"We'll take 25 passengers max," said Taft at H&M Landing November 12. "And that's how many the galley will seat. She's all glass, she's got two Caterpillar 3412 engines, turbocharged and making 825 horsepower, and she makes 14 knots at about 1500 rpm.

"We can carry about 250 scoops of bait. We've got nine staterooms, and the boat's 21 by 80 feet."

Successful expedition returns
"I called it 'The Expedition'," said chartermaster Jack Nilsen at Point Loma Sportfishing November 12, "because we went about 1700 miles to find these good tuna. Brian Sims reached out and took the chance. We all felt it was the right decision, win or lose.

"I was happy Accurate could be a part of something that could be a big benefit to the fleet." Nilsen gave away several new Accurate dual-drag reels for big fish prizes during the trip.

Qualifier 105's anglers found very good fishing for tuna of 40 to 160 pounds, as well as grouper and three kinds of snapper not far from Puerto Vallarta, after fishing for albacore, yellowtail, a lone wahoo and some dorado on an intense southward search for quality game fish. The trip left San Diego November 29, and the 15 passengers flew home from Cabo San Lucas December 9.

The best tuna of the ten-day adventure to Cleophus (Cleofas on Mexican maps) Bank was a jackpot-ineligible 159-pound yellowfin taken by Peter Corselli of Whittier, a private boater making his first long trip. He was rewarded with a new Accurate 665 reel for his achievement.

Peter got the big tuna on a squid under the kite, a method that proved to be slow in production over the green water on the bank. He fished an Eagle Claw 113 Mag hook on 100-pound blue Izorline and an Accurate 30 reel, with a Calstar 6460XH rod.

Dave Nilsen won first place, for a 143-pound yellowfin he brought to gaff in about 40 minutes. "I fished a mackerel," he said, "and I was happy with the reel (an Accurate 12) at 29 pounds of drag pressure." He also caught the only wahoo of the trip, on a jig with a prototype spinning reel.

e fished a HCorselli got a 133.2-pounder for second place. He was assisted by skipper Brian Sims with that fish. George Williams of Carlsbad was two tenths of a pound behind with a 133-pound yellowfin tuna.

"Thanks to the Royal Polaris for the numbers on the bank," said Sims. "Without those, this groundbreaking catch wouldn't have been possible." Frank LoPreste's Royal Polaris fished the bank on at least two previous occasions.

Sims' crew on the ground-breaking trip: Joe Crisci, Charles (Cal) Link, Thomas Lambert, Sean Falconer, Armando Palifax and Chef Mitch Conniff.

Cows: matched set
Pat Cavanaugh brought Excel home from a 16-day trip to the Hurricane Bank December 15 with a good catch of large tuna. "The bite was in the morning and again in the evening," he said. "The first days we saw good sign."

Cavanaugh wrote in his daily reports that many of the fish they caught were jugged with red crab and cow fish. "It's obvious they just aren't hungry." There were still many tuna on the dock that were over a hundred pounds, however.

Kenny Circks of Orange had the best tuna, a 215.6-pounder that took a flying fish with a three-ounce sinker to get it down. "The bite was good on live flying fish in the dark," he commented. "The last one I hooked was a real big one. It took 500 yards of line."

Circks said he fished an Eagle Claw 10/0 9014 hook, 100-pound Big Game line on a Penn 80S reel and a Calstar Boomer rod cut down by Yo's.

Circk's pal Jerry Thergesen of Orange was hot on his heels with a 214.9-pound yellowfin. Thergesen fished a flyer on a Mustad 7691 9/0 hook, with 130-pound Mo Moi line and 130-pound Izorline Spectra on a Penn 70 International reel, with a Boomer rod cut down by the Phenix shop. "It was easy," said Thergesen. "It wasn't nothin' new."

Excel regular Don Burnside of San Diego was third, for a 198.9-pound yellowfin tuna.

"Fishing was great"
"I'd like to thank my anglers for their patience," said Red Rooster III skipper Andy Cates December 15. He had just returned from a 16-day trip that went to the Hurricane Bank, but had to bring an injured passenger to medical aid in Cabo San Lucas. The injury was not life-threatening and involved a surgical pin that jarred loose. The boat fished at Cleophus Bank afterward.

""Fishing was really good on tuna that averaged about 85 pounds at the Cleophus," said Cates. "It was my first time there, and I was really impressed with it. We had good chances throughout the day. Sometimes we had several over 100 pounds going at once.

Second-place winner Bill Wirth of Bonsall mistakenly posed at the left of the jackpot shot, with his 146-pound tuna, caught on a sardine an 60-pound line.

Mike Yamamoto won first place and posed to the viewer's right of Wirth. Mike had a 151-pound tuna, caught on a sardine on a 5/0 Super Mutu hook, with 80-pound Jin Kai line, a Penn 30TW reel and a Calstar 6455 XXH rod.

Ben Kita of LA won third place, for a 127-pound tuna, and Sonny Jones of Costa Mesa won the trolling jackpot, for a 45-pound wahoo. Jones also caught and released an estimated 400-pound black marlin after it took a squid fished under the kite.