10^th ANNUAL PELAGIC TRIPLE CROWN OF FISHING TOURNAMENT – JUNE 6 – 9, 2024 – CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO

Come celebrate summer in Baja Mexico and join us where the beautiful Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez at the famous “Arch Rock” for our Shotgun Start and a weekend of the best that Mexico has to offer. The Pelagic Triple Crown of Fishing is a two-day, team fishing competition, with cash and prizes estimated at over $500,000*. The tournament is structured to focus on the world-class striped marlin fishery and large yellowfin tuna that Cabo is known for, while also paying out handsome cash prizes for dorado and wahoo. With a wide variety of optional “daily” jackpots, there are many ways to win money in this tournament.

• Thursday, June 6^th – Registration, Captain’s Meeting and Kickoff Party
• Friday & Saturday, June 7^th – 8^th – Tournament Fishing Days
• Sunday, June 9^th – Awards Ceremony

Entry Fees & Optional Jackpots

• Base Entry: $3,500
• All In: $59,000

^*Estimated prize money based on forecasted number of entries and optional jackpot participation.

New to the Triple Crown of Fishing is The Billfish Trolling Only Optional Daily Jackpot. This offers teams the opportunity to catch and release billfish on dead bait or lures only. To score points and win money in this jackpot, teams must troll from a forward moving boat and bait, hook, and catch billfish with dead bait or artificial lures only. Bait and switch teaser fishing is allowed if the boat is moving forward when deploying baits and hooking fish. No points for live bait or sight casting will be scored in this jackpot.

PAYMENT DEADLINES

GENERAL TOURNAMENT RULES

General entry to the Pelagic Triple Crown of Fishing tournament features four divisions: (I) Billfish, (II) Tuna, (III) Dorado & (IV) Wahoo. Trophies and cash awards will be presented to the top three teams (1st, 2nd, and 3rd place) for their aggregate performance in each respective division over two days of fishing.

General entry includes up to six (6) registered anglers, one (1) boat captain, and two (2) deckhands only. Each team must designate and register anglers and crew, with a total team consisting of no more than nine (9) members. Teams must read and abide by the updated and specific angling, and hook and pass rules listed below.

In the Billfish division, teams are awarded points for successfully catching and releasing sailfish, blue marlin, black marlin, striped marlin, and spear fish – and each billfish release must be clearly documented on video according to the specific tournament rules below.  

In the Dorado division, teams may bring up to two dorado to the scales each day for official weigh in, and their single heaviest dorado from each day will count towards their two-day total.

In the Tuna division, teams may bring up to two tuna to the scales each day for official weigh in, and their single heaviest tuna from each day will count towards their two-day total.

In the Wahoo division, teams my bring up to two wahoo to the scales each day for official weigh in, and their single heaviest wahoo from each day will count towards their two-day total.

ANGLING & TACKLE RULES

Angler Eligibility:

The Pelagic Triple Crown of Fishing is open to all anglers, except for Professional Anglers, Captains, and Crew. “Professional” is defined as anyone who has been paid to fish, crew, or captain on a fishing boat in the last year (12 months). The Pelagic Triple Crown Rules Committee reserves the right to determine an angler’s professional status.

1.    Teams may include no more than six (6) registered anglers, one (1) boat captain and two (2) deckhands/mates, for a total of nine (9) team members maximum.

2.    Crew members (captains, deckhands, and/or mates) may not compete as registered anglers; however, crew members may assist in hooking and passing fish for their registered anglers.

3.    When a registered captain or deckhand/mate hooks and passes a fish to a registered angler, that same crew member may not cast, hook, or pass any additional fish to any other angler, until the previously hooked fish is either caught and released according to tournament rules, or lost.

4.    No more than six (6) fishing lines deployed in the water at one time, including bait rods. Teams may not fish more than six (6) baits/lures in the water at any time during tournament fishing hours. For example, if six lines are deployed in the water, no additional fishing lines may be deployed; regardless as to whether a fish is attached to those lines or not. At least one line/bait/lure would have to be fully retrieved and in the boat before an additional line can be deployed.

5.    Teams must strictly abide by all Mexican Fisheries and other applicable laws. All billfish must be released; and offset circle hooks are forbidden.

6.    Fish must be caught on standard rod and reel equipment during advertised tournament hours of 7:00am-4:00pm on June 7 – 8th, 2024. 

7.    Teams may use live bait or dead bait, with non-offset, in-line circle hooks or lures with standard J-Hooks, so long as offset circle hooks are not used.  

8.    130lb. manufacturers stated maximum line class. Leader length shall not exceed 30 feet. The maximum combined length of double line and leader shall be limited to 40 feet.

9.    No electric reels, spears, or harpoons are permitted.  No use of explosive or stunning/killing method is permitted.

10.    Anglers may receive assistance from their captain/crew in hooking and landing fish. Registered, qualified anglers may hook and pass fish to their fellow anglers. This is a fun tournament, and while it’s perfectly acceptable for crew to hook and assist anglers during the fight, the primary angling is intended to be done by the registered anglers of each individual team. Six (6) anglers per team, maximum. *See updated rules 1 thru 4.

* All rules to be covered thoroughly at Captain’s Meeting on Thursday, June 6^th, 2024, including any last-minute changes announced at the Captain’s Meeting which will be enforced. We recommend one member from each team attend the Captain’s Meeting. It is the responsibility of each team to read and understand all tournament rules, including any rule changes or adjustments made or announced at the Captain’s Meeting.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

• Thursday, June 6^th – Baja Cantina, Marina Cabo San Lucas
  • 2:00pm to 6:00pm – Mandatory Team Check In/Registration
  • 6:30pm – Captain’s Meeting
  • 7:00pm – 8:30pm – Kick Off Party
• Friday, June 7^th – Fishing Day 1
  • 6:45am – Starting Line
  • 7:00am – Shotgun Start
  • 7:00am – Lines-In/Start Fishing
  • 4:00pm – Lines Out/Stop Fishing
  • 4:00pm – 6:30pm – Weigh-In/Video Release Review
  • 6:30pm – Scales Close
• Saturday, June 8^th – Fishing Day 2
  • 6:45am – Starting Line
  • 7:00am – Shotgun Start
  • 7:00am – Lines-In/Start Fishing
  • 4:00pm – Lines Out/Stop Fishing
  • 4:00pm – 6:30pm – Weigh-In/Video Release Review
  • 6:30pm – Scales Close
• Sunday, June 9^th – Baja Cantina, Marina Cabo San Lucas
  • 5:00pm – 7:00pm – Awards Ceremony and Party

DAILY FISHING HOURS: 7:00AM-4:00PM – Teams are asked to be lined up in front of “Land’s End” Cabo Arch by 6:45am for an official shotgun start promptly at 7:00am, after which they may begin fishing. Fish hooked prior to lines-out may be fought until released, lost, or boated (in the case of a gamefish), but teams must make it to the scales before closing at 6:30pm each day.  

DAILY SCHEDULE:

Starting Line: 6:45am

Shotgun Start: 7:00am

Lines-In: 7:00am

Lines-Out: 4:00pm

Scales Open: 4:00pm

Scales Close: 6:30pm

WEIGH IN: 4:00PM – 6:30PM – Weigh-ins will be hosted at Gricelda’s Smokehouse next to Baja Cantina, Marina Cabo San Lucas.  Scales close at 6:30pm; however, if there are fish waiting to be weighed beyond official close time, they will be accepted, so long as contact & confirmation has been made with weighmaster or Tournament Director and the boat has made it in and is simply waiting for its turn at the scales by closing.

BILLFISH RELEASE VIDEO DOCUMENTATION: 4:00PM – 6:30PM – At the end of each fishing day, teams will be asked to drop-off billfish release scorecards, and provide video evidence of each individual billfish release at the official documentation station located at Tournament HQ inside Baja Cantina Restaurant, Marina Cabo San Lucas.

BILLFISH RELEASE DIVISION – SCORING OVERVIEW

The team which scores the most billfish release points combined over the two (2) days of tournament fishing will win the Billfish Release Division.  All billfish releases must be radioed into radio control (Primary VHS Channel 28; Backup VHS Channel 68), recorded on video, and documented in your catch log (received at registration/final team check in). Qualifying billfish species are sailfish, striped marlin, spearfish, blue marlin, and black marlin. Teams will be ranked based on their two-day combined release point total. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place will be awarded.  

Points are scored as follows:

Note: Billfish that cannot be clearly identified will be scored as 100 points

BILLFISH RELEASE VIDEO REQUIREMENTS

Properly documented video evidence of each released billfish must be provided to tournament officials at the end of each fishing day. To be scored, the release video must contain a continuous sequence with the following items:

1. Ability to show time/date of each release.
2. A registered tournament angler fighting the fish.
3. A mate touching the leader with the fish boat side. To identify species, clear video showing the fish’s distinctive traits must be provided.
4. Tournament provided color-coded scorecard in clear view with fish in sight, to mark completion of a catch.
5. Video of the leader being cut, or the fish unhooked and released, followed by at least 3 seconds of continuous video showing the fish no longer attached.

If proper video is not supplied to the reasonable satisfaction of the Tournament Director, your catch will not be scored. Teams must supply their own video recording device with ability to show time/date. Tournament Officials’ rulings on release evidence are final; there will be no protests allowed for video evidence. Submitted tournament videos may be used by Pelagic, Inc. and/or Pelagic Tournaments, LLC for marketing or other purposes, worldwide, in Pelagic’s sole discretion. 

Teams are not required to call-in hook-ups but are required to call in releases. When calling in releases please give the scorekeeper at radio control, the boat name, angler name and species of fish released, and live or dead bait caught. Once your radio release is confirmed, you will receive an official release time to write in your catch log. Official release status and points will be awarded once tournament officials have reviewed your billfish release video documentation. All releases are unofficial until all billfish releases have been reviewed and confirmed by tournament officials. 

IN EVENT OF A TIE: If there is a tie in aggregate billfish release points by multiple teams at the end of the two-day tournament, rankings will be determined by the first team to reach their aggregate point total by time of catch. 

Example: If “Team A” reached their point total at 1:00pm and “Team B” reached their point total at 2:00pm, “Team A” beats “Team B”. PLEASE NOTE: Make sure your video time/date profiles are accurate to local Mexican time zone.

GAMEFISH DIVISIONS: TUNA,  DORADO, WAHOO – SCORING OVERVIEW

There are three (3) eligible Gamefish Divisions, in which the following rules apply: At the end of each day of tournament fishing, teams may weigh their respective tuna, wahoo, and dorado.  Each team may weigh two (2) fish per species each day; however, only their single-heaviest tuna, dorado, and wahoo will be scored for that day.

At the end of the final day of tournament fishing, team rankings will be determined for each gamefish division based on their aggregate two-fish per species weight (single-heaviest each day) throughout the two-day tournament.

In the tuna category only, it is acceptable to use a one-time angler switch during one tuna battle per day, per team. The following procedures must be followed for the fish to be eligible to score points in the tournament:

• One angler switch allowed per day for tuna only
• The switch must be between two register anglers; registered crew members can assist in the switch but may not turn the reel handle and gain line at any time during the switch
• The captain must report the switch to radio control prior to the switch being made. Angler switch must be videoed, submitted, and reviewed at tournament headquarters for fish to be scored in the tournament.  

NOTE: If no qualifying fish are scored in a particular tournament Gamefish Division, the entry money will be divided equally among 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place Billfish Release Division winners. If only 1^st and 2^nd place are handed out, the 3^rd place money will be evenly distributed amongst 1^st and 2^nd.  If only one team places in the general entry, 1^st place will receive the money from 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd.

SCORING: Teams will receive 1-point per pound of scored gamefish, rounded to the nearest tenth (i.e. 17.2 points).  Remember, teams will score their heaviest fish per species per day.  

Minimum Weight per fish to Qualify = 10.0 lbs. Each division will be awarded 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place cash and prizes. 

The tail of each fish brought to the scales will be clipped, signifying that it has been weighed and scored. All fish that appear to have been altered, spoiled, mutilated or frozen will be disqualified, per the discretion of tournament officials. Any boat which enters a fish that is proven to have been weight-altered, frozen, or previously weighed will be disqualified from the tournament.

GENERAL ENTRY & AWARDS PAYOUTS

All teams must pay the fee for the General Entry category to participate in the tournament and be eligible for awards.

After applying a 20% administration fee against the total general entry amount to arrive at total available prize money, 40% of the general entry purse is allocated to the Billfish Release Division, which pays 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place; and 20% of the general entry purse is allocated to each of the three individual Gamefish Divisions, which pays 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place per division.  

Within each general entry division (Billfish Release, Dorado, Tuna, Wahoo), the prize money will be awarded as follows: 65% to 1st place; 25% to 2nd place; and 10% to 3rd place. 

IMPORTANT NOTES ON CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS:

1 - Credit card payments will require a surcharge of 3.5%

2 - All credit card charges are made by Pelagic Tournaments, LLC

NOTE: A 20% administration fee is deducted from all general entries & jackpots, so the NET prize money payout on all categories is 80% of gross fees.

OPTIONAL DAILY JACKPOTS

OPTIONAL DAILY JACKPOTS:  Teams have the option of raising the stakes by placing bets in optional daily jackpots for all four divisional categories. Daily Jackpot winners will be determined by single-heaviest qualifying fish of the day in the Tuna, Dorado, and Wahoo jackpot categories, and by the most daily release points in the Billfish Release categories. The purchase of a daily jackpot is split evenly over the two-day tournament, and teams must purchase both days per jackpot category. The PELAGIC Triple Crown of Fishing Tournament offers an 80% total (net) payout on jackpot categories.

GAMEFISH TIE BREAKERS/ROLLOVERS: In the event of a tie in any of the gamefish daily jackpots, money will be split evenly between the teams with the tied weight or release total. If no qualifying fish are weighed or scored in a jackpot category on the first day of the tournament, the money will roll to Day 2; If no qualifying fish are weighed or scored in a jackpot category on the second day of the tournament, the money will roll back to the Day 1 winner. In the unlikely event that no qualifying fish are scored in a given jackpot category during the two-day tournament, the monies collected for the unfulfilled jackpot category will be paid back to each respective entrant of that category, minus the 20% administrative fees.

BILLFISH RELEASE TIE BREAKERS/ROLLOVERS: If there is a tie in aggregate billfish release points by multiple teams at the end of a given tournament day, the daily jackpot winner will be determined by the first team to reach their aggregate point total by time (verified by release video date/time). Example: If “Team A” reached their point total at 1:00pm and “Team B” reached their point total at 2:00pm, “Team A” beats “Team B”.  In the unlikely event that no qualifying fish are scored in a given jackpot category during the two-day tournament, the monies collected for the unfulfilled jackpot category will be paid back to each respective entrant of that category, minus the 20% administrative fees.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

REGISTRATION:  All teams wishing to enter the Pelagic Triple Crown of Fishing Tournament must complete registration online at www.PelagicTournaments.com; or during Team Check-In/Registration on Thursday, June 6^th, 2024 (2:00-6:00pm) at Tournament HQ in Baja Cantina - Marina Cabo San Lucas. Tournament entry fees and Optional Jackpots (if applicable) must be determined, listed, and payment received at the time of registration.

FORM 1099, TAXES, & FEES:  All monies won in the 2024 Pelagic Triple Crown of Fishing Tournament are subject to taxing and you will receive a 1099 form from Pelagic Tournaments, LLC and may be asked to execute a W-9 and a release in favor of the tournament company as a condition of awarding your prize monies. Please expect a 30 to 60-day processing period to receive any cash winnings. Winners will be paid via wire transfer only; no wire fees apply.

MEXICAN TAXES: The tournament is required by Mexican law to withhold a combined 15% city, state, & federal tax from any winnings to be paid. A disbursement breakdown will be provided to any teams receiving cash prizes showing total winnings, the tax deduction, & total disbursement. You agree to pay all applicable taxes in connection with any winnings.

PERMITS AND LICENSES: It is the responsibility of registered boat captains and anglers to comply with all Mexican Federal and State laws regarding fishing licenses, size limits, bag limits and any other regulations that may apply. This is a requirement of Mexico and is not a tournament rule—permit and licensing infractions have no bearing on tournament results or awards. A representative from the Mexico Department of Fisheries is normally on-site during Registration at all events to sell Licenses and Permits, but this is not guaranteed. Consult the FONMAR website for more information (www.sportfishingbcs.gob.mx).

PROTESTS: Any protests must be made in writing and presented to the tournament director accompanied by $500 cash, NO LATER than 10:00pm on Saturday, June 8^th. You will be asked to provide a statement and any photo/video or other form of supporting documentation surrounding the claim.  Protests will be ruled on by Tournament Director and supporting staff, provided that the decision of the Tournament Director is final.  Any verbal/physical abuse or threats made to tournament staff or disparagement (whether orally, in writing, or on social media or any other forum) of Pelagic Tournaments LLC, PELAGIC or their personal staff is grounds for team disqualification for this and future tournaments without refund. A successful protest will result in a reimbursement of the $500 fee.  A failed protest is non-refundable, with the $500 fee being retained by Pelagic Tournaments LLC or at its election donated to a charity of its choice. Pelagic Tournaments LLC reserves the right to deny entry to any individual or team for any lawful reason. Tournament Officials’ rulings on release evidence are final; there will be no protests allowed for video evidence.  Submitted tournament videos may be used by Pelagic, Inc. and/or Pelagic Tournaments, LLC for marketing or other purposes, worldwide, in Pelagic’s sole discretion. 

VIDEO RELEASE: The Pelagic Triple Crown of Fishing Tournament, Pelagic Tournaments LLC, Pelagic Inc and their respective affiliates, have the right, but not the obligation, to post and/or use for any purpose, all video, photos and imaging submitted to the tournament or taken by Pelagic Inc or Pelagic Tournaments LLC, on a worldwide basis, in perpetuity, for marketing, advertising or any other purposes in Pelagic’s discretion.

RIGHT TO POLYGRAPH TOURNAMENT PARTICIPANTS: The Pelagic Triple Crown of Fishing Tournament reserves the right to polygraph all tournament winners at its discretion. Any teams caught cheating or falsifying video release verification will be disqualified with no refund and could possibly be banned from entering any future Pelagic or Pelagic Tournaments events.

CHECK-IN/CAPTAIN’S MEETING: Check-in will be held from 2:00pm - 6:00pm on Thursday June 8^th at Baja Cantina in Marina Cabo San Lucas. Captain’s Meeting will immediately follow registration promptly at 6:30pm. At least one representative from each team must be present for registration/captain’s meeting.

KICK-OFF PARTY:  Stick around for a fun-filled night following check-in/captain’s meeting on June 6^th at Baja Cantina, Marina Cabo San Lucas.   Appetizers, complimentary beer and a pitcher of margaritas will be provided, and live music will be playing all at Cabo’s favorite sport fishing restaurant/bar.  

AWARDS PRESENTATION:  An awards presentation and trophy ceremony will be held Sunday, June 9^th starting at 5:00pm at Baja Cantina, Marina Cabo San Lucas. All tournament teams are encouraged to join, regardless of overall placing in the tournament.

CHARTER INFORMATION:  View the options below and call or visit the various charter operations on the web to find the boat for you.  Remember, each team must reserve their own vessel or charter; the tournament will not provide this for you.

Have further questions? Please send an email [re: 2024 Triple Crown Tournament] and one of our Tournament Officials will contact you shortly.

US Contact/Tournament Director – Tony DiGiulian: tony@pelagicgear.com   

(954) 895-6635 (Call, Text, and WhatsApp)