More than 200 women launched from Cabo San Lucas harbor on Saturday for the inaugural Cabo Queens fishing tournament, a first-of-its-kind all-women competition in a region that hosts roughly 30 sport fishing events each year. The Los Cabos fishing tournament drew 55 teams and carries a guaranteed prize pool of 300,000 pesos (about $15,000 USD), with municipal officials adding a special 50,000-peso ($2,500 USD) bonus for the team that practices catch-and-release.
Los Cabos Hosts About 30 Fishing Tournaments Per Year
Sport fishing has defined the economy and identity of Los Cabos for decades. The region sits at the confluence of the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez, a corridor that Jacques Cousteau once called “the world’s aquarium.” Warm currents bring blue marlin, striped marlin, yellowfin tuna, dorado, and wahoo close to shore, making Cabo San Lucas one of the most productive sport fishing ports on Earth.
That geography fuels a tournament calendar that now spans nearly every month. The Bisbee’s Black and Blue, held each October, is one of the richest fishing tournaments in the world, with prize pools that have exceeded $4 million USD. The Stars and Stripes tournament, the Cabo Tuna Jackpot, and the East Cape Dorado Shootout fill out the summer and fall schedule. Yet until Cabo Queens, no tournament on the Los Cabos calendar was designed exclusively for women competitors.
Carlos Castro Ceseña, the municipal director of social development, said at Saturday’s opening ceremony that the city government views sport fishing as a critical economic engine. Captains, deckhands, boat crews, hotels, restaurants, and local shops all benefit before, during, and after each tournament. Castro Ceseña called it essential to keep adding events, especially during shoulder season when tourist traffic dips.
Juan Javier García Davis, the municipal director of fishing and aquaculture, and Karina de la O Uribe, the Cabo San Lucas delegate, also attended the ceremony. Both praised the Cabo Queens organizers for creating new space for women in a sport long dominated by male anglers.
Women’s Fishing Events Are Growing Across Mexico and the U.S.
Cabo Queens fits into a broader shift in competitive sport fishing. Across the U.S. Gulf Coast and Mexico’s Pacific corridor, women-only tournaments have multiplied over the past five years. Events like the Ladies Fish-Off in Port Aransas, Texas, and the Women’s Sailfish Championship in Isla Mujeres have grown from small charity outings into full-scale competitions with serious prize money.
In Los Cabos, women have long participated in mixed-gender tournaments. Teams in events like Bisbee’s regularly include women anglers, and several local charter operations are captained by women. But a dedicated tournament with a six-figure peso prize pool represents a new level of institutional support. The municipal government’s decision to sponsor the 50,000-peso catch-and-release prize also ties the event to the region’s conservation priorities.
Catch-and-release has become a growing practice in Los Cabos tournaments, particularly for billfish species like marlin. The International Game Fish Association has tracked declining marlin stocks in some Pacific corridors, and local operators have pushed to make release the norm rather than the exception. By attaching a cash incentive to conservation, the Cabo Queens format encourages newer anglers to adopt sustainable practices from the start.
Charter Boats and Hotels Benefit During Low Season
Timing matters for this event. Los Cabos sees its heaviest tourist traffic between November and April. Sport fishing tournaments that fall in the June-through-October window help fill hotel rooms and charter boat schedules during months when occupancy rates soften. A 55-team tournament means at least 55 charter boats booked for competition days, plus practice runs before the event. Each boat typically requires a captain and two to three crew members.
The ripple effect extends beyond the marina. Teams traveling from outside the region book hotel nights, eat at local restaurants, and shop in Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo. Castro Ceseña said these shoulder-season events generate meaningful economic activity for service workers who depend on tourism year-round.
For anyone who charters fishing boats in the area, the tournament also puts brief pressure on boat availability. If you are planning a fishing trip from Cabo San Lucas in the coming days, booking ahead is wise.
The Cabo Queens tournament is expected to conclude this week, with winners announced at a closing ceremony in Cabo San Lucas. Municipal officials said they hope to make it an annual fixture on the Los Cabos sport fishing calendar, according to the Los Cabos municipal government.