Anglers/teams from over 30 countries competing

DANIA BEACH, Fla., USA ??? Six anglers on three teams from California will compete in the eighth annual IGFA Offshore World Championship, May 20 ??? 25, off the southern tip of Mexico's Baja peninsula at Cabo San Lucas.

In less than a decade the International Game Fish Association event has become the most prestigious catch-and-release billfishing tournament in the world hosting the single largest contingent of international teams ever to compete in a fishing competition.

The California contingent include Sam Spinello and Michael Colton, both of Indian Wells on the 47th Annual Hawaiian Int'l Billfish Tournament team; David Ogle, Los Altos; Rick Bothmer, Palm Desert, and Bill Evans, Hillsboro of the TAA Eastcape Billfish Tournament, and Rock Franich, Watsonville, on the TAA Ixtapa Sailfish team.?? Anglers on a 64 teams from 30 countries on six continents are expected including 45 teams representing?? tournaments in the countries and territories of Angola (4), Australia (3), the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda (2), Brazil (2), Canada (2), Costa Rica (2), England, ??Italy (4), Jamaica, Kenya (2), Kingdom of Tonga, Mexico (6), New Zealand,?? Panama, Portugal, St. Lucia, Senegal, Spain (3), Sultanate of Oman, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks and Caicos, Vanuatu and Venezuela. Other anglers are coming from Singapore, the Canary Islands, Ireland and Holland. The U.S. will have 17 teams.

Each of the four days the teams will fish on a different boat, all guided by local Cabo captains, for marlin and other billfish. The top team will win engraved watches along with trophies and merchandise.?? Awards are presented through to the third place finishing team.

This year's registered teams qualified by winning one of the132 IGFA sanctioned tournaments held in 40 countries worldwide during 2006.

Updated information can be found on the IGFA web site at www.igfa.org under the fishing tab on the home page by clicking "tournaments," along with daily results.

Partners and sponsors for the IGFA Offshore World Championship are Secretaria de Turismo de Baja California Sur, Costa Del Mar, Hotel Finisterra, Momoi, Guy Harvey, Inc., Mold Craft Products, Picante Sport Fishing and Yacht Sales, Cabo Yachts, Outdoor Channel, K D & G Sea Life Masterpieces, Shimano, Hook & Tackle, Murray Products, AFTCO Bluewater, Bodo Muche, IWS Scales, King Sailfish Mounts, Stidd Systems, Corona and Modelo S.A. de C.V. Mexico, Trans Cabo Group, API Dock, Daiichi, Minerva's Baja Tackle, Pisces Fleet Sportfishing and UltraJewels.

Founded in 1939 the IGFA is a not-for-profit organization committed to the conservation of game fish and promotion of responsible, ethical angling practices through science, education, rule making and record keeping.?? IGFA members are located in over 125 countries and territories. The IGFA welcomes visitors to its 60,000-square-foot interactive Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum in Dania Beach, Florida.

Contact: Pete Johnson,
Johnson Communications, Inc.
Scottsdale, Ariz. 85267
480-951-3654 (ph) 480-951-0040 (fax)
JohnsonCom@aol.com(e-mail)