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The International Roosterfish Tournament began in 1967, and has continued on since then as an invitational tournament.

IRT was an idea conceived with a small group of Roosterfish loving anglers that were acquainted through business or the LA Billfish Club. In Baja California, Mexico,1966, the VanWormer family was building their new hotel on the Sea of Cortez - “Hotel Punta Colorado.” The area soon became well-known as the "Roosterfish Capital of the World" and the hotel became the site of the first  Roosterfish Tournament in 1967. 

The first 2 tournaments had only 8 anglers but the tournament has continued to grow larger each year. From the initial founders there has been a progression of anglers and families that come to fish; husbands and wives, eventually their children, and beloved friends of those founding anglers.

As the tournament expanded and progressed, the once all-male tournament eventually became co-ed in 1980.

Throughout the years there have been many pivots changes in the tournament rules. There have been barbless hooks, days of dead boat fishing, using 2-3 strengths of line for different point structures and the addition of a "stick" to measure larger fish for extra points (without harming the fish, of course.) Other species were also included in the point system. These were the formative and ever-changing years from 1967 through the late 1980’s.

The tournament finally settled into a set of rules conforming to IGFA standards, settling on 12-pound tournament test line and exclusively fishing for Roosterfish - meaning no other species were caught for points.

The Roosterfish Tournament has always maintained exclusivity through being "invitation only", meaning that one must know an angler participating in the tournament and be recommended to be invited. To this day, there exists a waiting list to participate. The tournament remains moderate in size due to hotel and fishing fleet restrictions.

For a full history of the Roosterfish Tournament and all the social interaction at past tournaments through the years, check out the book “Hooked On Roosters” by Constance A. Stockman. Connie was not only the author of this historical recounting of the IRT, but she and her husband Fred P. Stockman (one of the founders) were both original anglers in the Roosterfish Tournament.

1967 No winner due to weather
1968 Frank Hedge
1969 Fred Stockton
1970 Fred Stockton
1971 Ray Flanigan
1972 Vern Brown
1973 Bob Manos
1974 Bob Manos
1975 Fred Stockton
1976 Bob Roulette
1977 Fred Stockton
1978 Charlie Klen
1979 Dick Egerer
1980 Neal McNamara
1981 Vern Rudd
1982 Fred Stockton
1983 Curtis Fitzgerald
1984 Ed Sweet
1985 Don Damron
1986 John Jackson
1987 Walt Godber
1988 Ken Warner

1990 Ken Warner
1991 Walt Godber
1992 John Jackson
1994 Randy Egerer
1995 Bob Roberts
1996 Randy Egerer
1999 Steve Martin
2002 Bernie Berg 
2003 Ken Warner (on time)
2004 Paul Degraffenreid
2005 Ken Warner
2006 Dennis Bannon
2008 Rocky Franich
2009 Rocky Franich
2010 Ken Warner
2011 Dan Lester
2012 Mike Hoffman
2013 Don Damron
2014 Jack Snyder
2015 Rocky Franich
2016 Sean Lester
2017 Ken Kurtz

2018 Rodger Comstock

2019 Steve Martin

2020 Rocky Franich

2021 John Jacquemine

2022 Bill Evans

2023 Audrey Koocher - 1st lady win!

2024 TBA

2025 TBA

• The International Roosterfish Tournament follows IGFA tournament rules. 
• New anglers must be recommended to the tournament and invited by a current participating member.
• The IRT tournament rules state that all anglers are required to use IRT committee furnished "12- pound tournament test" line and circle hooks.  
• There is a 30 minute catch-and-release policy that protect these beautiful fish. 
• The scoring system is also based on time. We fish 3 anglers to a boat. Teams and boat assignments are a random draw.
  

For more detailed rules and regulations, contact the board of the IRT - see "Contact Us".