"Our last day of fishing, and it was a great day," wrote Excel skipper Shawn Steward February 2. "We had some decent action on 90 to 210-pound yellowfin along with good action on 40 to 60-pound yellowfin. Our best stop today was for 17 yellowfin from 90 to 150 pounds, with everything being caught on sardines and sinker rigs on that stop. We had some stops on the bigger models today as well but only landed 2 of the 6 we hooked. Steve Ruiter picked up a 210 and Colby Temple got a 180 to add to his tally. Most of our fish came in the morning hours and only a few fish in the afternoon. We fished the day for 48 yellowfin with 33 of them from 100 to 210 pounds."

Stan Evans of Napa dangled a squid under the kite to take the trip's best fish, a 262-pound yellowfin. Stan said he used a 13/0 Gamakatsu hook on 130-pound Cajun Red line with 130-pound Izorline Spectra backing on a Penn 80 reel and a Seeker Black Steel 6463 XXXXH rod.

"The fight went an hour and a half," said Evans. "I got him to color early, and then he got wrapped on the props. The crew got him off, but then he had 85% of my Spectra. He's my second-best fish."

Colby Temple of Palm City, FL won second place for a 207-pounder. He fished a chunk on an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook on Suffix 100-pound line, 130-pound Power Pro Spectra, a Penn 50 SW reel and a Calstar 5130 rod. The fight went 35 minutes.

Mimi Isham of Florence, OR won third place for her best fish ever, a 198.5-pound yellowfin tuna.

"I had a blast," she said. "We had a good skipper and a good crew. I got this one in 20 minutes."

Joining the winners for an honorable mention in the lineup shot was Stephen Ruiter of Ontario, Canada, who got a 216-pound tuna after it was handed off to him. The fish bit a sardine on an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook, with 130-popund Big Game line and 130-pound Izor Spectra on an Accurate 50 reel and a Calstar 7455 XXH rod.

"I wouldn't be on this trip," said Ruiter, "if it wasn't for your videos. I watch Bill Roecker videos so much my wife complains."

Excel will remain in port, getting her annual boat work for the next several weeks.