Hot Tuna
Local waters may be cooling, but the big tuna season is getting hot, with four tuna over 300 pounds taken from Clarion Island between Jan 13 and 16. Two of the giants arrived with Red Rooster III and Royal Polaris Jan 19. Excel skipper Pat Cavanaugh said he had two more, and that he was scheduled to moor Jan 23 about nine a.m.

Royal Star skipper Randy Toussaint wrote in his log, "The show was absolutely incredible, when we had to dump some of our sardines over to make room for fish in our slammer, with 150-200lb fish boiling within a cast of the stern. We ended up with 18 Wahoo and 30 Tuna for the day, most of which were 100-140 (pounds), six were 150-180, and one taped right at 200. We also landed two fish around 210 that were shark bitten. I can't say enough about the overall quality and amount of fish we've seen this trip here at Clarion. The stage is set for an epic season."

Beginner's Luck: 345 Pounds
"Our timing was good," explained co-captain Jeff DeBuys of the Red Rooster III Jan 19, "and that's important. We were at the right place, Clarion Island, when it started. The moon was waning, and the current was good every day. We did most of our business at Southwest."

The conditions paid off with a 345.7-pound yellowfin tuna, largest of the season so far, for Maurice Grimaud of Coronado. He won the jackpot for his trophy, caught on his first long range trip, and also won the trolling jackpot with a 56-pound wahoo. He saw the big tuna come out of the water and devour his squid bait.

"I was fishing with a balloon, with a 7691 Mustad 9/0 hook," said Grimaud, "and 100-pound Izorline on a Penn 50S reel modified by Cofe, with a five and a half-foot Penn rod. After 35 minutes, I got in the skiff, and we got the fish up in an hour and a half.

Don Rolstad of Bonita was second, for a 275-pounder. He said he got it on a salami, a Mustad 7691 12/0 hook, 80-pound Big Game line, a Penn 50SW reel and a Calstar 655 XXH rod, after a one-hour fight.

Jim Keeney of Garden Grove was third, for a 260-pounder. "I got it on a chunk," said Keeney, with a 15/0 Mustad circle hook, 100-pound Izorline, 130-pound Spectra backing on an 80W reel and a Calstar Baby Boomer rod. It took about 30 minutes, but he took me around the boat seven times. I got both my biggest fish on this trip." Keeney also had the fourth-largest fish, a 249-pounder.

Bob Ergermeirer took a 245-pound yellowfin tuna. Bob Michener of Oxnard nabbed a 230-pounder and a 202-pound tuna. Pete Peterson of Lancaster found a 216-pounder. It took a salami on a 9/0 Mustad hook, 100-pound Izorline, a Penn 50SW reel and a Calstar 665 XXH rod. His son Tom Peterson got a 208-pound yellowfin tuna. The trip lasted 15 days, and visited Hurricane Bank and Clarion Island, taking nine tuna over 200 pounds. Andy Cates was the other co-skipper.

RP Rolls Eleven
Taka Tanaka's charter aboard the Royal Polaris with Frank LoPreste at the helm proved to be a high point in the young season. The 17-day trip ended at Fisherman's Landing Jan 19, as Frank weighed eleven tuna over 200 pounds, including the first 300-pounder for his boat.

David Choate of Torrance realized a lifetime ambition by taking a 304-pound yellowfin tuna. "I got it on a flying fish on the kite," said David. "I used a 7691 Mustad 10/0 hook, 130-pound Izorline and Brown 130-pound Spectra, a Penn 80S reel modified by Cal Sheets, and a Yo's custom 6460 XXH Calstar rod.

"I stayed on the boat," continued Choate, "and it fought really hard for about an hour and a half. All my 200-pounders were 20 or 25-minute fish. It's my best tuna since I got one that weighed 299.8 pounds."

What's next? "I've got two more trips this year," said Choate, "and my ultimate goal is to get a 427. I don't know why, that's just the number that came to me."

There were ten tuna in the 200-pound range. Ichiro Shintsubo of Irvine was second, for a 276-pounder. He took it on a chunk bait, 100-pound Izorline and a Calstar 660 SSH rod. Jim Yanai of Torrance was third, for a 275-pund tuna he tricked with flying fish on the kite, pinned on a 7691 hook tied to 130-pound Izorline. He also had a 209-pounder.

Current women's record holder (304 pounds) Joyce Corrigan of Cerritos tacked on a 272-pounder, using a flying fish bait under the kite. She fished with 130-pound Izorline and a Calstar Boomer Jr. rod. Chartermaster Tanaka got a 247-pound tuna on a salami mackerel, and 100-pound Izorline straight-tied to the hook.

Joyce's hubby Don Corrigan took a 237-pound tuna on a sardine and 60-pound Izorline. Ron Watanabe of Carson bagged a 227-pounder, with a chunk on an 8/0 Super Mutu hook with a ring, 100-pound Izorline and a Truline C6H rod. Bill Matthews of Idylwild used the kite to corral a 226-pounder. He fished with a Mustad 7691 hook, 130-pound Izorline and a Calstar rod. Calvin Fujimoto of Burbank landed a 209-pounder that ate his sardine on a Super Mutu hook, 60-pound Izorline, and a Truline rod. John Corrigan of Garden Grove fished up a 206-pounder with a sardine, 100-pound Izorline and a 6460 XXH Calstar rod.