istoric, epic, on fire, off the charts: No matter how you choose to describe it, there’s no doubt that last year’s 25th anniversary of the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament showcased an incredible striped marlin bite. Over three exhilarating days, the tournament record for billfish releases was first broken and then crushed, spindled and mutilated, as 42 teams released a staggering total of 583 striped marlin, seven blue marlin and three sailfish. This number nearly quadrupled the previous tournament release record of 150 billfish, which was set in 2018. The top team won it all with an astounding 140 striped marlin releases; second place tallied 130 and it took 120 releases in three days just to make the third-place spot on the leaderboard. That’s a wide-open marlin bite. ¶ While the numbers vary from season to season, there is no doubt that Los Cabos, Mexico, has rightfully earned a reputation as one of the world’s top destinations for all types of billfish. The total number of blue, black and striped marlin caught there each season is unparalleled, and it continues to attract anglers from around the world. But it wasn’t always like that. This region, which includes bustling Cabo San Lucas as well as the more laid-back San Jose del Cabo just up the road—now connected by a highway lined with luxurious resorts and immaculate golf courses known as the Los Cabos Corridor—was once quite different. The 1970s was the coming-of-age decade that would see this area grow from a dusty fishing village to the world-class destination it is today.