"The first three days were tough," said Red Rooster III skipper Andy Cates at H&M Landing December 21, "but the last ones were good. Even the slow days had some big fish, though. Almost everyone on the boat got a cow, a 200-pounder."

The ten-day trip with 20 anglers scored an incredible catch of five tuna of 300 pounds. That hasn't happened since I started keeping score in 1993.

Biggest of the biggies was a 307-pound yellowfin caught by Larry Rutherford of Ridge Crest. He said the monster whipped up on him for two hours, after it bit a mackerel on a 6/0 Super Mutu hook tied to 130-pound Big Game line and 130-pound Spectra backing. He fished with a Penn 50 W reel and a Calstar 6460 XXH rod. He also caught a 231-pound tuna.

Chris Adams of Ft. Lauderdale, FL got second place for a 302.8-pounder. He fished a sardine on a 5/0 Hayabusa hook on 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Line One Spectra on a Penn 50 reel and a Calstar 6460 XXH rod.

Third place went to Charles Been of Bonita. He bagged a 302-pounder in 45 minutes, after it sucked in a mackerel on a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu. He used 130-pound Izorline and 100-pound Power Pro Spectra on an Accurate 50 W reel and a Seeker 6465 XXH rod.

"It was my first trip," he noted. "I won it from the Make A Wish Foundation. I'll probably be back next year."

Thomas Mesino of Cut Bank, MT took a 300.8-pounder (good for fourth place, since there was no trolling jackpot) after a two-hour fight. It bit a mackerel on a 7/0 Mustad hook, tied to 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Spectra backing on a Penn 50 reel and a Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.

"This is my first trip in 15 years," said Messino. "I'm excited and happy. I'm 60, and I'm good in my age group in the triathalon."

Rick Rutherford of Seattle bagged a 307-pounder, but ran out of gas and took a little help. He said the fish fought for three and a half hours. It took a mackerel on a 6/0 Mutu hook with 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Spectra backing on a Penn 50 reel and a Calstar 760 H rod.

"I had to go in the skiff after it," he said. "I thought I'd never see my rod again, but it popped up and second skipper Julio Ochoa helped me a lot."

The elite group of five men with 300-pounders posed for photos. There were 25 tuna over 200 pounds for the trip.

Bill Arndt of Appleton, WI stopped a 292-pounder with a sardine on a 6/0 ringed Mustad hook tied to 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Spectra on a Penn 30 reel and a five and a half-foot rod of unknown origin.

Beth Smith of San Diego popped a 288, a 264 and a 216.7-pound tuna. She fished with mackerel on 7/0 ringed Super Mutu hooks. She used 130-pound Big Game line and 130-pound Power Pro Spectra backing on a Beastmaster reel and a Seeker 655 XXH rod.

"I had to fish four days before I got one," she remarked. "It was slow at first."

Bob Mitchell of Pahrump, NV whipped a 289 pounder in 30 minutes. He wanted to thank the crew for helping him. He said he fished a sardine on a 7/0 Super Mutu hook. He used 80-pound Izorline and 80-pound Spectra on a Penn 50 SW reel and an old Sabre 665 XXH rod. He also caught a 286.7-pound tuna: remarkable, for a man in his 80's.

Tyler Noriega of San Bernadino bagged a 283-pounder after a two-hour slugfest. He baited a mackerel on a 7/0 ringed Super Mutu hook tied to 130-pound P-Line and 130-pound Spectra on a Tiagra 30 reel and a Calstar 760 H rod.

"It's my first big one," he said. "It put up quite a fight."

Julian Stokes of Naples, FL fought a 270-pounder for two hours before it was gaffed aboard the Rooster. He fished a mackerel on a 6/0 Mustad hook, with 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Spectra on an Accurate 50 W reel and a Seeker 66463 XXH rod.

Accurate rep David Choate of Torrance pulled in a small herd of cows, four, to be exact. The best was a 277-pounder, but he also had a 238, 235, and 220-pound tuna. He said he fished sardines on 6/0 Gorilla hooks. He used 130-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader, 130-pound Jerry Brown Line One Spectra on an Accurate 30 reel and a Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.

Erik Olson of Pacific beach nabbed a 272-pounder with a mackerel on a 7/0 ringed Super Mutu hook. He fished with 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Spectra, a Penn 50 W reel and an unknown rod.

Gary Getchen of Lake Forest took two hours to tame his best tuna, a 268-pounder. He fished a sardine on a 4/0 Super Mutu, with 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Spectra backing on an Accurate 50 W reel and a Calstar 6460 XXH rod.

Bob Puckett of Fallbrook got a 253.7-pounder in 45 minutes, after it took a mackerel baited on an Eagle Claw 7/0 hook, tied to 130-pound Soft Steel Ultra line and 130-pound Spectra on a Daiwa 50 N reel and a Calstar 765 H rod.

Robert Jones of Fallbrook caught a 251-pounder with a sardine on a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu hook. He fished with 130-pound Izorline, 130-pound Spectra, and Avet 30 reel and a Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.

Allen Lemberg of San Diego got a 238 and a 223-pounder. He fished sardines on 5/0 Eagle Claw hooks. He used 130-pound Big Game line and 130-pound Spectra backing on a Beastmaster reel and a Seeker 6465 XH rod.

Jerry Russell of Neenah, WI caught a 222-pound tuna in a hour. He pinned a sardine on a 6/0 Gamakatsu hook, and fished with 130-pound Izorline and 130-poundSpectra on a Penn 50 reel and a Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.

Mark Moffat got a 202-pounder in 30 minutes. He fished mackerel on a 7/0 ringed Super Mutu hook, with 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Line One Spectra on a Tiagra 50 reel and a Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.