on the time of release and boated time of billfish.
– First Place Team: 50%
– Second Place Team: 30%
– Third Place Team: 20%
OPTIONAL MARLIN JACKPOT DIVISIONS
All optional jackpot divisions are 90% payback. The tournament rules apply to all optional jackpots. Only teams entered in the $5,000 base entry may enter the optional Daily Marlin Jackpots, Largest Marlin Jackpots, Daily Billfish Release Jackpot and Overall Billfish Release Points Jackpot. Only teams entered in the optional jackpots are eligible for jackpot cash and prizes.
DAILY MARLIN JACKPOT
Teams must be entered in the $5,000 base entry to enter the Daily Marlin Jackpots; entry is optional and consists of four different levels of participation. You must be entered in the lower levels to participate in the next higher level. For example: In order to enter Level 3, you must be entered in Levels 1 and 2. Jackpot entry fee includes all three days of fishing. For example: $1,000 enters the team in all three dailies at Level 1.
Entry Fee Level 1 – $1,000
Entry Fee Level 2 – $2,000
Entry Fee Level 3 – $3,000
Entry Fee Level 4 – $4,000
The Daily Marlin-Jackpot awards go to the largest marlin (by weight) of the eligible species that meets the minimum-weight requirements caught each day. The Daily Marlin Jackpot prize will consist of one-third of the jackpot from each level. If no fish that reach the minimum weights on an individual day are weighed, the jackpot will roll over to the next day’s fishing. If on the final day of fishing, no fish that meet the minimum weight limits are caught, then the final day’s jackpot money will split evenly and go to the previous day’s winner(s). In the event of a tie, the Daily Marlin Jackpot will be split evenly. In the event that no teams in the Daily Marlin Jackpot catch a qualifying fish, the Daily Marlin Jackpot entry will be returned less a 10% fee. Only teams registered in the Daily Marlin Jackpots are eligible for cash prizes.
LARGEST MARLIN JACKPOTS (First 50%, Second 30%, Third 20%)
Level I Entry Fee – $3,000
Level II Entry Fee – $5,000 must be entered in Level I
Teams must be entered in the $5,000 base entry to enter the Largest Marlin Jackpots. The jackpot prize will be awarded to the team(s) that catch the three largest marlin in the tournament over the three days of fishing and will be awarded accordingly, 50% largest, 30% second largest and 20% third largest. In the event of a tie, the award earned and the next lower level will be split evenly. For example, if two teams entered in the Largest Marlin Jackpots catch the largest marlin of equal weight they will split the first and second largest marlin award evenly with the next largest marlin earning third place awards. If only one team in the Largest Marlin Jackpots catch a qualifying fish they will win the first, second and third place awards. If only two teams in the Largest Marlin Jackpot catch a qualifying fish they will split the third place award evenly. If no teams catch a qualifying marlin in the Largest Marlin Jackpots, the entry will be returned less a 10% fee. Only teams registered in the Largest Marlin Jackpot Levels I & II are eligible for cash and prizes.
DAILY BILLFISH-RELEASE JACKPOT – “DBR”
Entry Fee – $3,000
The Daily Billfish Release Jackpot will go to the team that scores the most billfish release points during each day of fishing. Eligible species are sailfish, spearfish, and blue, black and striped marlin. The pot will be divided three ways among the boats that score the most billfish release points on Day One, Day Two and Day Three. Ties between boats scoring the same number of release points will go to the boat that scores the most number of release points first. For example: If two boats score 500 points on Day One, the boat that achieved the points first will win the Daily Billfish Release jackpot. If, on the final day of fishing, no fish are released, then the final day’s jackpot money will go to the previous day’s winner(s). If no Daily Billfish Release Jackpot teams release a fish, the release-jackpot entry will be returned less a 10% fee. Only teams registered in the Daily Billfish Release Jackpot are eligible for cash and prizes.
Overall Billfish Release Points Jackpot (First 50%, Second 30%, Third 20%)
Entry Fee – $3,000
The Overall Billfish Release Points Jackpot will be awarded to the top three teams with the most overall billfish release points of the tournament over the three days of fishing and will be awarded accordingly; First place 50%, Second Place 30%, Third Place 20%. In the event of a tie the team reaching the highest score fist wins with the other team assuming the next award position. This is based on the time of release. Only teams registered in the Overall Billfish Release Points Jackpot will be eligible for these cash awards. If no Overall Billfish Release Points Jackpot teams release a fish, the release-jackpot entry will be returned less a 10% fee. Only teams registered in the Overall Billfish Release Points Jackpot are eligible for cash and prizes.
(TUNA, WAHOO, DORADO) DAILY JACKPOT – TWD
Entry Fee – $1,500
The Tuna/Wahoo/Dorado Daily Jackpot is divided three ways among the boat or boats that each catch the largest of the following categories of fish: (I) yellowfin or big eye tuna, (II) wahoo and (III) dorado on each of the three days of the tournament. In the event of a tie in a particular category, the portion of the jackpot for that category will be split evenly among the winners. If no fish that reach the minimum weight are caught within one or more of the three categories on an individual day, the jackpot for that category of fish will roll over to the next day’s fishing. If, on the final day of fishing, no fish that exceed the minimum weight limits are caught, the final day’s jackpot for that category will go to the previous day’s winner(s). In the event that no fish in a certain category are caught during the tournament, the jackpot for that category will roll over to the other species and be divided among all winners. For example: If no wahoo exceeding 25 pounds are caught during the tournament, the full Wahoo Jackpot will roll over and be split amongst the tournament’s Tuna and Dorado Jackpot winners. Only teams registered in the Tuna/Wahoo/Dorado Daily Jackpot are eligible for cash prizes. If no Daily Tuna/Wahoo/Dorado Jackpot teams catch a fish, the Tuna/Wahoo/Dorado entry will be returned less a 10% fee.
The total all-in cost for entering the base entry, all optional weighed marlin jackpots, tuna/wahoo/dorado jackpot, overall billfish release point’s jackpot and daily billfish release jackpot is $30,500
PRIZE DISBURSEMENT
Any team receiving cash awards must fill out a prize-disbursement form prior to receiving any funds or prizes. The registered “Team Representative” listed on the Entry Form is in control of any winnings and must sign the prize-disbursement form. We are required by Mexican law to withhold city, state and federal taxes from tournament winnings. The amount of taxes can change from year to year, but is currently 15%. Each participant agrees to submit to a polygraph examination at a time and location as determined by the Tournament management, and at the discretion of Tournament management, following the end of the competition. Failure to successfully pass such an examination may result in a test of a second team member; in the event of failure by the second team member, the team shall be disqualified. Decisions of the tournament organizers are final, nonappealable and nonjusticiable.
