The rods are up, the bait is ready, the conditions are favorable and the boats are ready for the starting honk. On the horizon, the infinity of the Atlantic and a common objective: the search for the long-awaited Blue Weevil. The competition in the third edition of the Open International Deep Sea Fishing Gran Canaria starts this Friday, August 25, once again under the catch and release philosophy and with the presence of 39 boats, including foreign, national and also from other islands of the Archipelago, and which will depart at 9.15:XNUMX a.m. from the marinas of Pasito Blanco, Puerto Rico and Mogán. The international proposal of the traditional Pasito Blanco Fishing Contest is sponsored by Gran Canaria Tourism and the collaboration of the San Bartolomé de Tirajana City Council.
The main Deep Sea Fishing contest on the island, with 34 years of experience by inheriting the tradition of the Pasito Blanco Fishing Contest, convened this Thursday the skippers in a regular meeting, which served to communicate the ins and outs of the competition and , unlike in recent editions, no longer requires the preventive measures that were adopted in health matters. The International Open presents an ambitious proposal in a structure that is joined by the marinas of Mogán and Puerto Rico, in addition to the aforementioned Pasito Blanco, and that maintains its main philosophy and sporting spirit, being one of the first fishing championships. in making the catch and release concept its own, which was imposed in Gran Canaria through this initiative even before the IGFA regulations itself required it for the international fleet.
“It is estimated that nine million Europeans fish for pleasure and that recreational fishing in Europe generates around 10.000 billion euros of economic activity, supporting nearly 10.000 jobs. Many of these fans plan their vacation period based on the destination's sports offer, as the ideal complement to their summer plans and for us, as a seaside destination with infinite possibilities, it is important to position ourselves and also value this segment of our destination and thereby attract new customers with higher spending. Furthermore, it is a very powerful tool in the commitment we are making to attract North American clients who have shown us a significant interest in this type of products,” said Carlos Álamo, Minister of Tourism.
“We are very happy with the commitment that is being made to give visibility to this contest and this sport, which is very beautiful and has the element of the release of the catch,” said Manuel Ramírez, member of the organizing committee of the event.
For his part, Francisco Torres, director of the Pasito Blanco Marina and director of the Open, explained that it is a weekend with good conditions for fishing. “A lot of fishing has been seen, including Blue Marlin, and we hope to have an edition with good catches and releases. We have 39 boats this year, with extensive regional and foreign participation and we have exceeded the number of registered in the Children's Competition that we held this Friday,” Torres explained.
This year, the International Open presents a fleet made up of 39 boats, five of which are foreign, as they are charter boats hired on the Island. In addition, this edition will once again have boats from Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Tenerife, as well as several boats from Las Palms of Gran Canaria.
One more year, the blue marlin is once again the star. This species will be the most sought after, since capturing a specimen is rewarded with 400 points; and the white marlin with 50 points. In the case of tuna, which exceed 25 kilos and are not red, fishermen will receive one point per kilo.
The type of fishing in the contest, true to custom, is trolling, using artificial samples or live or dead bait mounted exclusively on circular hooks. Pieces are captured, marked and released, strictly following IGFA rules.
The International Open will have a social event, at a dinner that will accompany the awards ceremony and will take place on Saturday night, in a format that guarantees compliance with health protocols. In addition, the usual children's championship will be held in the inland waters of the Puerto de Pasito.
