October 22, 2011
Cabo San Lucas, BCS | by Capt. Dave Lear
It’s finally time to howl at the moon. The crew of El Lobo went from growl to beast mode after weighing in the only qualifying marlin on the final day of the 2011 Bisbee’s Black & Blue Marlin Jackpot Tournament. The 313-pound blue marlin, taken on a bonito lure, was boated after a 19-minute fight in the cobalt-blue waters due south of Cabo San Lucas.
“The fish jumped a lot at first, but the fight wasn’t too hard,” said angler Steve Skola. The transplanted South African and current Cabo resident has been fishing the Black & Blue several years now with his buddy Chuck Mangus of Palm Desert, California, who owns the 60-foot Hatteras. El Lobo won the release division last year and took second-place release team honors in 2004, pocketing nearly $65,000 in the process. Mangus decided at the last minute to enter the $2,000 jackpot category this year. That hunch will pay substantial dividends once the overall winnings are awarded Saturday night. Mangus and Skola brought in ringers from Kona, Hawaii, to give them a leg up on the competition.
“The conditions here are very similar to the ones we have in Kona this time of year, so we felt comfortable with our game plan,” said skipper McGrew Rice. His long-time mate, Carlton Arai, also from Kona, wired the Baja blue. “After coming so close a couple times in the release division, it’s nice to finally get one to the scales,” Rice added. El Lobo has been competing in the Black & Blue for a dozen years.
Even though only one qualifying fish was brought to the scales Friday, the action was steady nonetheless. Nineteen blue marlin were released throughout the day, along with 21 striped marlin and numerous game fish. Blue and black marlin are the only eligible species, however. Based on early reports to CatchStat.com, the official on-line scoring partner of Bisbee’s, Hammertime appears to be the top release team after getting on the board early. All release reports must be verified by digital confirmation before the results are finalized. Big Time, Reel Energy, Mucho Loco and Gladiator would round out the release standings if all catches are confirmed.
Now in its third decade, the Black & Blue, with Cabo Riviera as the title sponsor, is the richest sport-fishing event in the world. A field of 100 boats have been vying for more than $2.1 million in cash prizes this year. The awards presentation and closing ceremony will be held Saturday night at the marina plaza in front of the Puerto Paraiso Mall in downtown Cabo San Lucas.
- IMG_2011.jpg (101.26 KiB) Viewed 1303 times
- IMG_2070.jpg (156.79 KiB) Viewed 1303 times