Mike Ramirez docked Excel August 8 after a five-day trip with 32 anglers.

"Benitos was 69 degrees," he said, "and we saw good bait, lots of life and lots of yellowtail at Benitos. We also fished offshore to the west, and there was good life out there, clean water with small yellowfin tuna. It was 69 at Benitos, and 69 to 70 degrees outside. We came home fishing on kelps."

Jason Richardson of Redding won first place for his 30-pound yellowtail, taken on a dropper loop and a sardine. He said he used 40-pound line, a Trinidad 30 reel and a six and a half-foot Shimano rod.

Brian Jeffs of Oakland was second for a 27.2-pound yellow, and Lee Ward of Anderson took third place for a 26.8-pound yellowtail.