Bisbee's Black and Blue 2026 Results: One 491 lb Blue Marlin Pays a Record $5.6 Million

Bisbee's Black and Blue 2026 results came down to a single fish: a 491 lb blue marlin caught by Contango Spartan's Revenge on the first fishing day paid $5,629,300, the largest single fish payout in the tournament's history, according to Bisbee's. It was the only marlin of the week to make the 300 lb minimum. The 46th Black and Blue fished out of Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, in the week of October 19 to 24, 2026.

Who won Bisbee's Black and Blue 2026?

Contango Spartan's Revenge, a 60 ft Viking based in Costa Rica, won the tournament. Capt. Jeff Villarroel ran the boat, George Kypreos led the team and Kevin Miranda was the angler. According to Bisbee's, the blue marlin took an Andy Moyes lure outside the Gordo Bank in the afternoon of the first day, and the fight lasted a little over two hours.

The team had entered the optional daily jackpots through the $10,000 level, so the one fish swept them. Bisbee's says the team also took first place in the Top Team and Captain categories. Kypreos told Bisbee's he had put the right team together and was in the right place at the right time.

How many teams fished, and how many marlin were caught?

According to Bisbee's final report, 175 teams fished the 2026 Black and Blue. They caught 38 marlin and released 34 of them. Three fish brought to the scale were disqualified for falling short of the 300 lb minimum.

Fishing was slow for a tournament of this size. Tournament director Wayne Bisbee pointed to El Niño conditions, and Bisbee's reported water of 90°F to 92°F outside the Gordo Bank and off Los Frailes early in the week, easing to 86°F to 87°F by the final day.

Who won the release divisions?

Four teams split the daily release money, according to Bisbee's:

• A Blueish Hue (80 Trojan, Capt. Keith Hilton): one blue marlin released on day one, $211,650.
• Never Say Never (74 Viking, Capt. Scott Flores): two blue marlin released on day two, $211,650.
• Right Rigger (40 Egg Harbor, Capt. Alex Rogers): the first release of the final day, $117,300.
• Cottonpicker (57 Spencer, based in Costa Rica): one blue marlin released on day three, $94,350.

Where did the fish bite?

Most of the action Bisbee's described was on the Sea of Cortez side, at the Gordo Banks off San José del Cabo and down toward Los Frailes. The winning fish came from outside the Gordo Bank. These are the same grounds Cabo charter boats fish for marlin, tuna and dorado, and they are within reach of a day trip from the Cabo San Lucas marina.

The tournament also drew attention on shore. As the fleet left the marina at the start of the week, local captains and boat operators lined the jetty to protest new federal port fees, which we covered in our story on the port fee protest.

What does it mean for your trip?

The big money is gone, but the fish are not. In the last days of October, Lands End Charters boats found sailfish, striped marlin, dorado, roosterfish and sierra off Cabo. The water is warm for late October, and the next big event is the WON Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot, with fishing days on November 5 and 6. Bisbee's Mag Bay Mania, a virtual release only billfish tournament, runs through November on the Pacific side.

If you want to fish the same grounds without a tournament entry fee, see the boats in our Cabo fishing fleet. For what is biting this month, read our guide to Cabo fishing in November, and for this week's catches, water temperatures and news from all of Baja, read The Baja Catch Report.