Team Wild Hooker’s Black Marlin Steals the Show on Day One

The first day of fishing at the 2019 Los Cabos Billfish Tournament saw 51 teams catch 55 billfish.

Wild Hooker
Michelle Gaylord / Out Your Front Door

Angler Guy Arrington, of Team Wild Hooker, caught a 440-pound black marlin on day one. For their catch, they won all four levels of the Daily Marlin Jackpot.


The first day of the 21st annual Los Cabos Billfish Tournament had the tournament radio on fire, with the fleet of 51 tournaments boats catching 39 striped marlin, 15 blue marlin, and one black marlin. Teams also weighed one qualifying 29.2-pound wahoo, one qualifying 158.6-pound yellowfin tuna and a hefty 440-pound black marlin, caught by Guy Arrington of Team Wild Hooker. There always seemed to be a team hooked up from lines in at 7:30 a.m. to lines out at 4:30 p.m.

Wild Hooker won all four levels of the Daily Marlin Jackpot. After the first day of fishing, Wild Hooker also held first place in the overall Largest Marlin Jackpot. Second and third place positions remained empty after the first day of fishing, as only one marlin was brought to the docks.

Team Pocket Aces won the Daily Release Category, scoring two blue marlin releases on the day for 600 points. The team edged out Team Quitena, based on time, who also released two blue marlin. After one day of fishing, Team Pocket Aces took the lead in the Overall Billfish Release Points Jackpot, while Team Wild Hooker lead the Overall Team Division standings with 660 points.

Team Tejas and angler Mike Darden weighed a 158.6-pound yellowfin tuna to win the Heaviest Tuna Daily Jackpot. Angler Mark Chiavetta, on the Bill Collector 2, won the Wahoo Daily Jackpot with his 29.2-pound catch. Nobody in the fleet captured a dorado that surpassed the 25-pound minimum. Since nobody won the Dorado Daily jackpot, the jackpot’s cash and prizes rolled over into the final day of fishing.

Day one of fishing at the 2019 Los Cabos Billfish Tournament was canceled due to dangerous weather conditions, leaving teams to battle it out over two days instead of three. The tournament will award more than $780,000 in cash and prizes to fishing teams catching the largest marlin, tuna, wahoo and dorado, as well as the top three billfish-release-points teams and daily high-point-release teams.

The Los Cabos Billfish Tournament is hosted by the Los Cabos Tourism Board, and produced by Bonnier Events, in partnership with Marlin, Sport Fishing and Salt Water Sportsman magazines.

The 2019 Los Cabos Billfish Tournament sponsors include Los Cabos Tourism, Lucas Oil Marine Products, AFTCO Fishing, YETI, Garmin Marine, Playa Grande Resort and Grand Spa, The Marina at Puerto Los Cabos, King Sailfish Mounts, marine artist Carey Chen, Viking Yachts, Galati Yacht Sales, Arnian Freight Logistics, FONATUR, FONMAR, API Cabo San Lucas, Marina Fundadores, Fisherman’s Landing, Maui Jim sunglasses, Marlin magazine, Sport Fishing magazine, Salt Water Sportsman magazine, United Yacht Transportation, Columbia, Shimano Fishing, Penn Fishing, Accurate Fishing, IWS Scales, Soundview Millworks, JABSCO Rule, Gaviotas Sport Fishing Fleet, Marino’s Coffee Shop, Hilton’s Realtime Navigator and BFD Big Game Lures.