It’s fishing time! The Bisbee’s Black and Blue Tournament begins on October 25th, attracting fishing aficionados from all over the world. These are some fun facts about the richest fishing tournament in the world:
1.No cheating
As Bisbee’s grows, so does the prize pool; every year more and more people come to Los Cabos to take home checks worth millions of dollars. This gave place to muttering, rumors and fingers being pointed accusing multiple people of cheating their way into one of the top prizes.
Once these accusations reached the ears of Wayne Bisbee (Person in charge of Bisbee’s Black and Blue) he decided to put a stop to it.
For many years now Bisbee’s has counted with a professional marine biologist to check the integrity of the catch as well as a the best polygraph testers, who interview part of the crew of every winning team.
Read about Wayne Bisbee and the Land of Abundance
2.Just 15 minutes late
Imagine yourself as the captain of a ship during the big competition, and having the winning fish in your hands at the final moments of the last day of the event, you look at your watch and you know you can make it, you just gotta step on in and trust that the boat can make the trip. But then, you look at the owner of the boat, telling you in a cold tone “Don’t push it, I don’t want you to ruin my engine”
You explain to him that you don’t have time to be cautious but he doesn’t listen. You see the shore getting closer as the last seconds of the competition go by. When you finally reach land you see if you can do anything, but the rules are clear, you are 15 minutes too late.
This is one of the most soul crushing anecdotes from Bisbee’s, and it sadly ends with a captain crying as he knows he could have won the big prize. It reminds us of all the feelings and emotions carried in every boat, of the crews that make them move, and the will that keeps them in the battle.
3.The record that still stands
The oldest standing record from Bisbee’s Black and Blue is one that may never be broken. The 993 lb blue marlin caught by Team Picante in 1994 is not only the biggest ever caught during the four decade history of the “world’s richest fishing tournament”, it’s one of the largest ever caught in Cabo San Lucas.
This year also marks the first and last time Bisbee´s has awarded a fishing boat as its main prize, becoming an unusual origin story for Team Picante’s sport fishing fleet, one of the premier fleets of Cabo San Lucas, and one that may have never have existed if not for this historic catch.
4.You never know who is fishing
A tournament of this size is bound to catch the attention of many high profile personalities, national and international celebrities have found themselves soaring Los Cabos’ waters after the starting shot launches them into competition.
Yet this is never in the news and most people would be surprised to know their names, Bisbee’s has managed to keep the attention of the public, leaving these figures out of the spotlight, creating a sense of professionalism and confidentiality that few events can recreate.
5.Women Pads, indispensable for any Captain
What would you expect to see inside a boat competing in Bisbee’s Black and Blue? Among excited anglers trying to get the winning fish, you probably expect the usual equipment required for a trip of this nature; life jackets, fishing rods, women pads, etc. Yes, you read that right.
Because of how easy they are to carry and use, they are one of the best options to control oil leaks that may occur during the journey, making them essential in every captain’s tool box.
With captains buying them by the bulk one has to wonder if the companies that produce them will ever announce to this unexpectedly growing market.
