Los Cabos, Mexico, site of May 15-21 world championship

DANIA BEACH, Fla., U.S.A.  ---Two anglers from the UK are among a record 70 teams from 31 countries registered to compete in the Sixth Annual Rolex/International Game Fish Association (IGFA) Offshore Championship Tournament (OCT), May 15-21.  They’ll be fishing the waters around the tip of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula for marlin and other big game fish.

            Roger Aleong, London, will be a member of the Tobago Gamefish Tournament, which was held in Charlotteville, Tobago, last year.   

            Mark Williamson, Denton, Manchester, will serve as the team captain with three “Yanks” representing the Brits vs. Yanks Intl. Shark Tournament, Montauk, New York, USA.

            It’s believed the Rolex/IGFA Offshore Championship has attracted the largest number of international teams on six continents ever to compete in a single fishing tournament.

The prestigious four-day world championship in Cabo San Lucas, will have many of the world’s best blue water anglers who have won one of 110 IGFA qualifying events held in 35 countries worldwide during 2004. 

            To date teams signed up are representing tournaments in the countries and territories of Angola, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, the Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Indonesia, Italy, Jamaica, Kingdom of Tonga, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Senegal, Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, the United States, Venezuela and the Virgin Islands.

The United States is represented by 22 teams of anglers from over 22 states including Washington D.C. 

 Returning to defend its 2004 Rolex/IGFA Offshore Championship title is a family team from the suburbs of Dallas/Ft. Worth.

 The team is made up of Edgar and Robin Artecona, children Ryan and Amalee, all of Alvarado, and Monte Love of Port Aransas.  Representing the Port Aransas Texas Women’s Anglers tournament they won with a final day rally of five striped marlin releases for a total of 11 billfish to beat out 65 other teams from 28 countries.   

Also back among the top contenders will be the 2003 OCT title holders. That year representing the Bermuda International Light Tackle Tournament, the team of Danny Fox and Bobby Rego, both of Hamilton, Bermuda, along with Buddy Sowers, Richmond, Va., and his son Casey Sowers, N. Palm Beach, Fla., caught and released a tournament record 15 striped marlin to win the 2003 championship over 41 other teams from 22 countries.

            According to Lynda Wilson, the Rolex/IGFA offshore tournament coordinator, the abundance of billfish caught and released is an important factor in the increasing number of teams competing annually. 

            “Last year a total of 299 billfish were released among 66 teams,” she said. “In 2003, 250 billfish were released among 42 teams.  Those are some excellent release figures and the anglers remember and get excited about the great fishing there in Cabo.”

            The teams will draw for different boats each day from the local guided Cabo fleet. They will be fishing for three species of marlin (blue, black and striped) and swordfish for 300 points each along with sailfish and spearfish for 100 point values each. The catches will be scored and released alive at the boat in accordance with the IGFA tournament rules. The team releasing the most billfish over the four days will receive bonus points.  

            The teams will also receive points (per pound) for tuna, wahoo and dorado up to two fish of each species per day above the minimum size limit of 25 lbs. Local charities receive the donations of all fish weighed at the Cabo docks.  Once again Momoi fishing line will be used by all of the anglers.

            The team with the most points at the end of the four days of competition will receive Rolex timepieces and trophies.  Eighteen other prizes will be presented including ones to the three top male and female anglers, top three captains and top three places for the heaviest tuna, wahoo and dorado.

            The tournament headquarters is the Hotel Finisterra.

            Besides title sponsor Rolex other sponsors in the offshore championship include Chevrolet, Aero México, Aftco Bluewater Sportswear, Bodo Muche Studio-Foundry, Costa Del Mar Sunglasses, Eagle Claw, Guy Harvey Inc., Hook & Tackle Outfitters, Hotel Finisterra, IWS Scales, King Sailfish Mounts, Mexico Tourism Board, Mold Craft Products, Momoi Hi-Catch Fishing Line, Murray Products Fighting Chairs, Nautical Jewelry Originals, The Outdoor Channel, Pacifico/Corona, Penn Tackle and Viking Yachts.

            Local sponsors in Cabo San Lucas include Minerva’s Baja Tackle, Pisces Sportfishing Fleet, TransCabo and Ultrajewels the official Rolex retailer in Cabo San Lucas.

            The offshore championship is one of two world-class series fishing events that include the fifth annual Rolex/IGFA Inshore Championship Tournament to be held July 10-13, in the Florida Keys.  In that tournament some 40 anglers representing 55 qualifying tournaments on four continents will be competing in light-tackle and fly-fishing competition for bonefish, tarpon, permit, redfish and snook in Islamorada, located in the middle of the Florida Keys.

            Founded in 1939 the International Game Fish Association is a not for profit organization committed to the conservation of game fish and promotion of responsible, ethical angling practices through science, education, rule making and record keeping. 

            IGFA members are located in over 125 countries and territories. The IGFA welcomes visitors to its 60,000-square-foot interactive Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum in Dania Beach, Florida.

For further information, contact Rolex/IGFA tournament coordinator Lynda Wilson at the International Game Fish Association, 300 Gulf Stream Way, Dania Beach, Florida 33004   email: Lwilson@IGFA.org, or phone (954) 927-2628 Fax (954) 924-4299 or OCT tournament director Sue Vermillion at 808-329-7371, fax: 808-329-7360 or email hdc@aloha.net.  For updates on the teams entered please go to www.igfa.org and look under the Fishing heading for the Tournaments subheading.