Six years ago, a group of lifelong friends from Tampa Bay started bottom fishing in the Gulf of Mexico and decided they wanted to chase billfish. What followed was years of obsession, dedication, and relentless improvement. On January 16, 2026, it all paid off.
Team Pura Vida won the 10th Annual Pelagic Rockstar Offshore Tournament — Central America’s largest and richest offshore fishing tournament — taking home the Grand Champion title and a check for $885,900.
The Biggest Rockstar in History
The 2026 edition was a milestone event. With 117 boats and 659 anglers representing 14 countries descending on Marina Pez Vela in Quepos, Costa Rica, the tournament shattered records and distributed over $2.9 million in total prize money. The field was elite. The competition was fierce. Pura Vida rose above all of it. pelagictournaments
Over two days of fishing, the entire fleet released an astounding 2,340 billfish in just 16 hours of total fishing time — equivalent to 146 billfish per hour, or 2.4 releases per minute. The waters off Quepos were on fire, and no team harnessed that energy better than Pura Vida. pelagictournaments
62 Sailfish. 6,200 Points. First Place.
Team Pura Vida claimed the top spot in the Sonar Billfish division with 62 Pacific Sailfish released for 6,200 points — a dominant, wire-to-wire performance that put them ahead of a world-class field and earned their name on the Rockstar perpetual trophy as the 10th team in the tournament’s history to receive that honor. pelagictournaments
Every fish that came to the cockpit went back into the water alive.
A Dream Ten Years in the Making
Team Pura Vida first competed in the Rockstar six years ago with one stated goal: to one day become a top-tier billfish angling team and win this tournament. Their patience and passion for offshore blue water fishing finally paid off at the 10th anniversary edition. pelagictournaments
The win wasn’t luck. It was the culmination of years of refinement — better systems, better crew chemistry, and an unshakeable belief that they belonged at the top of the sport.
The Crew
Led by owner and angler JC Gonzalez and captain Rudy Arguedas, Team Pura Vida fished aboard their Custom 62′ Paul Mann berthed at Los Sueños Marina. The crew competed at full intensity across both tournament days, executing with the kind of release efficiency that separates champions from contenders.
What Comes Next
The Rockstar win was only the beginning of what would become one of the most remarkable single seasons in tournament sportfishing history. Team Pura Vida went on to claim first place at the 2026 IGFA Open and then captured the inaugural Bisbee’s Costa Rica Offshore Tournament championship — three major wins in a single season.
The name on the perpetual trophy says everything. Pura Vida.
Full tournament recap: pelagictournaments.com
