Eight Purple Heart-winning Marines became long range fishermen aboard Bill Poole's Excel on Big Al's annual tuna trip. One, Lance Corporal Roman Konopotskiy, was the group's spokesman, and also won second place in the jackpot on his first fishing trip.

There were numerous sponsors and donors for the trip once word got out about the wounded warriors going fishing, so all the Iraq veterans got plenty of goodies.

Generous help from all aboard was there for the Marines. Each man had a couple of "guides" to help him learn the ropes of angling off Baja.

Corporal Roman Konpatskiy, 27, talked about his experience with dock reporter Bill Roecker at the Fisherman's Landing scales October 8.

"When we started out I was thinking I'm not really a fisherman. I'll just hang out," he said.

"When we got aboard the guys and the crew were very helpful, with lectures for us all and personal advice about how to fish. They answered every one of our questions.

"Our first fishing was out on the ocean at a kelp paddie. On my first cast with a live bait I got bit. I was surprised. I got excited; I had a fish on! They told me to just keep reeling.

"Then we went to Turtle Bay," continued Roman. "The yellowtail fishing there was very good, and we also caught some wahoo.

"Next, we went to Alijos Rocks for bigger fish. I got my first big yellowfin tuna right away, with a sliding sinker. Then I got a smaller one, before I got my best tuna.

"My next bait was hot, like a marathon runner. I thumbed my reel and let him swim. I got bit, counted to three, hooked him and waited for his run to slow down. He took me around the boat one and a half times and then he was straight down. I got tired and used the rail to help me wind on him. He got wrapped on the anchor line.

"The whole thing took about a half hour. It was a very different experience, and I'm looking forward to doing it again. I'm still figuring out how to ship my fish."

Chartermaster "Big Al" Gross provided photos of the fishing for the Excel. He said the group had some fun with the Marines when they lined the eight up with tuna for a picture and then turned the hose on them.

"They stood there and took it like men," said Al, "and then we started spraying everybody with the hose, during the heat of the day."

Justin Fleck skippered the eight-day trip with 26 passengers.

"My parents said no good deed goes unrewarded," said Fleck. "This one was rewarded by wide open fishing on yellowfin tuna, yellowtail and wahoo.

"It looks very encouraging for future fall fishing. There's lots of clean blue 75 to 85-degree water."

Two big fish were caught on the kite and therefore not eligible for the jackpots. One came to Joe Chavez of Cerritos, a 101-pounder that found "double trouble" sardines dangled at the surface. The other was a 92-pounder taken by Lance Corporal Yoen Santana.

Dave Geis of Truckee won first place for a 78.8-pound yellowfin tuna he bagged with a mackerel on a 3/0 ringed Mutu hook. He said he used Suffix 40-pound fluorocarbon leader and 65-pound solid Line One Spectra, an Accurate B2 665 XN reel and a Kevin Bogan custom Calstar 765 ML rod.

"It was really slow at the time," said Dave, "so I put on a mackerel with a sliding sinker. It got bit after a long soak.

Corporal Roman Konopatskiy won second place for a 75.2-pound tuna he got on 40-pound line. Jackson Smith of Alta Loma won third place for a 60.2-pound yellowfin tuna.