Bisbee’s Black & Blue 2026 Champions: $5.6M Record Check for a 491-lb Blue Marlin
History was made in Cabo San Lucas. At the 46th Bisbee’s Black & Blue, “The World’s Richest Fishing Event”, one blue marlin earned a $5,629,300 check, the largest ever awarded in Bisbee’s history. Every boat in the tournament left from the same marina where our charters depart, and the whole town felt it.
Here is the official recap: the champions, every payout, the rest of Cabo’s October tournament season and how you can experience the action yourself.
Bisbee’s Black & Blue 2026: the official payouts
| Team | Division | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| Contango’s Spartan’s Revenge | 1st place overall · 491 lb blue marlin + daily jackpots | $5,629,300 |
| A Blueish Hue | Day 1 release jackpots | $211,650 |
| Never Say Never | Day 2 release jackpots | $211,650 |
| Right Rigger | Day 3 $2K release jackpot | $117,300 |
| Cottonpicker | Release division | $94,350 |
One fish, $5.6 million
For its 46th edition, 175 teams fished October 21 to 23 for a total purse of $7,464,250, with entries ranging from a $5,000 base fee to $84,500 for teams playing every optional jackpot.
The story of the week came on day one. First-time competitors Contango’s Spartan’s Revenge, fishing a 60-foot Viking with Capt. Jeff Villarroel, hooked a blue marlin near the Gordo Banks. Angler Kevin Miranda fought it for more than two hours. At the scale it weighed 491 pounds.
No other team brought a qualifying marlin to the dock all week. The tournament requires a minimum of 300 pounds, and three other fish fell short. That single blue marlin won 1st place overall and swept the eligible daily jackpots for a payout of $5,629,300.
Why it was so hard: a run of tropical storms, water temperatures above 90°F and a strengthening El Niño pushed the fish around all month. The whole fleet caught 38 marlin in three days and released 34 of them.
The release champions
The Black & Blue also pays big for marlin released alive, and four crews cashed serious checks:
- A Blueish Hue (80-ft Trojan, Capt. Keith Hilton): $211,650 for a Day 1 blue marlin release, 300 points.
- Never Say Never (74-ft Viking, Capt. Scott Flores): $211,650 for two blue marlin releases on Day 2, 600 points.
- Right Rigger (40-ft Egg Harbor, Capt. Alex Rogers): $117,300 in the Day 3 $2K release jackpot, 300 points.
- Cottonpicker (57-ft Spencer, Capt. Jeff McLeod): $94,350 on the final day.
A tournament made by Cabo
In its official results, Bisbee’s thanked the anglers, sponsors, friends and the community of Cabo San Lucas for making the tournament legendary year after year. That connection is real: every weighed marlin was donated to Hope for Los Cabos, a local nonprofit that provides meals to families in need, and for a week the marina, the restaurants and the crews of Cabo work around one of the most extraordinary fishing events in the world.
The “Little Bisbee’s”: a record week of its own
The Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore (October 12–17) is the warm-up for the Black & Blue, and in 2026 it was anything but small: 122 teams and 758 anglers competed for $2,394,300, and the fleet released more than 200 billfish, mostly striped marlin and sailfish.
- Heaviest marlin: Tiki Perro Pescador, a 350 lb blue marlin caught late on the final afternoon, just 3 pounds ahead of Loose Crew’s 347-pounder.
- Biggest check: Trixie (53-ft Scout, Capt. Erick Carmack). Their 334 lb black marlin finished third by weight, but optional jackpots turned it into $1,589,007, a tournament record.
- Top release team: Linda Gale (82-ft Viking) with four blue marlin and three sailfish.
- Tuna and dorado: Caliente weighed the biggest yellowfin at 259 lb, and Prime Time’s 46.5 lb dorado, the only qualifying one, was worth $148,020.
Magic Touch keeps winning in Cabo
Team Magic Touch opened the month by winning the 2026 Los Cabos Billfish Tournament with two blue marlin, a striped marlin and a sailfish released for 650 points and $112,625. The same crew won the 2025 Black & Blue and the 2026 East Cape Offshore. If there is a team to watch in 2027, it is this one.
Cabo’s 2026 tournament season at a glance
| Tournament | Dates | Teams | Total purse | Top payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bisbee’s Black & Blue (46th) | Oct 21–23 | 175 | $7,464,250 | $5,629,300 · Contango’s Spartan’s Revenge |
| Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore | Oct 12–17 | 122 | $2,394,300 | $1,589,007 · Trixie |
| Los Cabos Billfish Tournament | Early October | — | — | $112,625 · Magic Touch |
Recent Black & Blue champions
| Year | Champion | Total purse |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Contango’s Spartan’s Revenge (491 lb blue marlin) | $7.46 million |
| 2025 | Magic Touch | $7.45 million |
| 2024 | Crudo | Nearly $7 million |
How to experience Bisbee’s week as a visitor
- Watch the weigh-ins: every afternoon the boats return to the scale at Marina Cabo San Lucas. The atmosphere is electric when a big fish comes in, and it is free to watch.
- See the fleet leave at sunrise: hundreds of sportfishing boats running out together past the Arch is one of the most impressive sights in Cabo.
- Book early: October is high season. Boats, hotels and restaurants fill up weeks in advance, especially during Black & Blue week.
- Fish the same waters: you don’t need a tournament entry to chase marlin, tuna and dorado. A private charter takes your group to the same grounds with an experienced local crew.
Local tip: the best marlin months in Cabo run from October to December, right after the tournaments. Fewer boats on the water and the same fish. See our month-by-month sportfishing guide.
Fish Cabo like the pros
Our private sportfishing charters leave early from Marina Cabo San Lucas on a fully equipped Cabo 35 ft express sportfisher, with premium tackle, bait, breakfast burritos, box lunch and drinks included. Half day from $1,625 USD and full day from $2,015 USD per boat, up to 6 guests.
Prefer to watch the action in style? A private superyacht is the ultimate way to celebrate Bisbee’s week on the water.
Check availability for your fishing day →
Sources: Bisbee’s Tournaments official results and photos, Marlin magazine tournament reports (October 2026) and Visit Los Cabos. Figures in US dollars.