Independence Day provided the south coast with its best day of fishing for albacore so far this season. Nice weather and plenty of scouting private boats and sport fishers out on the water made for a good catch of 468 albies for 176 anglers aboard the overnight boats. Next morning the chop was back up, and though it began coming down that afternoon, the fish stayed out of reach, with just one around. The albacore are here, however, and we can expect to see more and better catches as the conditions improve with summer.

Prospects look even better than Friday's catch, according to Tom Green, pilot, tuna spotter and owner of Cedros Adventures, specializing in weekend trip to the big island for panga fishermen targeting the mossback yellowtail that live there year-round. Green said commercials have been getting bluefin from 18 to 130 pounds about 180 miles down, and he expected that large body of fish to make it up into our waters. He remarked on Pete Gray's Let's Talk Hookup Sunday morning that albacore were mixed with the bluefin over the whole area.

I left the dock after the Red Rooster's catch was weighed Saturday, July 5, and so missed the arrival of the Spirit of Adventure. The annual seven-day Tim Green trip produced what Frank LoPreste termed "?Ķthe best catch of big white seabass in 25 years."

H&M Landing spokespersons said skipper Mike Keating's catch included 61 seabass up to 51 pounds, and the 20 anglers experienced fine yellowtail fishing at Cedros Island.