Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - You don't have to be rich to enter the 11th Annual Los Muertos Beach Fishing Tournament! Scheduled to take place on Friday and Saturday, November 9 and 10, this fun and friendly fishing competition has attracted anglers from all over Mexico for the last 10 years.
The tournament began back in 2007, when a group of friends decided to determine which of them was the best fishermen. With a total of 20 boats entering the contest for just $50 pesos each, the Los Muertos Beach Fishing Tournament was born - and soon became an annual tradition. Over the years it has become so popular that, in 2017, 103 boats registered to compete in the 10th edition of this one-of-a-kind fishing tournament.
If you are into great sportfishing, but don't have a lot of money to enter the professional fishing tournaments held in and around Banderas Bay, this is the one for you! The 11th Annual Los Muertos Beach Fishing Tournament has an entry fee of just $3000 pesos per boat, and any type of boat can enter the competition.
But, wait, there's more! Whether you are fishing from a panga or a yacht, the number of anglers on your team is only limited by your boat's capacity.
To participate in the 11th Playa Los Muertos Fishing Tournament, all boats must register at the booth on the beach in front of the San Marino Hotel, where more information, tournament logistics, exit permits, and event souvenirs will be distributed from 5:00 to 10:00 pm on Friday, November 9. The easiest way to get to the registration booth is from Francisca Rodriguez, the closed street that leads from Olas Altas to Los Muertos Pier on the south side of Puerto Vallarta.
The tournament begins at 7:00 am on November 10th, when participating fishermen board their boats and head out to sea to "reel in the big one" in the Marlin, Sailfish, Dorado, Tuna and Open Water categories. All boats must return to shore no later than 3:00 pm, which is when each boat's catch is weighed. Minimum weights in each category are as follows:
• Dorado: 7 KG
• Sailfish: 25 KG
• Marlin: 60 KG
• Tuna: 5 KG
• Open Water: No Weight Limit
The first place winner of each category will win a portion of the registration fees. Second and Third place winners will receive in-kind prizes.
The cash prizes, like every year, consist of 85% of the money collected for registration fees (15% is used for event logistics) so, with more than 100 boats expected to participate this year, the amount to be distributed among the First Place winners could be in excess of $200,000 pesos.
After the winners have been determined and prizes are awarded, a fiesta will be held with all of the fish caught in the tournament cooked on the beach and served free to the public. This is the party of the year on Playa Los Muertos, so don't miss it!
For more information (in Spanish), visit torneodepescaplayalosmuertos.com, or the Facebook event page.