Riviera Nayarit, Mexico - The International Fishing Tournament of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle enters its second year in 2013, with last year’s competition drawing hundreds of participants from all over the world, including the United States and Canada.

This year’s tournament begins on October 9th and ends on October 13th, featuring 3.5 million pesos in prizes. Scheduled to be held at the Marina Riviera Nayarit in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, this second annual event promises some hot and heavy competition in the sailfish, marlin, tuna and dorado categories.

Riviera Nayarit, the 160 kilometers of coastline that stretches from Nuevo Vallarta to San Blas, is fast becoming known as one of the best fishing destinations in the Americas. Boasting an abundance of marlin and tuna, as well as top game fish such as sailfish, mahi mahi, grouper, red snapper and wahoo, it is the perfect place for fishermen from around the world to test their fishing skills while competing in the Second Annual La Cruz de Huanacaxtle International Fishing Tournament.

According to the Tepic Sports Fishing Club, the organizers of the event, this is the second fishing tournament the club has organized this year - and it's started out on the right foot.

"In this year's San Blas tournament we had 60 participating vessels and it was a record number, the highest in the 52 years since it was created. We've promised to recreate the same ambiance of fellowship and fiesta in the La Cruz Tournament, and now we have new weighing equipment, better logistics, and much more experience behind us," says Francisco Navarrete Buhaya, the coordinator of Fishing Tournaments in Riviera Nayarit.

The registration fee for the 2nd Annual La Cruz Tournament is $19,000 pesos per boat as it was in 2012, but this year the awards have increased significantly, which organizers hope will attract more contestants. According to Navarrete Buhaya, 30 teams have already registered and they are confident they'll meet their goal of registering at least 51 boats.

For spectators, the event is free and open to the public, and the Tepic Sports Fishing Club President Ing. Carlos Menchaca Diaz expects last year's attendance record to be broken. "This a non-profit event to enjoy with friends. Our goal is to promote sport fishing and position the state of Nayarit as one of the world's best places for angling, as its coast offers an abundance of species like marlin and tuna, as well as top game fish such as sailfish, mahi mahi, grouper, red snapper and wahoo," he said.

For more information or to register for the 2nd Annual La Cruz Fishing Tournament, please visit ClubDePescaDeportivaTepic.com.