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The 45th Bisbee’s Black & Blue Marlin Tournament, presented by HDI Marine, marked another defining chapter in the long-running relationship between sportfishing and Cabo San Lucas. Often described as the richest tournament in the world, this year’s edition gathered 177 teams competing for a total purse of US$7,452,775, reaffirming both the event’s global reach and its enduring local character.
The Black & Blue’s continued success is not simply a matter of record-breaking purses or international participation. Its endurance has become a form of identity, a reflection of Cabo’s ability to evolve while preserving the character that first drew attention to these waters more than four decades ago. What began in the early 1980s as a modest competition has grown into an institution that mirrors the development of Los Cabos itself, from a small fishing town to a world-class destination.
Results and Highlights
Three teams secured the tournament’s leading prizes, each surpassing the million-dollar mark. Magic Touch earned top honors with a 459-pound blue marlin on the final day, supported by a 344-pound fish from Day Two, and collected US$2,440,850 in total winnings. Rising Sons/Magnifico followed closely with a 457-pound blue marlin, earning US$2,588,675, while Another Line took third place and US$1,742,400 with a 389-pound blue.
In the release divisions, designed to encourage sustainable practices by avoiding the harvest of smaller marlin, El Suertudo, Meshuga Fish, and Buojie each received US$226,950. Across all entries, the fleet logged 10 black marlin and 113 blue marlin in the release categories. It is an outcome that highlights both the productivity of Cabo’s waters and the growing emphasis on responsible fishing standards within large-scale tournaments.
Legacy and Continuity
At the awards ceremony, Wayne Bisbee reflected on this legacy, acknowledging both the achievement of the present and the presence of the past.
“This is an awesome way to celebrate our 45th anniversary, with three teams winning well over a million dollars each,” Bisbee said. “I wish our dad, Bob Bisbee, were still here to see it. But his legacy continues to live on. I’d like to congratulate our winners and thank all our teams for fishing with us again this season, our wonderful sponsors, and our great staff for pulling it off.”
The comment encapsulated the dual nature of the Black & Blue: a celebration of continuity as much as competition. Each year’s edition builds on the foundation established by Bob Bisbee in 1980, maintaining the blend of structure, sportsmanship, and scale that has come to define the event.
As Wayne Bisbee noted, the organization now looks toward new waters with the upcoming Bisbee’s Costa Rica Offshore, set for April 2026 at Marina Pez Vela. The event will follow a total-release format while extending the Bisbee’s model of competition to a broader Pacific stage.