EARLY BIRD DRAWING: $7,000 last year,
this year it's $15,000 in prizes

Victor Locklin's team won it in 2007; you can be eligible by signing up BEFORE Oct. 15

VICTOR LOCKLIN was pretty happy about being the captain of the team that won the Early Bird drawing, and the sponsors were pretty happy to hand it all out to him on stage. At this past year's Fred Hall Fishing Show in Long Beach in March, Locklin cashed in some of his clothing certificates at the Fishworks booth, with company founder/owner Lawrence Quigley guiding him through the selection process. As Locklin told WON, the months after the Tuna Tourney collecting prizes at retailers was "like Christmas, except it's all the time!"

Why sign up early? If there was ever a year to do it, this is the one. Every team that signs up for the 10th annual Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot by Oct. 15, 2008 will be entered in a drawing for a $15,000 prize package.

"It's double what we had last year," said Chuck Buhagiar, WON's sales and marketing manager. "It's unbelieveable list of prizes. It has airfare, hotel, rods and reel, tackle, gift certificates from retailers and clothing."

The prize package for the winning early bird team is built around the fact each team can consist of four actual team members.

For instance, Mexicana Airlines is giving away four round trip tickets to Los Cabos and Avet has provided four Avet 2-speed reels. It goes on and on. Four of a total of 24 Limited Edition commemorative Tuna Jackpot Super Seeker rods are in the mix, and Plano has four rod cases to help you cxarry them home in.

The Cabo sunlight too much after hard night of partying, well Costa Del Mar has kicked in four pairs of sunglasses to soothe the eyes.

Turner's Outdoorsman is again a King Kong-sized sponsor this year. In addition to a special gift at check-in for each angler (It's a surprise), the SoCal retail chain has donated four $100 gift certificates. That's not all. They also are providing a free entry into the event for 2009!

Need a place to stay in Cabo for next year? The refurbished Hotel Tesoro, now the official hotel of the 10th annual Tunas Jackpot, is providing accommodations for up to four anglers.

There's a bunch more: Berkley is providing four bulk spools of Big Game Hollow Braid and four more bulk spools of Big Game monofilament. Each bulk spool is worth more than $300!

Seaguar is on the line for a donation of four packs of 80- and 120-pound leader material, Cabelas' has four $100 gift certificates, Global Fish Mounts tossed in four $200 fish mount gift certificates, Owner hooks had four $60 pro hook packs, four SPOT GPS tracking units will be given away, Battery Systems has four battery certificates, Yokohama Tires is doling out four $100 gift certificates, and Bomber has donated four saltwater tackle packs. For the second year, Fishworks Clothing has a special clothing package for the winning team.

Remember, all you and your teammates have to do to be eligible to win all this, worth $15,000, is to sign up for the Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot by this coming Oct. 15.

Hey, you're going to Cabo to fish the event anyway, right? Might as well get your entry fee in and get the prize train rolling.