"The whole southern half of the island became one huge bird school," wrote Pat one afternoon in the wheelhouse, "with fish breaking everywhere. It was good steady fishing on the stock grade that we have been seeing at the island most of the time. 75 to 110 lbs, with a few bigger and a few smaller.

"The highlight of the day came when Bob Dawson hooked a cow on a small rainbow runner and 200 pound test. After a short skiff ride, Bob landed his 237 lb. tuna. And if that wasn't good enough, the very next bait Bob put in the water, he hooked and landed a 190 lb. tuna. Lucky, lucky Bob! At about 6:00 in the after noon a big rainsquall came through and dumped on us for the rest of the afternoon. It's quite an experience getting rained on like that in the middle of a wide open bite."

Dawson's fish weighed 242 on the scales. The Coronado resident said he got the fish on a rainbow runner baited on a 9/0 Eagle Claw 2004 hook, with 130-pound Soft Steel Ultra line and 80-pound Spectra backing. He said he used a Penn 80ST reel and a Calstar 765H rod. He also had a 241-pounder. "That one came on a caballito," he said, "with the same rig."

Don Burnside, an Excel regular, took second place for a 232-pound yellowfin. He chunked it on a 6/0 Mustad hook, 80-pound Soft Steel Ultra line and 80-pound Spectra backing on a Penn 50T reel. Stan Vath of Oxnard was third, for a 222-pound tuna. He nabbed it on a chunk, with a 4/0 Mustad hook, 125-pound CXX P-Line, an 80ST reel and a Calstar 6465XXH rod. The trip was the last long one for Excel 2000-2001 season.

Rooster High Five
"The wahoo were thick at Hurricane and Clarion," said Glenn Kuromi, a Calstar rep from LA. "I got a limit, mostly on jigs. The best ones were Tady BA's and Raiders, in chrome or black and purple. Glenn also got into the jackpot, with a 238-pound yellowfin, good for third place. The big tuna came on a flying fish bait under the fishing kite, he said. He used a 12/0 Mustad hook, 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Spectra on a Penn 80S reel, and a Calstar 755XXH Grafighter rod.

Fred Pease of Lake Elsinore won first place on the Red Rooster III charter, which was sponsored by Mustad. "My best before was 109 pounds," he remarked. "This is a severe improvement. I fished a flying fish on the kite. My hook was a 10/0 Mustad, and I had 80-pound clear Izorline, 130-pound Spectra, an 80ST Penn and a Calstar 755XH Grafighter rod."

Fred Mason of San Clemente won second place for a 255-pounder, and he had a war story. "He was a mean fish," said Mason, "and he pulled the skiff sideways for 45 minutes." The fight lasted an hour and a half. Mason used a flying fish bait under a balloon, and pinned his bait on a Mustad 7691 12/0 hook, with 130-pound blue Izorline, 130-pound Spectra backing on a Penn 80ST reel modified by Cofe, and a Calstar 6455XXH rod.

Gary Grimaud of Ocean Beach took a 227-pound tuna on a sardine, with a Mustad Sea Demon 11/0 hook, 80-pound Ande line, a Shimano Tiagra 50 reel and a Seeker 6455XXH rod.

Ed Scheenstra of Ontario got a 209-pounder, using the same kite rig as Glenn Kuromi, which belongs to the Red Rooster. Andy Cates skippered the trip, with one more trip to make into the Revillagigedos this season. That trip will return June 9.

"One morning we had three fish over 200 pounds," said Cates. "We had beautiful weather, and phenomenal wahoo fishing."

Bill Roecker owns Oceanic Productions and provides promotional services for the San Diego Sportfishing Council.

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