Journeyman Crowned Champion of San Blas Fishing Tournament Rafael Torres Meyer - CVB of Riviera Nayarit
June 4, 2012

The three day fishing tournament at San Blas held competitors in suspense until the final moments.

Hector Romero of the Morelos boat led on the opening day of the 52nd Annual San Blas Tournament. After battling with engine problems, the crew of Morelos went after some marlin toward Jaltemba Bay, but the fish weren't taking the bait. It was not until around 1:00 in the afternoon in the direction of Guayabitos when they brought the prize sailfish of 25.4 kilograms (about 56 lbs) to the boat after a 25 minute fight.

Earlier that day at 11:30 am, Miguel Sierra of Acapayapan had submitted his sailfish weighing in at 25.1 kg (about 55 lbs), which was caught in the same area placing him in second place for the day.

The trophy dorado (mahi mahi) for the day was caught by Peter Abud on the Relax, weighing in at 10.9 kg (about 24 lbs). The crew of Tornell came in as second place with their catch of only 100 grams smaller.

On the second day of fishing, Journeyman took the lead with an impressive 37.9 kg (about 83 lbs) sailfish. The Lucky Day brought in a dorado of 17.1 kg, taking the lead in that category. Giallo submitted the prize marlin weighing in at 95.6 kg (about 210 lbs).

The last day of fishing took place on Sunday, June 3, with the Californians on Journeyman retaining the lead in the sailfish category. In preparation for the tournament, the Journeyman has been docked at La Cruz de Huanacaxtle for the past six months, where they fished every day. The crew, from San Diego, commented "This has been the most entertaining six months that we have had and the fishing in Riviera Nayarit is much better than our Southern California waters. We've made new friends and learned a lot, won a truck and will return home happy."

Mark Martin, heading the crew of the Ana Maria, is well-known in the Riviera Nayarit area. They held the marlin record for 2011 with a 235.8 kg (almost 519 lbs) and also brought in the prize marlin in the La Cruz de Huanacaxtle tournament. On Sunday, they earned first and third prize in the dorado category with catches of 17.9 kg and 14.5 kg. Mark says "This year we didn't get the marlin because the water is still too cold, but we are happy to catch the winning dorados which both hit the bait at the same time."

The marlin category winner was caught on Saturday by Giallo, winning them a Nissan Versa Sense 2012.

Final Results and Prizes:

Pez Vela (Sailfish)
1. Journeyman - 37.900 - Nayarit Prize - Nissan Frontier Truck 2012, Dinner for 2 at Las Pampas Restaurant, Commemorative trophy.
2. Corona Fishing Team - 33.000 - Riviera Nayarit Prize - Nissan March Sense Auto 2012, Dinner for 2 at Las Pampas Restaurant, Polarized Sunglasses, Commemorative trophy.
3. Calypso - 30.600 - Marina Turistica - Nissan March Sense Auto 2012, Commemorative trophy.
4. Brisa - 28.400 - Zaragoza Marine - Professional Sportfishing Equipment, Commemorative trophy.

Dorado (Mahi Mahi)
1. Ana María - 17.900 - Pacifico Prize - Nissan Versa Sense 2012, Dinner for 2 at Las Pampas Restaurant, Commemorative trophy.
2. Lucky Day - 17.100 - Coca Cola Prize - Professional Sportfishing Equipment, Dinner for 2 at Las Pampas Restaurant, Polarized Sunglasses, Commemorative trophy.
3. Ana María - 14.500 - La Cevicheria Prize - Professional Sportfishing Equipment, Vacation Package at San Carlos Hotel, Commemorative trophy.
4. Relax - 10.900 - Marival Prize - Professional Sportfishing Equipment, Commemorative trophy.

Marlin
1. Giallo - 95.600 - Banamex Prize - Nissan Versa Sense 2012, Dinner for 2 at Las Pampas Restaurant, Commemorative trophy.

The 52nd Annual Tournament was a great success and they hope you can join the fun next year.

Translated by Team Angels

About Riviera Nayarit: Mexico’s newest destination, Riviera Nayarit, stretches along 192 miles of pristine Pacific coast framed by the majestic Sierra Madre Mountains just ten minutes north of accessible Puerto Vallarta International Airport. The region extends along the entire coast of the Pacific state of Nayarit including the resorts of Nuevo Vallarta, the historic colonial town of San Blas, exclusive Punta Mita, picturesque fishing villages, miles of serene beaches and spectacular Banderas Bay. Riviera Nayarit offers countless activities, all pleasantly affordable, such as: PGA golf courses, luxury spas, whale watching, turtle release, zip lining, surfing, record deep sea fishing, bird watching, international cuisine, and shopping for local artwork and traditional Huichol handicrafts. The region attracts and satisfies vacationers of all tastes and budgets with its wide range of accommodations including chic luxury resorts, eco-tourism boutique hotels and quaint B&B inns. Visit the website at RivieraNayarit.com.