FULL TOURNAMENT PHOTO GALLERY HERE
June 11 -14, 2026 ā The Place at Cabo, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico ā The 2026 Pelagic Triple Crown of Fishing marked its 11th year in Cabo San Lucas, and this legendary fishing destination delivered once again. Warm water, a cool breeze, and an above-average bite welcomed 177 anglers from around the world for two exciting days of offshore competition. Familiar faces returned alongside new teams and partners as Pelagic Tournaments officially kicked off the second decade of tournament fishing in Los Cabos.
As the sun rose on day one, 35 teams eagerly gathered at The Arch, one of natureās most beautiful and recognizable natural wonders, for the iconic 7:00am shotgun start. Anticipation and excitement filled the air as the fleet of roaring sportfishing vessels charged the Pacific, each chasing victory in four different divisions to win their share of the $334,400 prize purse.
A steady billfish bite kept rods bent throughout day one, but it wasn't until the afternoon that the leaderboard began to take shape. TeamĀ La Chingona, led by Captain Jose Antonio Bojoquez Avila, stayed consistent throughout the day, releasing 23 striped marlins for 2,300 points to claim the day-one lead. Last yearās champions, Team OvertimeĀ led by Captain Brett Eller had an epic day, releasing three blue marlin, three striped marlin and a sailfish for 1550 points, achieving a billfish grand slam and landing second overall for the day. In third it was Team Captiva 3 and Captain Martin Aguilar releasing a grand slam of their own with five striped marlin, one blue marlin, and a sailfish for 950 points. Teams Oro Negro and The Daddy RabbitĀ rounded out the top five leader board with seven striped marlin releases each for 700 points.
After day one, the action shifted to the weigh station outside tournament headquarters at The Place at Cabo. The team from Griceldaās Smokehouse were back for their 11th year as official tournament weighmasters and they would have some heavy lifting to do. Several large yellowfin tunas were the highlight of the day, with three teams bringing fish weighing more than 100 pounds to the scales. When the final weights had been certified, it was Team Mas Crudo sitting at the top of the Tuna Division with their massive 177.3 pounder. Team Will 2 Win stood in second place, scoring a 126.8-pound tuna, and right behind them in third, long time tournament participants Team Let's Go, with a respectable 114 pounds.
Meanwhile the Dorado Division saw a remarkable improvement from last yearās single dorado weighed for the event. Nine fish over 20 pounds were weighed on day one, including three fish besting the 30-pound mark with the two heaviest Dorado going over 40 pounds. Day one finished with Team Right Rigger in the lead with their beautiful 43.7-pound beast, followed by Team Karma with a nice 42-pound bull. Team Daddy Rabbit was third at 36.9 pounds and right behind them, Team Let's Go with 36.6 pounds.
In the Wahoo Division, the single fish weighed was a fat 51.7 pounder for Team True Grit, leaving them all alone in first place.
Day two began much like the first, with Team La Chingona picking up right where they left off, steadily adding striped marlin releases throughout the day to extend their lead. Team OvertimeĀ stayed in the hunt, releasing two more blue marlin to bring their tournament total to an impressive five. Combined with three striped marlin and one sailfish, they completed their second billfish grand slam in as many days and secured a third-place overall finish.
The biggest charge on day two, however, belonged to Team Oro Negro. Led by Captain Franky Abaroa and angler Hernando Gonzalez, the team capitalized on a phenomenal striped marlin bite. After starting the day in Fifth place, Oro Negro released 25 striped marlins, earning second place overall while Gonzalez captured Top Overall Angler honors.
When the final lines came tight, Team La Chingona led wire to wire, setting a new tournament record with 44 striped marlin releases. Their dominant performance earned Top Overall Billfish Release Team honors, while Milinda Smith claimed Top Female Angler. As Grand Champions, La Chingona added their name to the Pelagic Triple Crown Perpetual Trophy.
Things got interesting on day two at the scales. Team Let's Go weighed a beautiful 141.2-pound yellowfin tuna, which, combined with their 114-pound fish from day one, gave them a two-day total of 255.2 pounds. That put them temporarily in the lead, and they ultimately finished second overall. Team Will 2 Win held onto third place early with their day one fish totaling 126.8 pounds.
But local favorites Mas Crudo would not be denied. Their 80.9-pound tuna pushed their two-day total to 258.2 pounds, securing the Tuna Division title by just three pounds over Let's Go.
In the Dorado Division, Team My Way weighed the heaviest dorado of the tournament at 49.3 pounds. Combined with their day one fish, it gave them an 81.8-pound total and second place overall. Team No Limits weighed their second fish of the event and finished third with a combined 63.8 pounds.
The closest finish came from Team Right Rigger. Their 38.1-pound dorado on day two gave them a two-day total of 82.9 pounds, enough to edge out My Way by just over one pound for the divisionās victory.
The Wahoo Division also saw movement on day two, with two more quality fish hitting the scales. Team Geri Lynn led the day with a 47.1-pound wahoo and finished second overall. Team Diggin Bills placed third with a 45.4-pound fish on day two. In the end, Team True Grit held on for the Wahoo Division title, as their 51.7-pound fish from day one proved enough to secure the win.
Special Mentions + Highlights
Ā·Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā For the second year, Pelagic Tournaments and the Triple Crown proudly supported Feeding Los Cabos Kids. Thanks to the generosity of our teams, we raised more than $8,000 for the organization, which serves over 20,000 meals each month to underserved children in Los Cabos. Fish donations from our fleet provided 360 pounds of fillets, helping secure more than 1,500 meals for the community.Ā
Ā·Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Thank you to Dale and Grace of Gricelda's Smoke House for once again serving as official weighmasters. Dale has held this role since the Triple Crown's inception and is now in his second decade as weighmaster. Griceldaās also generously donated fish processing services, filleting and packaging all donated fish for Feeding Los Cabos Kids.
Ā·Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Congratulations to Team La Chingona for their overall victory. A remarkable accomplishment setting the all-time billfish release mark for the tournament and winning Top Female Angler Honors for Milinda Smith. Additionally, Captain Avila was honored with our Sportsmanship Award. This award recognizes the team, angler, or crew member who exemplifies true character and integrity during the tournament. Captain Avila voluntarily self-disqualified two striped marlin releases, demonstrating that integrity is more important than winning. His honesty and sportsmanship set the standard for everyone involved, making him a truly deserving recipient of this year's Sportsmanship Award.
Ā·Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Congratulations to our Top Overall Angler, Hernando Gonzalez from Team Oro Negro. Hernandoās incredible 30 stripe marlin releases, are the most billfish releases recorded by a single angler in Triple Crown history.
Ā·Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Thank you to Team Oro Negro and Team Will 2 WinĀ for their generosity. Oro NegroĀ matched the 50/50 jackpot donation, while Will 2 Win donated their tournament winnings, helping push total contributions to Feeding Los Cabos Kids beyond $8,000.
Ā·Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Congratulations to our Junior Angler Champion Pablito Pino and Team True Grit for your striped marlin release. We love to see families fishing together and we hope to see Pablito competing for many years to come.
Ā·Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā To our hosts ā Thank you to Darren, Chewy, and Fernanda from IGY Marina for hosting our fleet and again accommodating us with dock space for our game fish weigh-in teams.Ā A big thank you and so much appreciation for Jorge, Lucas, Vanessa and the entire team from Baja Cantina. Year after year, you just keep making our event a special one. And thank you to Idania and the team at The Place at Cabo. We were excited to have tournament headquarters back again this year and you all helped to make it a tremendous success.
Ā·Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Thank you to the Pelagic Store retail team for representing the brand so well throughout the event. Your hard work and dedication were greatly appreciated.
A special thank you to all our partners, old and new, for their generous support, team bag contributions, and outstanding prizes for our winners:
ā¢ Shimano for the Tiagra and Talica reels awarded to our Overall Champions and top anglers.
ā¢ Marine Trophies by TorogozĀ for creating our exceptional tournament trophies.
ā¢ Danco Pliers for providing fillet knives for every team and premium fishing pliers for our winners.
ā¢ Morita Custom GaffsĀ for the custom gaffs awarded to our gamefish champions, top anglers, and overall winners.
ā¢ RAP Systems for the Rod Assist Poles and their commitment to making fishing accessible to anglers of all skill levels.
ā¢ BKK Hooks for their continued support and hooks provided to participating teams.
ā¢ Deck Hand Sports for the high-quality fish kill bags awarded to our gamefish winners and top overall team.
ā¢ Precision Dredge PulleysĀ for the cutting-edge dredge pulleys presented to our Grand Champion Team.
Ā As we wrap up 11th Annual Triple Crown of Fishing, we are so grateful and thankful for our entire fleet and all the participants that make this tournament so special. Going into our second decade of the Triple Crown in Cabo San Lucas, we look forward to continuing to grow and improve with all your support and loyalty. We could not do any of this without you and your love for our amazing sport. We hope to see you all next year, June 10 ā 13th 2027, in Cabo San Lucas, for another exciting and fun filled year of comradery, friendship, and fun.
