Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - The Bahía de Banderas Sport Fishing Club recently announced that the 12th International Tuna and Marlin Fishing Tournament in Banderas Bay will take place at the Vallarta Yacht Club in the Paradise Village Marina from July 26th through 28th.

Fishing teams with up to four members per boat can register online or in person at the Vallarta Yacht Club on Thursday, July 26, from 5-9 pm. The team registration fee is $10,000 pesos/boat.

This year, the Sportfishing Club has defined four different categories: the two that give this competition its name and that offer the biggest prizes (Tuna and Marlin), and Dorado and Sailfish categories with special prizes. There is also an award for best crew.

The fishing competition will begin on Friday, July 27, at 7:00 am with the opening ceremony, flag protocol and departures at the Paradise Village Marina. The second day of fishing will start at 12:01 am on Saturday, July 28.

In keeping with their standards of excellence, the Bahía de Banderas Fishing Club requires all fishermen to comply with their minimum weight standards for catches and encourages them to practice eco-friendly fishing. They strive to protect the species so are only qualifying marlin weighing over 100 kg, sailfish over 25 kg, tuna over 30 kg and mahi-mahi over 10 kg.

Each day's catches will be received at the Paradise Village Marina pier from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Winners will be defined by the weight of the catch in each category. In case of a tie, judging will be based on the fish's size first, its length, and then its lineation. If the tie persists, the fish that was registered first will win. The Awards Ceremony will be held at the Paradise Village Marina Amphitheater on July 28th at 6:30 pm.

All tournament catches will be retained by the fishing club, who will donate the fish to a local non-profit organization for consumption. If a fisherman wants to mount their catch, the specimen's skin will be provided to them.

For a list of 12th Banderas Bay Marlin & Tuna Fishing Tournament prizes, click on the categories on THIS PAGE of the fishingnayarit.com website.

For tournament rules, click HERE.

For tournament pre-registration, click HERE.

To keep up with tournament news and updates, follow Pesca En Badeba on Facebook.