BIG GAME FISHING: WHERE IS TERRY? BisbeeTournament 1999

The third week in October we once again trekked down to Cabo San Lucas for the famed Bisbee’s Black and Blue Jackpot Marlin Tournament. This year’s competition was the largest and richest ever. There were 239 boats with 979 anglers entered and the daily jackpots were nearly $350,000 with a grand total of $2.3 million in prize money! Little wonder we can’t keep away from this tournament.

Usual team members include Richard Richardson and Richard Stanfield from Houston and myself. Newcomer Alex Phan, also from Houston rounded out the team. Larry Walker from Dallas was supposed to be with us but had a last minute major business deal that precluded his coming. We had leased a house up in the Pedregal and rented a van to carry all of our tackle and equipment. We fished with Captain Jay Busch on the Stimulator, an older but well maintained 46-foot Bertram. We were forced to change boats this year since the owners of the Salsa had decided to fish the tournament themselves making the boat unavailable.

I had again brought all of my gear since the Cabo boats are not routinely equipped with 130# tackle. I use Stealth Rodworks custom 130# bent-butt sticks and Duel 2-speed 12-0 wide reels. Four sets of these coupled with my lures, hook-sets, rigging kit, flying gaff, tag sticks, and live-bait rigs, and of course clothes once again put me well over-weight for my luggage. The extra fee was well worth the price so that we could be adequately equipped.

The first day was somewhat successful as I did release a small blue of about 200 pounds. It didn’t win us any money though. We fished the Sea of Cortez side starting at the Jaime bank and then working our way toward the Gorda bank. The winning fish of the day, a 597-pound blue marlin taken by Chuck Ballensky on the “Big T’s,” was caught near us late that morning.

The second day we fished the Pacific side as there had been a great deal of bait and tuna seen there the first day. We fished hard all day but had no activity. Once again the winning fish of the day was caught a hundred yards from us late in the afternoon. This was a 478-pound blue caught by Bill Patton aboard “Minerva II.” Close but no cigar!

The final tournament day we again went eastward and up the coast toward San Jose del Cabo. We fished the inner and outer Gorda banks and pushed up close to Punta Frailes. We had a strike from a blue of about 300 pounds but he didn’t find the hook. We went away empty handed again. Just like the previous 2 days though the winning fish was taken just above us at Frailes that afternoon. The 596.5 pound blue marlin was wrestled to the boat by angler Mike Mullen. The fish earned the “Chupacabra” team from Texas a cool $685,475. Not bad for an afternoon’s work!

We didn’t win any of the $2.3 million that was available for the taking. But as usual we had a grand time and had a chance to get into the money. Captain Jay had chosen the right locations to fish each day, but we were just not at the right place at quite the right time. Having a chance to win that much money with a single fish is a bit hypnotic if not addicting and there is little question we will be back again next year to give it another try.


View from the Pedregal	Chuck Ballensky & winning 597# blue marlin

George Vink & 468# blue from day 2	"Chupacabra" team & 596.5# blue from day 3


Day1: Bimini start of 239 boats	Day 2: Boats leave for fishing grounds	Day 3: Last chance

Bisbee Black and Blue Marlin Jackpot Tournament 1999