This writer just returned from 6-day long-range trip aboard Captain Art Taylor's 95-foot "Searcher" out of Fisherman's Landing in San Diego. Our primary destination was remote Guadalupe Island, a 40-mile long volcanic outcropping some 120 miles off the Baja coast, and 240 miles south of San Diego.

Fishing was very good for yellowfin tuna ranging from 40 to 120 pounds. Also present at Guadalupe is one of the world's largest populations of great white sharks. Over a two-day period we had four tuna landed that had very large bites taken out of them, and another three or four fish in the 70-pound class were taken completely.

One of my hooked fish, an 80-pounder, was attacked by a 15-foot great white just a few yards from the boats. This is truly one of nature's most amazing spectacles, and just seeing it on TV is not the same. I've been to Guadalupe Island on numerous occasions, and I am always transfixed by the big predators.

The boat's final score was 136 yellowfin tuna up to 120 pounds, 64 yellowtail up to 25 pounds, one striped marlin [released], one albacore, and hundreds of smaller fish like dorado, skipjack tuna, bonito, whitefish, sheephead and others.