Shogun skipper Norm Kagawa said if the issue isn't resolved by his sailing time April 15, he was thinking of trying Clipperton Atoll. Red Rooster III is on her way there now, and other boats may do so as well.

"The atoll can support several boats," said Kagawa, "because the fishing is mostly drifting on bird schools, not anchored like at the Revillagigedos. When the fish are there and they're biting, there's plenty."

Clarion picks up
"It was slow at San Benedicto," said Qualifier 105 skipper Rodney Okimoto March 30, "But there was good sign of tuna. There was just no bite, and it was windy. We were dragging the anchor in The Lunker Hole. We got caballitos for bait.

"Socorro was slow, so we tried Roca Partida, and got the big tuna there. Then we went to Clarion, and the Northeast End was the best it's been this year. There was lots of life, and we got almost all of our fish there. We had a great bite one evening and missed dinner, and they bit the next two nights also, but the sharks moved in."

Tom Neuman of Del Mar won first place on the Rusty Hook fly down, fly back charter, but wasn't at the weigh-in. His pal Peter Douglas of San Mateo stood in for Tom. Ken Buzzell of San Pedro had a 177-pounder for second place. Joe Green of San Pedro bagged a 160-pound yellowfin tuna for third place.

"We may try Clipperton Atoll next trip," said Okimoto, "if we can't get permits to fish the Revillagigedos." Skipper Norm Kagawa of the nearby Shogun indicated he was also thinking about trying the atoll.

Crawled under boat
"We had some heartbreakers," said skipper Billy Santiago Jr. at Fisherman's Landing March 31 after mooring Royal Polaris. "With one of them, we got the hook and flyer back after 20 minutes on a 200-pounder. Hurricane Bank had good sign but for one day only. We ended up at Roca Partida and had a nice last day for yellowfin and wahoo, and we saw lots of whales and birds on fish."

Thom Blohm of Yuma, AZ won big fish honors for a 237-pound tuna (photo at top) he bagged with a chunk on a 10/0 Super Mutu hook, 130-pound fluorocarbon and 130-pound Spectra backing, a Shimano 50 LRS reel and a Calstar 6460XH rod.

"He never made a run," said Blohm. "He just crawled under the boat and made me break my back getting him up. I'm turning around now, and going back to Clipperton when the boat goes back out." Blohm also had a 178-pounder, good for third place. Skipper Santiago obliged Blohm by posing with that fish. Blohm also posed with his grandson Austin, five.

Walter W. Krug of Midland, TX took a 218-pounder, but he wasn't entered in the jackpot. Krug's fish came on a mackerel under the kite, on a Mustad 12/0 7691 hook wired to 130-pound Jerry Brown Spectra on a Fin-Nor two-speed reel and a Calstar 655XH rod. "He was a tough fish," said Krug. "He fought me in the skiff for two hours. This is my best one."

Steve Stroud of Phoenix was second on the 18-day trip, for a 195-pound yellowfin. It was a sardine fish, he said, that bit on a 5/0 Hayabusa hook and fluorocarbon leader.