Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - The Bahía de Banderas Sport Fishing Club recently announced that the 10th International Tuna and Marlin Fishing Tournament in Banderas Bay will take place at the Vallarta Yacht Club in the Paradise Village Marina from July 14th through 16th.

Fishing teams of up to four members per boat will register during the Welcome Cocktail at the Vallarta Yacht Club on Thursday, July 14, from 5-9 pm. The team registration fee is $12,000 pesos/boat.

The fishing competition will begin on Friday, July 15, at 7:00 am with the opening ceremony, flag protocol and departures at the Paradise Village Marina. The second day of fishing will begin with open departure times starting at midnight on Saturday, July 16.

The Sportfishing Club has defined five different categories for this year's tournament: the two that give this competition its name - Tuna and Marlin - which offer the biggest prizes (like cash and cars), and the Dorado, Sailfish, and Catch and Release categories with special prizes.

In an effort to protect species, only Marlin of over 80 Kg, Sailfish of more than 25 Kg, Tuna over 30 Kg and Mahi-Mahi over 10 Kg qualify.

Each day's catches will be received at the Paradise Village Marina Hotel 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. The Awards Ceremony will be held at the Paradise Village Marina Amphitheater at 6:30 pm on Saturday, July 16th.

Organizers are hoping that this year competitors will break the tournament's weight records: a Marlin weighing in at 332.3 kilos and a 176 kilo Tuna, which were set in 2007, and subsequently, a record-breaking Sailfish that weighed in at almost 71 kilos. To encourage participants, $25,000 peso cash prizes are being offered for breaking the record in each category.

For a list of all of the 10th Banderas Bay Marlin & Tuna Fishing Tournament prizes up for grabs, click on the 'Tournament' link at the top of the fishingnayarit.com homepage, scroll down to 'Prizes,' then click on each category to see what you can win.

For tournament rules, click HERE.

For tournament registration information, click HERE.

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