Bower said he took the big longfin (largest of the season to date) on an Ironman 5 jig in a chrome and blue mackerel pattern, on 40-pound P-Line, a TLD 20-2 reel and a Calstar 765L rod. John Engelhart of Tustin was second, for a 24.6-pound albie, and Mark Seals of Cambria was third, for a 22.8-pound albacore.

Taylor said he took his three-day anglers as far south as 190 miles, and that they found the best schools of biters there and at 135 miles. The best trip of this young tuna season finished up at Point Loma Sportfishing May 29, when Dan Sansome moored his American Angler with near limits of albacore and a good catch of bluefin tuna up to 36 pounds.

"We got very few fish on the troll," said Sansome. "We found the fish concentrated in a 50-mile area, from about 200 miles down to about 150 miles. The schools of albacore and bluefin were mixed. The albies averaged about 22 pounds. There's a nice uphill current, and the water was about 65 degrees.

"We have new engines," reported Dan "They're Lugger 6140's like on the Vagabond and the Red Rooster III. We got about a 15 percent speed increase, and averaged 11.4 knots coming home."

The first-place fish was a 36-pound bluefin caught by John Loera of Marina del Rey, on a sardine, a 2/0 Gamakatsu hook, 30-pound Ande line on a Penn 500 reel and a Sabre 270 rod. Todd Pyle of Mission Viejo took second place with a 32-pound albacore.

First Guadalupe Yellowfin
Bill Cavanaugh moored Excel May 30 with the first bluefin of the season over 60 pounds and the first yellowfin from Guadalupe Island. The yellowfin was a single, but three sizes of bluefin and albacore made for a good catch.

"We had two shots at the bigger tuna on the last day," said Bill. "The one bunch wouldn't bite, but the other school bit for maybe two and a half hours. We found some nice big yellowtail at the island, too, up to 48 pounds. Art Smith of Irvine got that one on a loop with a sardine."

John Kukta of West Covina had the biggest bluefin at 79.6 pounds, but even though it came on his rod, the fish wasn't eligible because Cavanaugh hooked and handed it to him. Jeff Adams of Oak View got first place, for a 75.8-pound bluefin he took on a sardine, a 4/0 Super Mutu hook, 60-pound Ande line on a TLD 30-2 reel and a Penn five and a half-foot rod.

Josh Rytz of Carlsbad was second, for a 75.6-pound bluefin, and Paul Woods of Garden Grove was third, for a 74-pound bluefin tuna. Tom Kinsella of Chino Hills caught the one yellowfin, a sizable tuna of 58.6 pounds, on a sardine with 30-pound line.

Melton 105 Trip
Rodney Okimoto brought Qualifier 105 home May 30 after a 14-angler Melton International Charter to Clarion and Socorro Islands.

"The sharks made it tough for us at both islands," said Rodney. "I've never seen so much good tackle chewed up. There were lots of smaller tuna at Socorro, but the sharks ate them, too. But we got our biggest tuna there. I'd have to move the boat about every half hour or so, after the sharks found us."

Brenty Broza of Manhattan Beach had the biggest tuna, a 240-pound beast he hooked on a sardine. It fought for an hour and a half, after being stuck on a 4/0 Owner hook, 80-pound clear Izorline on a Cal Sheets-altered Penn 30 International reel. He fished a Calstar 665XH Grafighter rod.

"It bit the first bait I threw out at Socorro," said Broza. "I thought I was really in for it."