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 8, 2024. 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] Billfish Category Base Entry (45% Take, Split 50/30/20) – The billfish base entry fee is $5,000 per team. This base entry fee covers the participation of all registered anglers and allows your team to enter any of the Optional Marlin Jackpot categories, the TWD Jackpot categories and the Billfish Release Jackpots.
Prize money will be disbursed accordingly: 45% goes to the tournament, 55% 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 first wins with the other team assuming the next award position. This is based on the time of release and boated time of billfish.
[2] TWD Heaviest Gamefish Category Base Entry (20% Take, Split 50/30/20) – The TWD base entry fee is $2,500, and applies to tuna, wahoo, and dorado. This TWD entry fee covers participation of all registered anglers and allows your team to enter the Optional TWD Daily Jackpot. Teams registered only in the TWD category receive a team captain’s bag, 6 tournament angler shirts, 6 tournament angler hats and 6 tickets to all planned entertainment and social activities. The TWD Heaviest Gamefish Division/Jackpot prize will be awarded to the team(s) that weigh the three heaviest gamefish in the tournament over the three days of fishing and will be awarded accordingly: 50% largest, 30% second largest and 20% third largest. Eligible species of gamefish include yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna, wahoo, and dorado.
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 TWD Team Division Jackpot catch the largest gamefish of equal weight, they will split the first and second largest gamefish award evenly, and the next largest gamefish will earn third place. If only one team in the TWD Heaviest Gamefish Division/Jackpot catches a qualifying fish, they will win the first, second and third place awards. If only two teams in the TWD Heaviest Gamefish Division/Jackpot weigh a qualifying fish, they will split the third place award evenly. If no teams weigh a qualifying gamefish in the TWD Heaviest Gamefish Division/Jackpot, the entry will be returned less a 20% fee. Only teams registered in the TWD Team Division/Jackpot are eligible for cash prizes.
The tournament committee reserves the right to deny entry of any individual, organization or
corporation. The total all-in cost for entering the base entry, all optional weighed marlin jackpots,
tuna/wahoo/dorado base entry, tuna/wahoo/dorado daily optional, overall billfish release point’s
jackpot, and daily billfish release jackpot is $49,000.
OPTIONAL MARLIN JACKPOT DIVISIONS
All optional jackpot divisions are 88% 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.
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 onethird 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 12% fee. Only teams registered in the Daily Marlin Jackpots are eligible for cash prizes.
LARGEST MARLIN JACKPOTS (First 50%, Second 30%, Third 20%)
Level 1 Entry Fee – $3,000
Level 2 Entry Fee – $5,000
Teams must be entered in the $5,000 base entry to enter the Largest Marlin Jackpots. Entry in the
Largest Marlin Jackpot is optional and consists of two different levels of participation. You must be
entered in level one to participate in level two. 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, and the next largest marlin will win third place. 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 12% fee. Only teams registered in the Largest Marlin Jackpot Levels 1 and 2 are eligible for cash and prizes.
DAILY BILLFISH-RELEASE JACKPOT – “DBR”
Level 1 Entry Fee – $3,000
Level 2 Entry Fee – $5000
Teams must be entered in the $5,000 base entry to enter the Daily Billfish Release Jackpots. Entry in the Largest Marlin Jackpot is optional and consists of two different levels of participation. You must be entered in level one to participate in level two. 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 12% fee. Only teams registered in the Daily Billfish Release Jackpot are eligible for cash and prizes.
OVERALL BILLFISH RELEASE POINTS JACKPOT
Level 1 Entry Fee – $3,000
Level 2 Entry Fee – $5000
Teams must be entered in the $5,000 base entry to enter the Overall Billfish Release Points Jackpots. Entry in the Largest Marlin Jackpot is optional and consists of two different levels of participation. You must be entered in level one to participate in level two. 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 first 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 12% fee. Only teams registered in the Overall Billfish Release Points Jackpot are eligible for cash and prizes.
Winner-Take-All Largest Marlin Jackpot
Entry Fee – $6000
The fee to enter into the Winner-Take-All Largest Marlin Jackpot is $6,000 and is optional. The team that catches the largest marlin at or over the 300-pound minimum weight will win the entire jackpot. In the event that no teams in the Winner-Take-All Largest Marlin Jackpot catch a qualifying fish, the Winner-Take-All Largest Marlin Jackpot entry will be returned less a 12% fee. Only teams registered in the Winner-Take-All Largest Marlin Jackpot are eligible for cash prizes.
TWD (TUNA, WAHOO, DORADO) DAILY JACKPOT (12% TAKE, 3-WAY SPLIT)
Entry Fee – $1,500
The Tuna/Wahoo/Dorado Daily Jackpot is divided three ways among the boat or boats that catch the
heaviest gamefish for tournament fishing day 1, day 2, and day 3, and will be awarded accordingly: 30% largest gamefish on day 1, 30% largest gamefish on day 2, and 30% largest gamefish on day 3. Eligible species of gamefish include yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna, wahoo, and dorado. In the event of a tie on a particular day, the portion of the jackpot for that day will be split evenly among the teams who tied. If no fish that reach the minimum weight are caught on an individual day, the jackpot for that day will roll over to the next day’s fishing. If, on the final day of fishing, no gamefish that exceed the minimum weight limits are caught, the final day’s jackpot will go to the previous day’s winner(s). Only teams registered in the TWD Daily Jackpot are eligible for cash prizes. If no Daily TWD Jackpot teams catch a fish, the cash amount will be returned less a 12% fee.
The total all-in cost for entering the base entry, all optional weighed marlin jackpots, tuna/wahoo/dorado jackpots, overall billfish release points jackpot, and daily billfish release jackpot is $49,000.
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.
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