"There was good sign of tuna on the Hurricane Bank," said Shogun owner-skipper Norm Kagawa after his 13-day trip returned December 7. "Most of ???em were 80 to 150 pounds. We also got about four dozen wahoo there. Then we fished at Alijos Rocks on the way home, and got a few more wahoo and some tuna from 60 to 110 pounds, and one big yellowtail on the dropper loop."

That big yellow weighed 63 pounds on the certified scales at Fisherman's Landing. It was caught by John "Hoss" Graber of Carson after it took a chunk of squid on a Penn 9/0 hook. Graber fished a 100-pound fluorocarbon wind-on leader by Jak of Kona, with 130-pound Jerry Brown Line One Spectra on an Avet 30 N reel and a new Super Seeker 6463 rod, specially modified with an acid wrap.

"It was right when we pulled the anchor to leave Alijos," said Graber. "He's my best yellowtail ever, and I got him in seven minutes. We were in a hurry."

Graber also caught three tuna at the Hurricane Bank on a cut-down Ulua rod, made into a spinning rod. The tuna were about 80 pounders.

"I tried to get a cow on it, but it didn't happen this time," said Graber.

Phil Nishida of Fresno won first place for a 212-pound tuna he bagged with a sardine on a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu hook. He said he fished with 80-pound Soft Steel line and 80-pound Jerry Brown Spectra backing, on a Penn 30 S reel and a Calstar 760 M rod.

"He fought me for two hours," said Phil. "He bit on a long soak, and he didn't want to come up."

Gary Edmonds of Downey was second, for a 208-pound yellowfin. He took that fish with a sardine on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu tied to 130-pound Big Game line, 130-pound Spectra backing, a Penn 50 reel by Cal Sheets and a Seeker 6455 XXH rod. The fish fought for 25 minutes.

Pete Cooney of Santa Ana was third, for a 204-pounder that took a sardine on the kite, with the boat's kite rig: 130-pound Soft Steel line, 130-pound Jerry Brown Spectra, a Penn 50 reel and a Seeker "Rail Rod," a 6463 XXXXH.

"It took about 30 minutes," said Pete. "It's my first cow, and it fought hard."

Pat Doyle of Gardnerville, NV, who had the Seeker fish of the year last season with a 323-pounder, got a 200-pounder this time, on a flying fish under the kite. Hew said he used a 10/0 Mustad 7691 hook, 130-pound Soft Steel line and 130-pound Spectra on a Penn 50 reel and a Seeker 6463 XXXXH rod.

Chuck Houston of Anaheim won the Seeker Trophy for the best tuna caught on a privately-owned Seeker rod, for his 131-pound tuna.

Another innovation was shown by Rob Kraszewski of Fullerton. It was a 6463 XXXXH "Rail Rod" with an acid wrap, which puts the outer rod guides on the bottom of the stick rather than the top.

"It has incredible stability that way," said Rob. "It acts like a spinning rod, with all the force directed down, so there's no torque. It's much better."