REEL CAST WINS BIG IN LOS CABOS

An unlikely team emerges victorious

- BY SAM WHITE

With 53 teams fishing the 2022 Los Cabos Billfish Tournament, the stage was set for some epic late-fall marlin fishing off the tip of Mexico's Baja Peninsula, where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez. And while there's always an interesting mix of participants-from seasoned pros on multimillion-dollar private rigs to first-timers out for a good time on local charter boats-this year's event produced an unlikely winner amid the backdrop of beautiful scenery that is Cabo San Lucas. "The team fishing on La Chingona, a 46-foot Viking captained by Antonio Bojorquez, started the tournament in a big way when they returned to the weigh station on the first day of fishing with a 349-pound black marlin caught by Sergio Aviles Cota. The big-fish leaderboard had its first entry, and the daily jackpot went to La Chingona." The following day, Capt. Evan Salvay led the team aboard Stella June, a 46-foot Jarrett Bay, to a money fish. Jazz Morehead landed a 389-pound black to take the lead. But it was a temporary celebration; a short while later, Reel Cast pulled into the weigh station. Angler Bill Pino relates the tale: "I had originally met Capt. Zach Morrow during the El Salvador International Billfish Tournament a few years ago. Since then, he followed his passion and bought a charter boat, named it Reel Cast, and relocated his family to Cabo. A few days before the start of the tournament, he asked if I wanted to be a guest because his charter didn't have enough anglers. I said, 'Sure!' and bought my ticket."

Blast off! The tournament gets underway with a shotgun start in front of iconic El Arco.