A TIME TO WIN

There's at least three dozen ways to win cash and prizes in Cabo at the 2010 WON/Yamaha Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot Tournament. And that does not even take into consideration the nightly drawings for tackle and trips in which more than 60 names are drawn over four days.

The ways to win are:

The nightly party drawings: There are four of them, one each night, worth a total of $175,000. Trips to Alaska, Mexico, Seeker custom Tuna Jackpot rods, Avet reels, tackle bags, Eat Me Lures, Terrafin satellite map memberships, Yokohama tires, Reactor watches, Costa Del Mar sunglasses, Mustad hooks, Seaguar flurocarbon packs, Eat Me Lures, the list just goes on and on. It takes four nights to give it all away!

The Overall Tuna Division: You will have paid in $800 as a team, and $400 of that goes into the Overall Tuna pot of money which is paid out to the top three teams over two days. Biggest three fish over TWO days. First place pays 85 percent, second place gets 10 percent, 5 percent for third. How much is paid out depends on how many teams are in the field. Multiply the number of teams times $400.

Tuna optionals: There are six of them, $500, $1,000, $2,000, $3,000, $5,000 and $10,000. You can enter and win one, or enter two or three -- or all of them. You compete only against those who entered in each one. And it's a whole new ballgame the second day, so there's a total of 12 chances over two days alone. Those amounts listed above are for being in the daily optionals both days. Nine teams won money at the 11th annual event, a record for the number of payouts. The smallest fish to win money? A 51 pounder the second day. You do not have to have the biggest fish to win money. Just the biggest fish in your optionals each day.

The Wahoo/Dorado daily optional: 80 percent of the $1,000 you pay for the two days of the optional goes into a pot. Winner takes all, biggest wahoo OR dorado taking the money in the pot each day. The minimum weight is 30 pounds for all three weighable species, dorado, wahoo and tuna. So, if 100 teams enter the Wahoo/Dorado Optional, there will be $40,000 in the pot each day. If no eligible fish of 30 pounds or heavier is caught by those teams entered in the optional, it rolls to the next day. It can also roll backwards. There was $32,000 in the pot each day.

When you arrive: You automatically win because you will receive a variety of Mustad hook packs, an embroidered t-shirt, an embroidered carry bag, event visor or hat (your choice in colors, a free Mustad contest photo (e-mailed), and a free DVD (to be mailed to all households. You will also get a wristband to four parties, drawing tickets, and tickets to two sit-down dinners, the Yokohama Fiesta (you paid for that last year, this itÕs included), and the RuthÕs Chris-catered awards dinner. And a shot at a $600 rod/reel outfit and $400 cash in the Avet/Seeker Casting Contest during check-in. WeÕre not doneÉ there will likely be other free gifts at the parties in addition to the free drawings.

The Avet/Berkley/Seeker Casting Contest: The Tesoro second floor pool patio at check-in will be a great party spot to swim, drink, sit by the pool and listen to live music by local band Dos Huevos, check in your team, buy Tuna Jackpot clothing and... compete in the casting contest. The final four anglers win the rod/reel combos and the winner gets a combo outfit AND $400 in cash to blow on something really fun in Cabo. That's why you're there. Right! Last year the Tesoro bar couldn't handle the demand for booze. They weren't prepared for our group! We warned them.

Costa Del Mar Sunglasses Charity Raffle: Costa Del Mar. is thinking of another charity raffle after the 383-pound fish basically killed that concept of a $50,000 payday if a team breaks the tourney record. Dave and the boys at Costa will dream up something fun.

Seaguar's $100,000 Payoff: If you break the IGFA's longstanding yellowfin record of 388-12, Seaguar Flurocarbon will award you $100,000. It almost happened last year. Use heavy line and pull hard to pay off that mortgage!

The Early Bird Drawing: Sign up before Oct. 8, 2010 and everyone on the team picked Saturday night will divide up a $15,000 prize package of four AeroMexico round trip LAX to Cabo tickets, four hotel stays in Cabo at the Tesoro, four Reactor watches and a dozen other four-sets of prizes.

Yokohama Tires Sticker Contest: Plaster the WON sticker around town, and on your boat, even on your forehead, and the first time Jackpot Director or another staffer sees the sticker at a (randomly drawn) time after 6 a.m. Thursday, your team captain gets a set of Yokohama tires valued up to $1,200 and each team member gets a Reactor watch, valued between $300 and $400.

More information on the Nov. 3-6 event can be found at www.loscabostunajackpot.com.

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on special hotel rates!