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Situated at the southern end of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, where the high-mountain desert meets the Pacific, exists a renowned big-game fishing locale unlike any other in the world. Every year, the remote coastal town of Cabo San Lucas comes alive for the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament (LCBT), which marks the start of Cabo’s electric billfish tournament season.
Over the past several years, the early dates of the LCBT have coincided with an incredibly hot bite, and the 2024 tournament was no different. The fleet of 36 teams and 316 participants caught a total of 174 striped marlin, 19 blue marlin, 11 sailfish, seven black marlin, 14 wahoo, nine tuna and two dorado. All but four billfish were released. This year’s LCBT took place from October 8-12 and awarded a total purse of $767,070.
Overtime, captained by Brett Eller, led the fleet in releases with 22 striped marlin, four blue marlin and one sailfish to bring home the first-place trophy, top captain’s trophy, a check for $45,375, and an invitation to compete in the esteemed 2025 Costa Offshore World Championship in Quepos, Costa Rica, among other prizes.
Securing the second-place award and a check for $100,558, The Daddy Rabbit, captained by Angel Sandez, released 40 striped marlin and two blue marlin. Third place and a check for $73,883 was awarded to El Suertudo, captained by Greg DiStefano, for releasing 29 striped marlin, seven sailfish and two blue marlin.
Three black marlin and one blue marlin were weighed during the tournament, the largest being a 539-pound black marlin weighed by angler Ivan VanOrtwick aboard Stella June, earning them the largest jackpot payout in the tournament at $235,533.
The second-largest marlin weighed in at 512 pounds and was caught by team Sneak Attack. The big black earned them a $113,761 payout. The third-largest marlin was caught by team Dave’s Auto Center, who received $21,771 for their 340-pound black marlin.
The Heaviest Gamefish Category was won by Will 2 Win 2 with a 123.7-pound yellowfin tuna caught by angler Jeremy Willer. Other teams who made the stage to take home cash and prizes included:
- Never Say Never – $57,494 for Day 2 Daily Marlin Jackpots Levels 2, 3, & 4
- When I Shaka You, You Shaka Me Back – $29,333 for Day 2 Daily Billfish Release Jackpots Level 1 & 2
- Caboregio – $22,320 for 2nd Heaviest Gamefish and Day 3 Gamefish Daily
- Meshuga Fish – $17,600 for 3rd Overall Release Jackpots Levels 1 & 2
- Williams Brothers – $7,920 for Day 2 Gamefish Daily
The awards dinner took place on the picturesque beachfront terrace at the lovely Playa Grande Resort, where participants took in the sunset while enjoying a full mariachi band, a four-course dinner featuring filet and lobster, and a fun-filled tournament awards ceremony.
“I’d like to extend a big ‘thank you’ to all tournament participants and sponsors for the energy, dedication and sportsmanship that you brought to the tournament this year,” said Jennifer Dudas, tournament director, while addressing the crowd at the awards ceremony. “You bring this competition to life and make this tournament something truly special. We can’t wait to see you again next year!”
The 2025 Los Cabos Billfish Tournament will take place from October 14-18, 2025. For more information, please visit: Los Cabos Billfish Tournament.
