Pêcheuse: Bisbee's Black & Blue

Three weeks after arthroscopic knee surgery, I received a call from my friend Linda Williams inviting me to fish the Bisbee's Black & Blue Tournament. I hesitated, not sure my knee was up to it as the tournament was less than two weeks away. Mike encouraged me to go (even though I would leave on our 34th Wedding Anniversary) because it was a once in a lifetime experience. He was certainly right!

Linda and I met up at LAX on October 20th for our 2 hour flight to San Jose del Cabo. Kevin (Cubby) Pahl, Linda's long time Captain and his brother, Craig (Keggers), met us at the airport to shuttle us to our hotel. Linda and I stayed at her time share, Pueblo Bonito Rose, a gorgeous facility with spectacular views and a bar right on the beach. Cubby and Keggers stayed on Linda's 60 foot Hatteras the II Success.

Linda's core team included her long term Captain and deckhand, (Cubby and Antonio Ruiz Zuniga) and crew members David Reed (also a Captain), and Keggers. I was honored to be invited to be part of such a great team.

Linda expected that we would pre-fish Monday and Tuesday (as in the past), however, Cubby felt the time was better spent rigging tackle and checking and rechecking all the equipment. Part of the preparation included adjusting the fighting chair and harness for Linda and me. I was also instructed how to fish from a fighting chair as I always fish stand-up style.

This was the 33rd Bisbee's Black & Blue Tournament, a prestigious fishing tournament, billed as the "richest tournament in the world." It draws teams from all over the world. Minimum enrollment in the tournament costs $5,000. Enrolling in all the available jackpots costs $71,000. A portion of the tournament proceeds goes to local charities in Mexico with the rest going to award payouts.

Tuesday evening the team attended the Captain's meeting which was held on the boardwalk outside Puerto Paraiso Mall. Fishing rules were discussed and we learned there were 105 teams in the tournament this year. We were Team 76 also called Team II Success, the name of Linda's boat.

There would be three fishing days, October 23, 24, & 25. Fishing hours were 8 am to 5 pm. Fishing must be within a 40 mile radius of Cabo San Lucas and is broken into a grid map (http://www.bisbees.com/tournament/tournament-rules/). Once a fish is hooked, Tournament Control must be called on Channel 28. Once a fish is landed, Tournament Control must also be notified with the angler's name, species and grid area. Fish hooked before 5 pm must be boated and the boat inside the harbor before 9 pm. Only black or blue marlin over 300 pounds qualify.

Then came opening ceremonies which included Flag Honors with Mexican Naval Escort, Mexican National Anthem, Pre-Colombian Fire Dance, Lighting of the Tournament Torch, Japanese Taiko Drums and fireworks.

Day 1, Wednesday morning we were behind the start line by 7:45 am waiting for the 8 am shotgun start. The sun was bright, the seas were calm and boats were crowded around the cape. Over the radio Tournament Control counted down to the start then the flare was fired and the boats took off. The once calm seas churned like a boiling cauldron with smaller boats struggling to keep from being swamped. Cubby held back and let the masses head out then headed us out towards the Pacific side. Shortly outside the Cape, Cubby had crew put out the marlin jigs - two each on the port and starboard outriggers (one short, one long) and Cubby put out the stinger, the longest line, right down the center with the rod in a holder on the back of the bridge.

Once the boats were away from the cape, the seas calmed. The water was a warm 82 degrees with an air temperature of 90 degrees. It was a hot day on the water. We trolled all day just 10 to 20 miles from the start. Our first strike was a wahoo quickly subdued by Linda. It wasn't the target species and when our reaction was glum, Dave chastised us noting that most anglers would be ecstatic at landing a wahoo. He was right. We were more upbeat with the next two fish, both dorados (one of which I brought in) as we now had the makings of a great dinner. Unfortunately, we never even saw a marlin on Day 1.

During the day we heard over the radio of two fish heading to the scales. As the clock ran out at 5 pm, Tournament Control ordered lines out of the water and informed us that no qualifying fish were weighed in on Day 1. All daily jackpots rolled over to Day 2. The fish brought to the scales weighed in at 290 and 248 both shy of the required 300 pounds.

Cubby and Antonio filleted the wahoo and dorado when we got back to dock. We took some of the fillets to Panchos to cook for our dinner. We were disappointed we didn't catch a qualifying fish but optimistic we would succeed on Day 2. Dinner was great.

Day 2 started the same as Day 1 with the shotgun start, however, once outside the harbor the conditions had changed. Cooler weather, choppy seas and winds up to 15 knots greeted us. Cubby kicked up the engines and headed to Jaime Bank, about an hour travel time. The jigs were put out and we trolled around the bank for a while not really seeing the signs we wanted. Cubby started working the boat north towards Golden Gate where the ocean came alive with spinner dolphins putting on a spectacular show, frigates were working the area and flying fish were flying away from a school of tuna that looked to be up to 200 pounds in size.

Video of Start: Bisbee's Day 2 Start

At the end of Day 2, we had another wahoo and two dorado boated by Linda and me, a released baby striper but no qualifying fish. It was disappointing as the area looked right and was filled with life. We had followed the dolphins to within 15 miles of the Finger Bank before heading back. At 5 pm, it was lines out of the water and we headed back to dock, still in rough seas.

Radio contact was intermittent throughout the day so we hadn't heard of any qualifying fish being brought to the scales. When we arrived we learned there were three qualifying fish - a 342 pound blue by team Sooner Reelin, a 323 pound blue by Go Deep and a whopping 525 pound blue by the Retriever - Martha McNab. Apparently Martha had been fishing not far from where we were and headed towards home pulling jigs along the way when she connected with her big blue marlin. Martha is well known as an excellent angler having finished second in the Bisbee's three times. Today she took the daily jackpots for both Day 1 and Day 2.

It was disappointing that we hadn't caught a qualifying fish again but we stayed optimistic anyway. Linda remarked that just once she would like to come in first in a tournament.

Day 3, Friday, at 7:45 am we were again lined up for the shotgun start. After Martha's big blue was caught on the Pacific side of the Cape, almost the entire fleet was pointed in that direction. Cubby had a different plan - one we all liked. We were headed inside away from the crowds. Not more than 5 boats were pointed our way. The flare went off and the boats took off. We waited for the crowds to disburse then Cubby kicked up the engines and headed up into the gulf stopping just short of Los Frailes to start trolling.

Video of Start Bisbee's Day 3

It was another blistering day in the sun - 90 degree air temp and 82 degree water, no breeze and flat calm seas. Not a ripple to the water and just the occasional bird to distract our stare waiting for the jigs to get bit. Mid day we heard Tournament Control confirm a 313 pound qualifying fish had been weighed in. Four other fish weighed in on Day 3 but all failed to meet the minimum weight.

After covering the area for most the day, Cubby decided to tack towards the outer Gordo Bank on our way back. It was getting late in the tournament. Time to pull out the stops so Dave performed his Marlin dance then readied the reels to buy a bite by placing dollar bills in the spools.

We reached the edge of the bank around 4:15 pm, just 45 minutes until the end of the tournament. All six team members were looking back at the jigs, eyes glazed from staring at miles of calm seas when the ocean boiled with a whale sized fish that erupted through the surface under the starboard long marlin lure and rolled outside inhaling the jig! We all stuttered something like "Holy S***!" It took all of 2 seconds before we all jumped into action. Linda climbed in the chair and clipped in. I got into position to drive the chair (keep the line straight to the fish), Antonio, Dave and Keggers cleared lines and kept Cubby informed about action in the cockpit as he backed down on the fish. We all knew this could be the winning fish. There was no room for mistakes.

Antonio primed the seat of the chair with soap so the chair harness would slide easily and Keggers kept Linda hydrated with water. Linda fought hard winding and pulling, and pumping her legs facing into the blinding sun and enduring unbearable heat to fight the beast. The fish took a long run then jumped shaking its head trying to throw the jig. That is when we knew for sure it was well over 500 pounds.

About an hour into the fight, Linda had the fish up to leader at the starboard corner but the fish was heading away. Dave had the leader but felt it slip and saw the line wrapped around the fish. Tuff decision - hang on and try to take the fish now and possibly lose it or let it go - and still might lose it. Dave let the leader go. Linda continued to pull on the fish - the heat and fight draining her energy. She would get enough line on the reel to get the fish up under the boat then it would just hunker down using its weight to drag all that line back off the reel. Then the fish would head straight away from the boat and Cubby would back down on the fish so Linda could get more line back on the reel. Then the fish would hunker down again. This struggle lasted another 45 minutes until Linda got the fish to leader for the second time. This time Antonio and Dave got the fish leadered and stuck with a flying gaff. Keggers stuck it with the second gaff and Cubby jumped down from the bridge and stuck a third gaff in for good measure. The beast had lost her battle but Linda had won hers!

No celebrating yet as the fish needed to be tail wrapped and brought into the cockpit. This wouldn't be an easy feat as she was longer than the beam of the boat and very fat. After a couple of attempts, the tail was wrapped and the bill roped then the struggle to get her into the cockpit began. The transom door was opened and the fish turned around to bring the head in first. Antonio, Dave, Keggers and Cubby pulled letting the swell help raise the head so that little by little they drug most of her into the cockpit. She was just too big to get her all in so her tail was left hanging out the door. Her measurements were 126 inch fork length, 17 3/4 inch tail girth and 70 inch girth. She was a beautiful, fat blue marlin.

Cubby climbed back up top and punched it for home. It was after 6 pm and it would take an hour run to get back into the harbor. We were required to be in the harbor before 9 pm to qualify. Linda had assembled the perfect team; each and every one of us was needed to boat Big Blue. On the way in, we finally took a few pictures as we hadn't taken a single photo during the fight because we had been completely focused on our job.

We were relieved to reach the harbor but unprepared for what greeted us. As we entered the harbor, we were surrounded by skiffs wanting to get a glimpse of the rumored "trophy fish" and taking photos of the winning angler, Captain and team. Word had spread fast that we were bringing in a possible winning marlin. As we tied up to the weigh-in dock, we were greeted with cheers, cameras flashing and a boardwalk crowded with people wanting to see our fish. We waited until the Bisbee's crew off loaded Big Blue and placed her on a flat bed dolly for which she was too long. We were escorted ahead of Big Blue by the dock security and Bisbee's staff to the scales. The boardwalk was jammed with people pushing and flashing cameras in our face, trying to touch us and hand us stuff to hold up for pictures.

At the scales, a gate was opened to let us in and closed to keep crowds back during weigh in. The roar of the crowd was deafening as Big Blue was tail wrapped and pulled up on the scales. The scales went up and up finally stopping at 774 pounds! She was the biggest fish of the tournament and the second biggest fish ever weighed in at a Bisbee's tournament. We had just captured first place in the 2013 Bisbee's Black & Blue Tournament and Linda was the first woman to ever win the tournament. Best of all - Linda finally came in first in a tournament! Video of Weigh-In

We were on stage for over an hour while cameras flashed and interviews were conducted with Linda and Cubby. We finally got back to the boat and Cubby took us back to the slip. It was almost 10 pm as we backed in. The neighboring boats blew their horns in congratulations. Someone slipped a rum and coke in Linda's hand and a glass of red wine in mine. This would turn out to be our dinner.

Linda's husband had been told of her fish by friends but he didn't believe them until Linda told him. He was so excited that he booked a flight to arrive in time for the awards banquet the next day. I emailed my husband that we had won the tournament with a 774 pound blue marlin. I received two emails back 9 minutes apart. The first said "You are s**ting me!" the second said "I guess you aren't. I just saw the photos."

None of us slept well that night since we were pumped full of adrenalin but we didn't care. Next day was Saturday and a busy day. 9 am Linda had to report for her polygraph test so Tournament Control could verify the fish was caught according to tournament rules. She passed without problem. Linda's husband, John was arriving for the Awards Banquet that evening and needed to be picked up at the airport. We also needed to make sure we had clean II Success shirts to wear to the banquet. At 6:45 pm, the team assembled outside the Puerto Paraiso Mall along the boardwalk for the Awards Banquet. We were seated at one of the front tables. Martha and her team were seated at the table next to us.

After a steak dinner, awards were given out to the winning teams. Women won both First and Second place in the tournament. Martha McNab won second place and just under $1.2 million for her 525 pound blue marlin. Then we were called to the stage and given trophies. A huge cardboard check was also handed to us indicating the payout for first place was $368,675! Linda and John are two of the most generous people I have met and winning the Bisbee's didn't change them. After taxes and expenses, they shared the winnings equally with their dedicated long time Captain and crew.

As a final celebration before returning home, John and Linda's generosity continued when they threw a BBQ the next day at their Cabo home for the team and a few close friends. Saying "Goodbye" as the team separated to return home was difficult as we had all shared a once in a lifetime experience. Thanks Linda for the memories!