La Voz de la Frontera
May 25, 2015
By Laura Elena Aguayo
Last weekend San Felipe hosted the first annual sport fishing tournament Fishing Baja 2015, attended by 114 people, and promoted by the Ministry of Fisheries State and Aquaculture (SEPESCA) as a tourist activity.
This is a record attendance figure for official competitions of this kind, and surpassed almost two-thirds of those held in 2014. It is recognized as a major area of opportunity for economic development, attracting residents from south California, Mexicali, Tijuana and Ensenada, and generating major hotel occupancy.
As part of its calendar of activities in the 2015 edition of "Baja Fishing", there will also be tournaments held in San Luis Gonzaga on the 22nd and 23rd of June, in Bahia de los Angeles on the 24th and 25th os July, in San Quentin on the 21st and 22nd of August and the grand finale in Ensenada on the 18th and 19th of September.
The opening ceremony was attended by representatives of the Mexican Navy, the harbor, Municipal Police and the municipal government of Mexicali, led by Victor Alonso Ibanez Esquer, Director of State Fisheries.
The state official said that during this edition of "Baja Fishing", San Luis Gonzaga was added in order to have a greater number of sites that appeal to the followers of this discipline that supports the economy of the outlying towns.
The winners
The first tournament in the adult category was won back Roberto Valadez García, who caught a 43.8 pound baqueta. Second place went to Roberto Valadez Patino who took in another baqueta, this one 43.4 pounds. Third prize went to Rogelio Fontes Ramírez for a specimen of the same species, 30.6 pounds.
Fourth place went to Hector J. Ramirez for a leopard grouper, 17.1 pounds, and Alejandro Gonzalez Coria took fifth place with another leopard grouper at 13.4 pounds.
In the shallow water category for adults, first place went to Emmanuel Ernesto Zepeda Carrillo, who took in a 15.6 pound mackerel. Luciano Solorzano captured another at 14.5 pounds. Marco Antonio Ornelas Diaz brpought in one at slightly more than 11 pounds. Hector J. Ramirez caught a 9.4 pound sierra and Aarón Manuel Rochín Gallardo caught a 9 pound mackerel.
In the category of children's deepwater, the first place went to Ivan Coria, who caught a leopard grouper weighing 10.5 pounds, while David Rochín Torres netted a 4.1 pound target fish.
Children's shallow water saw first place go to Victor Manuel Zazueta Lucero, with a 6.6 pound curvina while second second place went to David Rochín Torres, with a 5.5 pound curvina.
The winners received their awards at an evening ceremony at the pier, in the company of family, friends and visitors who took advantage of the first edition of the Sea Food Festival.