"Probably the most outstanding thing about this trip," LoPreste said, "was our last morning of fishing. We had 14 fish over 200 before the bite on that day. But that morning, April 13, at 3:10 in the morning, was the beginning of something I've never witnessed in my life.

"I'm talking about 200 and 250-pound fish boiling in the dark, five feet from the boat on the bait, seeing them swim underneath the lights, and then after daybreak, if you got a bait our 30 feet from the boat. God, some of the boils were just horrific; I mean it was just an unbelievable sight.

"At one time, with 26 gaffs on the boat, we only had one gaff available because passengers were helping pull fish over the side. It was just chaos. For the morning, we had 37 fish, of which many were up to 180 pounds."

The first-place fish proved to be David Choate's, a 260.2-pound fish he hooked on a caballito on 130-pound Izorline, while fishing a Penn 50T reel and a Calstar 6465 XXH rod. He got it in 30 minutes, he said. Choate also had a 244.3-pounder he got with a sardine on a 6/0 Gorilla hook, 100-pound Soft Steel line, 80-pound Jerry Brown Spectra, a Penn 20 reel and a Calstar 665XH rod from Yo's, after a 450-minute fight. Choate's other pair were tuna of 240.9 and 219.9-pounds.

John Wentzel of San Clemente was second, for a 255.1-pounder he took on a rainbow runner pinned on an 11/0 Mustad 7691 hook. He fished 135-pound Izorline and 135-pound Spectra on an Accurate 50 Stealth reel and a Calstar 760H rod. "I really like this new reel," he said.

Jeff Shapiro of Rancho Santa Margarita was third, for a 247.5-pound tuna he bagged with a tube mackerel on a 10/0 Super Mutu hook, on 100-pound blue Izorline and 130-pound Jerry Brown Spectra. He fished a Tiagra 50 reel and a Calstar 760H rod by P-Bod.

Dave Uradomo of Torrance had a 206.6, 233.4, 236.3 and a 243.7-pound tuna, matching Choate's foursome. 'Domo fished rainbow runner baits on 12/0 Mustad 7691 hooks, with 135-pound blue Izorline, 135-pound Spectra, with a Penn 50SW reel and a Calstar 6460 XXH rod.

Don Louchius of El Toro got a 207-pounder with a rainbow runner on a 10/0 Mustad hook, with 135-pound blue Izorline and 135-pound Jerry Brown Spectra on a Penn 50 and a Calstar 6465 XXH rod, after a 30-minute fight. "Those Clipperton fish are tough," he said.

Gary Edwards of Long Beach found a 212.3-pound tuna that swallowed his tube mackerel on a 7/0 Super Mutu hook, tied to 100-pound clear Izorline, 135-pound Spectra on a Penn 50T reel and a Calstar 765H rod. He also had a 205.6-pounder.

Stan Cowan of Carpinteria bombed a 238 and a 243-pound tuna. He fished a skipjack on an 11/0 7691 hook, with 135-pound Maxima line and 135-pound Jerry Brown Spectra, on a Penn 50SW reel and a 765H rod.

Jack Akagi of Berkeley took a 203-pounder, but wasn't at the weigh-in. Neither was Kelly O'Ward of San Raphael, who got a 229.3-pounder.

Bill Taylor of San Diego garnered a 231.6-pound tuna with a tube mackerel on a 10/0 Super Mutu hook, 100-pound blue Izorline and 130-pound Spectra on a Penn 50 reel and a Calstar 760H rod.

Greg Commentz of San Diego used skipjack baits and a custom rod by Capt P-Bod to bring in a 213.3 and a 224.3-pound tuna. He said he fished 13/0 Mustad 7691 hooks, 135-pound blue Izorline and 135-pound Spectra on a Tiagra 50W reel and a Calstar 760 XH rod.

Stas Velonakis of Torrance dropped in a skipjack on a 12/0 Mustad hook, and pulled in a 243.7-pound tuna with 135-pound blue Izorline and 135-pound Spectra. He fished with a Penn 50S reel and a Calstar 6460 XXH rod, and brought his tuna to gaff in about 40 minutes, he said.

Dang 70-pounders

Royal Star returned from an eight-day trip to Alijos Rocks stuffed with near-limits of tuna and a very good catch of yellowtail, also from the Rocks. The trip was skippered by Tim Ekstrom and Randy Toussaint, the boat's owners.

"A nice relaxing final morning," read the Star's report April 16, "here at Alijos, with great fishing on tuna and yellowtail. We didn't get any of the trophy yellows, but we did get some over 30 and up to 40 pounds.

"The 70-pound tuna were almost a nuisance today, even biting the two-pound scad mackerel we were baiting for yellows. As we pulled the anchor to leave, a huge spot of 50 to 80-pound tuna erupted on the bait that had accumulated around the boat."

Len Cunningham of Alpine won first place, for a 97.5-pound tuna he bagged with a sardine on a 3/0 Mutu hook, with 50-pound clear Izorline, a TLD 0 reel and a Calstar 765 ML rod.

"I built the rod myself," he said, "and I got the fish in about 20 minutes. It was the first fish on the second day."

Dennis Werner of Eagle, ID was second, for a 93.9-pounder. John Cagle of San Luis Obispo was third, for an 89.8-pound tuna, and Randy Musterer of San Jose posed with the winners and his 41-pound yellowtail.

Halibut Are Biting

"Corbina are running in the bay," Roy Rose Sr. told me April 19, "and grunion and halibut are in there, too. Roy (his son, a skipper on Royal Polaris), got one over 20 pounds not long ago at Ballast Point. There's lots of smaller, but legal ones, from five to eight pounds."

Capt. P-Bod: Halibut Tips

A visit to Steve Roeschke's tackle store found the owner busy winding Spectra on International reels.

"There's some halibut tourneys coming up," I said. "What would you do if you were looking for a contest winner? Go north or south from Oceanside?"

"Either way is good," said Capt. P-Bod, looking up and taking his foot off the treadle. "If you go north, I'd try the Golf Ball and off the Barn Kelp. If you go south look for those sandy bottoms off the creeks and estuaries, off Augua Hedionda and Ponto and Batiquitos Lagoon, all the way down to Del Mar.

"They like those sandy bottoms, and they like to lie buried, facing the current. Sometimes you might be able to locate them just below an outflow.

"If you're looking for a big halibut, try a lively big bait like a mackerel, a small green mackerel. Use a bigger bait to target the bigger fish, but realize you're eliminating the smaller halibut to so it."

"What about a halibut rig?" I asked.

"Go with fluorocarbon and a trap hook, so you've got one hook in the nose and another in the belly in back," said P-Bod. "Use all your bait fishing tricks. And maybe try a plastic bait on the bottom.

"You might start out in 60 to 80 feet, and then move in to 40 to 60 feet. Where you find one there'll be others. If there's a grunion run, you should try fishing tighter to the beach. Any small local fish can be a good bait, but I think a good green mackerel is about the best."