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For the second consecutive year, Mother Nature threatened to steal the show at the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament. Fortunately, the 28 teams competing in the 28th annual event managed to find a window between hurricanes, making the most of three days of fishing and producing 102 catches, including 89 billfish, with $460,360 in tournament prize money up for grabs.
Held Oct. 7-11, 2026, in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, the tournament once again proved that a little adversity is no match for the unmistakable energy that makes Cabo one of the world’s great sportfishing destinations.
Across the tournament’s three fishing days, Oct. 8-10, teams recorded six blue marlin, 46 striped marlin and 37 sailfish, along with 11 tuna and two wahoo. No qualifying marlin were weighed, putting the spotlight squarely on the billfish-release leaderboard and gamefish jackpots. For a fleet that had spent considerable time watching the weather, getting three full days of competition was a small victory in itself.
When the final release videos were reviewed and the scores tallied, it was Capt. Kim Manning and the crew aboard Magic Touch who emerged victorious. The team released two blue marlin, one striped marlin and one sailfish to accumulate 650 points, capturing the overall championship and $112,625 in winnings. The victory adds another impressive accomplishment to the team’s résumé, which includes a runner-up finish at this tournament in 2025, a victory in the 2026 Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore Tournament and a multimillion-dollar triumph at the 2025 Bisbee’s Black & Blue.
Behind Magic Touch, the competition was considerably tighter. Right Rigger and Big OH both finished with 425 points, with Right Rigger claiming second place on time and earning $9,945. Big OH secured third overall, collecting $14,280. Suerchingo followed in fourth with 375 points, while defending champion Overtime and True Grit each finished with 325. Although Overtime couldn’t repeat its 2025 overall victory, the team enjoyed another productive tournament, collecting $28,050 in jackpot winnings. True Grit added $2,380 to its tally, and the results reflected just how competitive the release categories remained throughout the event.
The gamefish divisions provided their own share of excitement. Sniper made a particularly strong showing at the scales, with angler Alan Dominguez landing the tournament’s largest tuna at 95.4 pounds, followed by teammate Tracy Adams with an 85.3-pounder. Dominguez also weighed a 36.6-pound wahoo, helping the team collect $28,390 in winnings. Meanwhile, Meat Dealers claimed the heaviest wahoo honors with a 57.7-pound fish caught by Roberto Amaro Sanchez, earning $6,630. Northstar also enjoyed success in the tuna division, highlighted by an 80-pound fish landed by Juan Guillermo Amando. With no dorado brought to the scales, the tuna and wahoo categories carried the gamefish action.
Of course, the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament has always been about much more than the competition itself. From the restaurants and nightlife around the marina to the camaraderie at the host resort, the atmosphere remained upbeat throughout the week. Playa Grande Resort & Grand Spa, part of Solmar Hotels & Resorts, once again served as tournament headquarters, providing a spectacular setting for the kickoff festivities and the beachfront awards celebration.
This year’s event was directed by Bert Merritt, a longtime tournament professional with extensive experience managing the renowned Bisbee’s tournament series and other major competitive fishing events. His leadership helped guide the event through another challenging stretch of weather.
The festivities reached their peak at the Oct. 11 awards ceremony, when teams, sponsors and guests gathered on Playa Grande’s oceanfront terrace for an evening of food, entertainment and celebration. The resort pulled out all the stops, with a spectacular performance by fire dancers adding a distinctly Cabo flair to the evening. The high-energy show provided a fitting finale to a week when the teams had navigated an unpredictable forecast, enjoyed some excellent fishing and refused to let the weather interfere with a good time.
The event also benefits from longstanding relationships with many of the organizations that make sportfishing such an important part of the Los Cabos economy and culture. Dignitaries and representatives from the region’s sportfishing, tourism and hospitality communities joined the celebration, reflecting the tournament’s significance beyond the competition itself. Among the organizations that have provided important support over the years are Solmar Hotels & Resorts, the Los Cabos Tourism Board, the Los Cabos Hotel Association, FONMAR, local fishing authorities and marina leadership, along with the Solmar Foundation. Their continued involvement underscores the strong ties between the tournament and the community that has welcomed visiting anglers for nearly three decades.
By the time the festivities wrapped up, the weather challenges had become just another part of the story, replaced by smiles, congratulations and a few well-earned celebrations. Despite everything the Pacific threw at participants this season, the fishing was productive, the competition delivered and the teams demonstrated the camaraderie that has long defined this event.
“We can’t control the weather, and the attitude from the teams was overwhelmingly positive,” said tournament director Bert Merritt. “What I kept hearing was, ‘We had a great time. We’ll be back.’ Not one person came to me with a complaint. Everyone was appreciative, happy to be there and excited about the tournament. It was an absolute pleasure to be involved.”
As Cabo’s busy fall tournament season gets underway, the 2026 Los Cabos Billfish Tournament offered another welcome reminder of why anglers keep returning to the tip of the Baja Peninsula, regardless of what Mother Nature has in store. Congratulations to Magic Touch, all the winning teams, tournament director Bert Merritt and everyone who helped make another memorable edition possible.
The Los Cabos Billfish Tournament is sponsored by many industry-leading companies, including Marlin, Playa Grande Resort & Grand Spa, Solmar Hotels & Resorts, Garmin, Viking Yachts, Galati Yacht Sales, Costa, King Sailfish Mounts, Arnian Group, IGY Marinas, Los Cabos Tourism, Star brite, Coastal Carolina Cutting Boards, Yeti, Sig Sauer, Conch Republic Apparel and Big T Lures.
