Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore 2026: The Complete Guide to the “Little Bisbee’s” Fishing Tournament
Every October, the marina in Cabo San Lucas transforms into the epicenter of the international sportfishing world. The docks fill with million-dollar yachts, the weigh station draws crowds of spectators, and the bars and restaurants along the marina hum with the energy of anglers, captains, and crews from across the globe.
At the center of it all is Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore—affectionately known as the “Little Bisbee’s.” But don’t let the nickname fool you. With a prize purse exceeding $2.7 million and a fleet of over 130 teams, this tournament has grown far beyond its diminutive reputation. It is now one of the most anticipated events on the international big-game fishing calendar and the perfect high-energy warm-up to the legendary Black & Blue.
Whether you’re an angler planning to compete, a spectator hoping to witness a 400-pound black marlin hit the scale, or a traveler wondering what all the fuss is about, this guide covers everything you need to know about the 2026 Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore.
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What Is Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore?
Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore is a three-day billfish and gamefish tournament held annually in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico. It is part of the larger Bisbee’s Offshore Tournaments circuit, which also includes the East Cape Offshore, the flagship Black & Blue, and events in Costa Rica and Magdalena Bay.
The tournament was established in 1997 as a companion event to the Black & Blue, which had already cemented Cabo’s reputation as the “Marlin Capital of the World”. Originally conceived as a more accessible, social warm-up to the main event, the Los Cabos Offshore has evolved into a major competition in its own right. In 2018, it became the first Bisbee’s event to surpass the $1 million mark in total payouts—a milestone that signaled its arrival as a premier tournament.
Today, the “Little Bisbee’s” regularly attracts over 130 teams and distributes purses in the $2.7 million to $2.8 million range, depending on participation and jackpot entries.
Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore 2026: Dates and Schedule
The 2026 edition of Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore runs from October 12 to October 17, 2026, in Cabo San Lucas.
Here is the full schedule breakdown:
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| October 12–13 | Registration and opening ceremonies |
| October 14–16 | Three official fishing days |
| October 17 | Awards celebration and prize distribution |
Each fishing day begins with the tournament’s signature 7:00 a.m. shotgun start, when the fleet departs the marina in a coordinated rush toward the fishing grounds. The weigh station at Puerto Paraíso Mall opens in the afternoon, and the daily weigh-ins are open to the public—one of the most accessible ways for visitors to experience the tournament firsthand.
The Los Cabos Offshore is immediately followed by the Bisbee’s Black & Blue, which runs from October 19 to 24, 2026. Together, these two events create a two-week festival of sportfishing that transforms the entire Cabo San Lucas marina.
Tournament Format and Fishing Categories
Unlike the Black & Blue, which is exclusively focused on marlin, the Los Cabos Offshore includes both billfish and gamefish divisions. This broader format makes it more accessible to a wider range of anglers and teams.
Billfish Division
The billfish category is the tournament’s headline division. Qualifying species include:
Blue Marlin
Black Marlin
Striped Marlin
Sailfish
In the 2025 edition, the fleet of 139 teams tallied an impressive 395 billfish overall, including 148 striped marlin, 99 blue marlin, 116 sailfish, and six black marlin. The largest fish of the tournament was a 432-pound black marlin landed by Brian Spicer of the No Limits Fishing team.
Gamefish Division
The gamefish division adds a second layer of competition and gives teams more opportunities to earn payouts. The qualifying species are:
Yellowfin Tuna
Dorado (also known as mahi-mahi or dolphin fish)
In 2025, the top tuna was a 294-pound yellowfin caught by Ludovic Agassiz aboard Los Caboss, while Alex Moherek’s team took the dorado division with a 52-pound bull. These gamefish categories make the Los Cabos Offshore a more well-rounded tournament and provide exciting weigh-in moments throughout the week.
Prize Money and Entry Fees
The Los Cabos Offshore offers one of the most attractive prize-to-entry ratios in competitive sportfishing. The base entry fee is $1,500 USD**, with **70% of base entries going directly to the prize pool**. Teams can also enter optional daily jackpots, with an **all-in cost of $36,000 for teams that want to compete for the largest possible payouts.
For the 2026 edition, the announced purse was $2,394,300 USD, with 122 registered vessels competing.
How the Payouts Work
The jackpot structure is what allows for the massive payouts that make Bisbee’s tournaments famous. A single large fish caught on the right day with the right jackpot entries can be worth over $1 million.
A perfect example comes from the 2025 tournament. Team Santana, led by Jesse Santana Jr., landed a 424-pound black marlin on Day 2. While the fish placed second in the overall billfish standings, it swept the $500, $1,000, $2,000, and $5,000 daily jackpot categories—earning the team a staggering $1,114,362 from a single catch.
Meanwhile, No Limits Fishing, led by Brian Spicer, took home the first-place trophy and $104,111** in base prize money for its 432-pound black marlin. And **Team Greybull**, with William Cooper at the rod, finished third overall with a 398-pound black marlin, claiming **$510,668 in winnings.
The lesson: in Bisbee’s tournaments, timing and strategy matter as much as the size of your fish.