Fourteen boats and more than 62 anglers set out from Buenavista on Friday for the sixth annual Copa Presidente fishing tournament, chasing dorado off the East Cape with a prize pool topping 341,000 pesos (roughly $17,000 USD).
The community tournament, organized in coordination with the Los Cabos municipal government, awards 100,000 pesos (about $5,000 USD) for first place, 60,000 pesos (about $3,000 USD) for second, and 40,000 pesos (about $2,000 USD) for third. Dorado, the region’s signature warm-water gamefish, is the target species.
Local Officials Flag Off the Fleet
Carlos Castro Ceseña, the director general of Social Development for Los Cabos, represented Mayor Christian Agúndez Gómez at the starting ceremony. He was joined by Santiago delegate Araceli Cota Ruiz, municipal Fisheries Director Juan Javier García Davis, Buenavista sub-delegate Edith Olivares Fabián, and organizing committee president Yaneth Sánchez Hirales.
The tournament is part of Buenavista’s traditional community fiestas and is co-organized by the municipal Directorate of Economic Development and the Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture. Officials said the event generates revenue for local hotels, restaurants, transport operators, and marine services.
A Community Alternative on the East Cape
Buenavista sits along the Sea of Cortez about 70 miles north of San José del Cabo on the East Cape corridor. The small fishing town neighbors Los Barriles, though the two fall under different municipalities: Los Barriles belongs to La Paz, while Buenavista is part of Los Cabos.
The Copa Presidente is far smaller than the headline tournaments that dominate the Los Cabos fishing calendar. The Bisbee’s Black and Blue, held each October in Cabo San Lucas, drew more than 150 teams last year and paid out over $7.4 million. By contrast, the Copa Presidente’s field of 14 boats and five-figure prize pool is a grassroots affair rooted in local tradition rather than international competition.
For anglers living along the East Cape or visiting during summer, the event offers an accessible entry point into Baja’s sport fishing scene without the entry fees and crowds of the bigger Cabo events. Buenavista’s waters are known for consistent dorado runs through the summer months.
Originally reported by the Los Cabos municipal government at loscabos.gob.mx.