We’re back! Tuna Jackpot Revs Up for 2020Sign-ups grow and jackpot optional pots swell as 22nd Annual WON Los Cabos Jackpot loomsAt least 120 teams expected to compete over two days of fishing for tuna, wahoo and dorado and BIG MONEY! It will be a different kind of Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot tournament with new sites and no large gatherings or parties.Weigh-ins will be featured real time on Facebook Live and CatchStat.com

CABO SAN LUCAS – The fishing has been fantastic for all the target species of the 22nd Annual WON Cabo Tuna Jackpot Nov. 4-7 and a steady flow of new entries has already pushed the cash payout to the $300,000 mark and growing.

This mythical party town has been open to travel to and from the U.S. for months now under strict COVID protocols and is expected to soon shift into the yellow phase thatwould increase restaurant and bar capacities.

“Obviously people have been holding onto their charters, waiting to see how things progress in Cabo San Lucas,” said longtime tournament director Pat McDonell. “And as thecash pot grows it will attract more of the big guns that go across the board. We usually get a lot of sign-ups in the last couple weeks from the locals and the big players.”

Great fishing and great parties are the norm for this iconic event that hasn’t let even hurricanes dampen the proceedings.

While the year 2020 is definitely a challenge, the local government and the tournament organizations have worked together to make the fall tournament season both safeand fun.

What other changes will we see in a few weeks at the 22nd annual WON Cabo Tuna Jackpot? Quite a few.

The big parties along the malecon fronting longtime sponsors Tesoro Resort, Solomon’s Restaurant, Capt. Tony’s, Baja Cantina and the cruise ship pier just aren’t going tohappen this year.

Enterprising Tuna Jackpot teams are experienced at making their own fun in Cabo and all your old friends are eager to see you. To help out, every team member will begiven two (2) $20 vouchers that can be used at Capt. Tony’s, Solomon’s and Baja Cantina for everything food and drink except tips.

“While we all love parties and wish we could host them, we are still talking about Cabo San Lucas here,” said longtime director Pat McDonell. “Our primary goal is to have afair and fun tournament and give out a ton of prizes and money and raise money for charity in the process. But this year we have a priority and that is to host a tournamentwithin the government’s strict health protocols, not just to protect ourselves but also the fishing crews and people of Cabo.

“The fishing is right on track, with 200-pound tuna showing at the scales to open the month of October, along with massive numbers of 60 to 100 pounders,” he added. “Abonus is the dorado are bigger this year, and the wahoo are biting right now. “

McDonell acknowledged the tournament will be very different from past years, starting with the check-in procedure.

Check-in will held over parts of two days Tuesday and Wednesday at the second floor balcony of the Galati Yacht office, located next to Capt. Tony’s.

The Captains Meeting will be on Facebook Live. The pair of usually wild and crowded weigh-ins will be isolated, but able to be viewed on Facebook Live both days 3 p.m.to 6:30 p.m. (All Facebook Live feeds will be on the Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot Facebook page).

Daily updates and photos will also be posted on the WONews.com and WON Facebook streams as well as Cabotunajackpot.CatchStat.com and the CatchStat app.

The 2020 Tuna Jackpot all starts at Check-in, and there are essentially two of them, from 1-4 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon and from 1 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Both will beheld at the upstairs second floor Galati Yacht office balcony. The building is next to Capt. Tony’s and staff members will be at the entrance to the stairway. Place numberswill be handed out.

ONLY ONE TEAM REPRESENTATIVE is allowed upstairs to check-in and must have completed waivers for all team members.

Tuesday’s early check-in is from 1 to 4 p.m. for teams with no roster changes. Staff on the balcony will give out team packets, official tourney hats, Gamakatsu dry bagbackpacks and hooks, official flags, Berkley ProSpec line, Berkley official tournament shirts, Seaguar fluorocarbon and other sponsors items.

That check-in scenario will be repeated on Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 6:30 or until all teams are registered.

“All the teams can come to the area of the marlin sculpture between Solomon’s Landings Restaurant and Capt. Tony’s, of course, but only one team member will beallowed to come upstairs, all waiver forms in hand,” said McDonell. “We will call out and post numbers, so there will be no need for lines under the hot sun.”

Waivers are available for download under the Info tab at CaboTunaJackpot.CatchStat.com. Teams will be sent the waiver by Lori Twilegar (lori@wonews.com) as part oftheir confirmation. There will be some extra forms at the entrance to the stairs. Get them filled out early, you must have them!

“There will be masks required at check-in and on all tournament boats and we will do required temperature checks at both check-ins as well. We hope people understandit’s for everyone’s safety and peace of mind.”

While the Friday Fiesta and the Awards Dinner had to be eliminated, the Drawings and Contests will continue to provide competitors and friends a good time. Longtimefavorite side contests including Show Us Your Costas, Kingfisher Guess The Winning Weight, National Rental Car Sticker, Fishworks Best Dressed, and the Smiles GrandRaffle will go on. Sign-ups for the contests will be available in the area of Capt. Tony’s during the check-ins at tables run by the Smiles Foundation, which will also behosting a silent auction. This is not an official tournament area, still we ask that masks be worn at all times and distancing be observed.

The Captains Meeting will be broadcast on Facebook Live Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. from the balcony of the Galati Yacht office as check-in winds down. Teams areresponsible for listening in because we will be going over some rules, site change updates and we will be open to questions. Just type them in. 6 p.m. sharp if you want tolisten and watch live.

There will be a Cabo Escape/Smiles Costa Start Boat charity private charter, with a limit of 100 tickets per day to be sold during check-in hours at tables at or near Capt.Tony’s by SmilesInternationalFoundation.org personnel. The cost is $40. The generous Wild Tours folks will host the two-hour charters from 6-8 a.m. out of their beautifulcruise facility, all to benefit Smiles. Be aware the Cabo Escape will depart from the Wild Tours dock across the marina, so plan on a long walk or take a taxi to the maleconarea in front of the Breathless Hotel.

Because official tournament start boats are limited to two tourney personnel and three Mexican officials to shoot off the flare and contact the boats both days, the PiscesContessa yacht will be the “official” start boat, but teams will still be asked to go by the Cabo Escape to show off their stickers, their team numbers for photos, and say helloto their friends aboard the Wild Tours party boat. And don’t forget to Show Us Your Costas!

The Gray Taxidermy Weigh-in will be held at the Pisces’ Marina Del Rey marina, fuel dock and weigh station located near the harbor entrance close to the publicbeach/turnaround. It is a perfect marina site for a weigh-in with plenty of room for weighing fish, ramps, docks, and slips, as well as internet, which will be needed for the 3to 6:30 p.m. Facebook Live broadcast both days.

“There are a lot of plus sides to this new location — it will be great for teams coming in with fish with plenty of dock room to dock and wait to weigh, and it’s right at the harbor entrance so we won’t have disputes on the 6 p.m. deadline, said Tournament Director McDonell. “While there can be no crowds watching due to health concerns,the live broadcasts on Facebook will likely be entertaining. We hope the bars in Cabo will be showing it! And your catchstat.com app will provide up-to-the minute weightsand scoring.”

The other weigh-in alteration is that unless protocols change, only one team member can come up to the weigh-in with the fish brought by the tourney dock staff. Afterphotos, the fish will be brought back to the boat for a full team photo with the fish and a team scoreboard.

“As always, the fish can be donated to a local church, or processed by calling Gricelda’s Smokehouse on the radio,” said McDonell. “We expect a smoother, and longerweigh-in because of the live broadcast, interviews for it, and the second photo sessions at the boat.”

Again, the live feed will be on the Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot Facebook page. There is a link to the page on www.loscabostunajackpot.com. Go ahead and like us now!

Because no government agency will allow any kind of large dinner, and photos of teams are even restricted to one photographer at an isolated spot, the photos of teamswho won money will be taken with their checks, special championship clothing and carved hook trophies will be conducted on the Galati Yacht balcony in the lateafternoon Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m. The winning teams will be notified of their photo session time.

Finally, under the boat capacity protocols for the tourney as of early October, the following is allowed for crew, anglers and guests at the Tuna Jackpot. How youconfigure your roster and add guests is up to you. Remember that guests cannot fish. Crew members can be on the roster.

—20-24ft: 2 anglers, 2 crew, no guests—26-30ft: 3 anglers, 2 crew, no guests—31-55ft: 4 anglers, 2 crew, 1 guest—56-70ft: 4 anglers, 2 crew, 2 guests

All teams will be given a list of health protocols for the boats at check-in. Passengers are required to wear long sleeve shirts, closed-toe shoes and a mask or buff.

INFORMATION! Be sure to see updates on our Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot Facebook page. For any questions about the tournament signup procedure, contact Lori Twilegarat lori@wonews.com. To contact Tournament Director Pat McDonell about the event itself, email at patm@wonews.com for a prompt response. And be sure to get thelatest information on the tourney via our new catchstat.com app on Apple and Android devices and the website www.cabotunajackpot.catchstat.com