"Some of the best wahoo fishing I've seen," said skipper Billy Santiago Jr., who ran the 18-day trip, "and a good grade. It didn't matter if you used jigs or bait. They bit. We limited out and stopped fishing them four days early. They swam in packs up the side of the boat. They wouldn't leave the kite baits alone."

Steve Stroud of Phoenix, AZ won first place, for his 231.1-pound yellowfin tuna. He fished a flyer under the kite on an 11/0 Mustad 7691 hook, 130-pound MoMoi (a "Basil" topshot), 130-pound Line One Spectra, a Penn 70 reel and a Calstar 6460 XXH custom rod by Leon Todd. The fight went 50 minutes.

"Billy Santiago found a corner of the bank," said Stroud, "and set the pick right there in what was just the right spot. This is my first cow. I've been as close as 196 before. I've made seven trips."

Frank Matsuhara of Gardena was second, for a 204-pounder. Frank bagged that baby on a kite-rigged flying fish on a 10/0 7691 hook, 135-pound clear Izorline, 135-pound Izorline Spectra, a Penn 80W reel and a Calstar 745H rod.

Kevin Tan, a Singapore businessman, won third place for a 197-pound yellowfin tuna. He said he also used the kite/flying fish method, a 10/0 Mustad hook, an Accurate 50W reel and a rod belonging to the boat.

Show-Off Tuna
"We finished strong with a lot of great action today," wrote Qualifier 105 skipper Brian Sims March 21. "We had cast and swing type action on yellowfin tuna from 15 to 45 pounds. We ended the day releasing all tuna.

"The other highlight was a spot of 100-150lb. tuna which boiled up and were doing back flips on our stern. Unfortunately we never hooked one, but we did get an impressive show.

"Don't forget about our upcoming hotel venture at San Clemente, as spaces are booking up fast." (Q-105 will be stationed at San Clemente Island as a floating hotel for private boaters the next four weekends.)

Sims and his crew took 20 anglers south to Cabo San Lucas on the eight-day venture, where the anglers disembarked and flew home.

"We got some yellowtail at the South End of Cedros," said Sims, "and spent three days at Alijos Rocks scratching away at these nice tuna."

"There were so many 80-pounders," said angler Allen Lemberg of San Diego, "that we cancelled the jackpot and gave everybody's money back."

The Fred Bowden Charter also had some East Coast anglers who fished tuna with eight-pound spinning gear.

"They got some nice tuna, too," said Sims, "up to 45 pounds or so. The best fishing was bait fishing with 40 to 60-pound line."

Three anglers posed with good-looking fish: Gary Bush of Folsom, yellowfin tuna; Alan Glowacki of Granite Bay, yellowfin tuna; and Craig Briley of El Cajon, a brace of yellowtail from Cedros Island and The Ridge.