Bisbee's Black & BlueMarine Weather — Cabo San Lucas
The Bisbee's Black & Blue 2026 runs Oct 19–24, 2026 out of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Here is the zone-by-zone conditions outlook in the lead-up to tournament week.
Tournament Location
Inshore at Land's End, midshore over Golden Gate Bank, offshore at San Jaime Bank — the fleet fishes a wide band of water from the marina out to the Pacific banks, so this page reads all three zones separately rather than giving one coastwide number. The live day-by-day GO / CAUTION / NO-GO cards are up top; here is the context and the latest one-line outlook for each.
San Jaime Bank
OffshoreWhere the tournament is decided — San Jaime Bank. Pan and zoom the chart, and switch layers to read the water.
Cabo San Lucas
22.870, -109.900
The marina at Land's End, where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez — every tournament day launches here.
Only Tuesday offers a workable window; rest of week unsafe
This is a mixed week where timing is everything: Tuesday holds a long settled window good enough for the 12-hour trip, but Wednesday and Thursday build into large, confused swell that rules out any safe departure. Confidence is moderate (64-68%) across the period, with wind gusts diverging significantly in the model guidance for all three days.
Cabo San Lucas — Tuesday, Sep 29 · CAUTION
Tuesday is the pick of the week, holding a long settled window from about 9:00 AM onward that's easily long enough for a 12-hour trip, with light 8-12 knot WSW-to-SW winds and 4-5 feet seas at 9-second periods from the SW - a comfortable, well-organized sea. However, the early morning hours (midnight to 8:00 AM) feature a confused cross-sea where SSW swell crosses W wind-wave, creating awkward, uncomfortable motion with no single good heading, so plan to depart after 9:00 AM rather than at first light. Confidence is moderate (67%) with wind gusts diverging in the models, so keep an eye on gust forecasts as you finalize plans.
Cabo San Lucas — Wednesday, Sep 30 · NO-GO
Wednesday is a NO-GO with no settled all-GO stretch long enough for a 12-hour trip. Seas build steadily through the day from around 4-5 feet at midnight to nearly 11 feet by late evening, running at long 10-11 second periods from the SSE, while winds shift from light N/NE to a peak near 12 knots from the E/NNE with gusts up to 21 knots. Although the brief overnight hours before 3:00 AM show a short lull, it's far too short to support the trip - the building SSE swell and diverging wind-gust guidance (0% confidence) make this a day to stay in port.
Cabo San Lucas — Thursday, Oct 1 · NO-GO
Thursday is a clear NO-GO, with large SSE swell holding between 11-14 feet at 10-second periods all day long combined with NNE winds reaching 13-15 knots and gusts up to 26 knots - dangerous, punishing conditions for any recreational vessel. Adding to the hazard, 1.11in of rain is expected, further reducing visibility and comfort. There is no viable window this day; boaters should plan to stay ashore entirely.
Golden Gate Bank
22.980, -110.180
A seamount rising from the Tinaje Trough about 17 nautical miles west-northwest; upwelling stacks bait and holds blue marlin and tuna on the run out.
Big swell all three days — no safe 12-hour window found
Persistent long-period swell holds waves near or above 9-13 feet through the entire three-day period, with only brief lulls that never last long enough to fit a 12-hour trip. Winds stay light to moderate throughout, but sea state alone rules out safe passage on every day analyzed.
Golden Gate Bank — Tuesday, Sep 29 · NO-GO
Tuesday is a NO-GO with no settled all-GO stretch long enough for a 12-hour trip. Winds stay light and favorable all day, only 4-9 knots from the WNW/W/NW with gusts up to 19 knots by afternoon, but wave heights are the problem - starting the day at a rough 9.2 feet at 8-second periods from the west and only easing to around 5.7-6.6 feet at 9-second periods from the WSW by evening, still in the caution zone rather than clearing to good. Model confidence is moderate at 68%, with wind gusts showing some disagreement between models, but the wave picture is consistent enough to be confident this day does not support a full 12-hour outing.
Golden Gate Bank — Wednesday, Sep 30 · NO-GO
Wednesday is a NO-GO with no settled all-GO stretch for the trip. Winds are very light all day, generally 1-8 knots from the N/NNE/NE, but a long-period SSW to SSE swell builds steadily from about 5.8 feet at 9-second periods overnight to over 10 feet at 11-second periods from the SSE by late evening, keeping wave conditions in caution or outright bad territory the entire day. Confidence is fairly high at 80% on the wave buildup, so this is a day to sit out regardless of the pleasant-looking wind numbers.
Golden Gate Bank — Thursday, Oct 1 · NO-GO
Thursday is a NO-GO with no settled all-GO stretch long enough for the trip, and confidence is low at just 52% given significant model disagreement on wind speed and gusts. Waves build through the day from about 10.5 feet to nearly 13 feet at 10-second periods from the SSE, while ENE winds climb from 9 knots to 13-14 knots with gusts escalating sharply to 25-29 knots by midday and staying elevated into the evening. The combination of large swell and strong gusty wind makes this the most hazardous day of the period, and the low forecast confidence adds further reason for caution.
San Jaime Bank
22.720, -110.220
The deep bluewater bank about 20 nautical miles west-southwest where the trophy blue and black marlin are won.
Big swell and rising winds keep all three days a no-go
Persistent large west swell on Tuesday gives way to building seas and strengthening wind through Wednesday and Thursday, with Thursday bringing near-gale conditions and 14-15 foot seas. No day holds a long enough clean stretch to safely run a 12-hour trip, so this entire period is a no-go for recreational boating.
San Jaime Bank — Tuesday, Sep 29 · NO-GO
Wind stays light and pleasant all day, easing from 13 knots SW overnight down to 7-10 knots WSW to WNW by afternoon with gusts no higher than 17 knots, and confidence in this wind forecast is high. The problem is the sea state: a long-period 6.0-8.8 foot swell at 8-9 seconds rolls in from the west and WSW all day, easing only slightly toward evening but never dropping into a safe range, so wave conditions are rated bad for nearly the entire day and only inch into caution territory after 7:00 PM. With no settled all-GO stretch long enough for a 12-hour trip, this remains a no-go day despite the calm winds - the swell alone makes it unsafe for recreational vessels.
San Jaime Bank — Wednesday, Sep 30 · NO-GO
Wind is manageable through the day, starting around 11-13 knots N and dropping to a very light 6-8 knots N to NE by midday, but it swings hard by late evening, jumping to 16-20 knots NE/ENE with gusts up to 29 knots as a new system moves in - and model agreement on those gusts is essentially nonexistent, adding real uncertainty to the overnight numbers. Waves are the dominant hazard all day, building steadily from 6.2 feet up to nearly 12 feet at 10-11 second periods, shifting from SW swell early to SSE/SE swell by evening; this is a confused, building sea state that stays in the bad category around the clock. With wave conditions rated bad for all 24 hours, there is no settled all-GO stretch anywhere in the day, making this a firm no-go.
San Jaime Bank — Thursday, Oct 1 · NO-GO
This is the most dangerous day of the period. Wind builds through the morning to a sustained 19-25 knots E to ENE with gusts consistently in the 28-32 knots range by afternoon and evening, and both wind speed and gusts show heavy model disagreement, meaning actual conditions could run even higher than shown. Seas are enormous and unrelenting, climbing from 12.2 feet at the start of the day to a peak of 15.0 feet at 9-10 second periods out of the SE, still short-period enough relative to that height to produce steep, punishing wave faces. Every hour of the day is rated bad for waves and mostly bad-to-caution for wind, so there is no window at any point today - this is a clear no-go, and recreational vessels should stay in port.
The AI fishing report for Cabo San Lucas
Weather tells you whether you can go. DeepCast reads the SST breaks, chlorophyll edges, and bottom structure for the exact waters the fleet fishes — inshore, midshore, and offshore — and turns them into a plain-English fishing report, the same AI reports built into the SeaLegs AI app.
Get the AI-powered fishing reportAbout Bisbee's Black & Blue
- DatesOct 19–24, 2026
- Host portCabo San Lucas, Mexico — the Cabo San Lucas Marina at Land's End
- The runCabo San Lucas out to the Pacific banks — Golden Gate (~17 nm WNW) and San Jaime (~20 nm WSW)
- Target speciesBlue & black marlin (the two jackpot species) — plus yellowfin tuna, dorado, and wahoo.
The Bisbee's Black & Blue Marlin Jackpot is the richest marlin tournament in the world, run out of Cabo San Lucas at the tip of Baja California Sur, Mexico. Each October the fleet launches from the marina at Land's End — where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez — and runs the offshore banks chasing the two jackpot species, blue and black marlin.
Blue marlin dominate the winner's board — the event record is a 993-pounder, and the 2025 jackpot fell to a 459 lb blue. A big black marlin is the trophy bonus: real and eligible, as the 634 lb black that took 2024 proved, but far less predictable than the blues and not an everyday staple. Yellowfin tuna, dorado (mahi-mahi), and wahoo round out what's biting in October.
Because the fleet fishes a wide band of water — from Land's End out to the Golden Gate and San Jaime banks — this page reads conditions across three zones at once: inshore at the point, midshore over Golden Gate, and offshore at San Jaime. Each zone gets a plain GO, CAUTION, or NO-GO call, updated every morning from the latest marine model data — the same AI rating used in the SeaLegs AI app.
Making the run from Cabo out to the banks
The run out of Cabo is short by canyon-tournament standards — the productive banks sit roughly 17 to 20 nautical miles off Land's End — but it is open Pacific water. The same point where the Pacific swell wraps the cape can stand the sea up steep when wind runs against the current, which is why the three-zone read matters: a calm morning at the point says little about what San Jaime is doing by mid-afternoon.
Golden Gate Bank (about 17 nautical miles west-northwest) and San Jaime Bank (about 20 nautical miles west-southwest) are seamounts rising from the Tinaje Trough, where upwelling stacks bait — sardine, mackerel, and squid — and concentrates marlin, tuna, and dorado over the structure. Mid-to-late October is peak for Cabo's big blue and black marlin, with water in the upper-70s to low-80s °F, which is why Bisbee's runs its Black & Blue then. Weight swell period alongside height, plan the whole fishing day rather than just the departure, and always confirm the official marine forecast and warnings before you leave the dock — this page is a planning aid, not a substitute for them.
Bisbee's Black & Blue forecast FAQ
What are the marine conditions at Cabo San Lucas today?
As of Sep 29, 2026: Cabo San Lucas / Land's End — CAUTION; Golden Gate Bank — NO-GO; San Jaime Bank — NO-GO. Every rating is rebuilt each morning from the latest marine model data.
When and where is Bisbee's Black & Blue?
Bisbee's Black & Blue Marlin Jackpot runs out of Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico, with the 2026 edition scheduled for October 19–24. The fleet launches from the marina at Land's End and fishes the offshore banks — principally Golden Gate, about 17 nautical miles west-northwest, and San Jaime, about 20 nautical miles west-southwest.
Which fish count in the Black & Blue?
The jackpot is a blue and black marlin tournament — those are the two eligible species. Blue marlin dominate the winners (the event record is 993 pounds), while a big black marlin is the trophy bonus: eligible, but far less predictable than the blues. Yellowfin tuna, dorado, and wahoo are also biting in October but are not jackpot species. (Striped marlin run the area too, but their peak is winter and spring and they are not a Black & Blue species.)
Why does Bisbee's run in October?
Mid-to-late October is the peak of Cabo's big blue and black marlin bite, when the water sits in the upper-70s to low-80s °F and the banks stack bait. That seasonal window is why the tournament is scheduled then.
How often is this forecast updated?
The three-zone board is rebuilt every morning from the latest marine model data, and each SpotCast card refreshes live in your browser. The date stamp above the outlook shows exactly when it was last generated.
What do GO, CAUTION, and NO-GO mean?
GO means conditions are favorable for most recreational offshore boats. CAUTION means marginal — manageable for experienced crews in capable vessels, but check the wind, swell period, and timing closely. NO-GO means conditions are hazardous for small craft and the trip is best postponed.
Can I get a forecast for my own bank numbers?
Yes. In the free SeaLegs AI app you can drop a pin on any spot on Earth — the Golden Gate, San Jaime, your own bank numbers, or the point at Land's End — and get the same AI-rated marine forecast and trip planning, rated GO / CAUTION / NO-GO.
More forecasts
Get this forecast for your own spot
Drop a pin on any spot on planet Earth in the free SeaLegs AI app — AI marine forecasts, fishing reports, and trip planning, rated GO / CAUTION / NO-GO.
📍 Get a Marine Forecast Near You →or download directly: