"Fishing for school tuna was very good at The Rocks and on The Ridge," said Chef Jason Fleck of the Excel on the dock November 25.

His twin brother Justin, who's the Excel skipper, agreed.

"We've been looking at the big fish down south for a couple of trips," he said. "They've been laying down there at 180 feet, near a feed layer. We saw ???em again this time. They're all over down there, but we had left when they decided to bite for the Rooster and the Star. The odd thing is it's 78 degrees down there, and 81 degrees up above."

Bill Cashman of Glendora won first place on the 10-day trip for a 111-pound tuna. He bagged the fish with a chunk on a 10/0 Mustad circle hook with a swivel. He said he used a 100-pound wind-on leader by Offshore Angler, 130-pound Power Pro Spectra backing on a Penn 50 W reel and a Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.

Wayne Snowbarger of Paso Robles won second place for a 92-pounder, and Stephen Ruiter of Toronto, Canada took third place for an 82-pound yellowfin tuna. There were 28 anglers aboard.

The biggest tuna wasn't eligible. Al Shakespeare of Glendale caught the 123.6-pounder on 40-pound line with a sardine, and stood in with the jackpot lineup.

Also on the end of the lineup shot: Steve Wenzel of Redlands trolled up what is now the best wahoo of the new 2008-09 season, a 65.6-pounder he got on a Marauder in orange, black and yellow. The fight went 15 minutes, he said, on 100-pound blue Izorline, 130-pound Power Pro Spectra backing, a Penn 50 W reel and a Calstar 760 H rod.

Also worthy of mention but without a photo was the 76.3-pound wahoo caught aboard the Spirit of Adventure about the same time. The fish was weighed by owner-skipper Mike Keating at H&M Landing November 24.

Bringing up the end of the lineup was Carl Dorton of Tarzana, who copped a 51-pound yellowtail on a sardine. He used 80-pound Line One backing on a Cal Sheets-treated Penn 12 T reel and a Calstar 665 H rod.

"It was a really strange fight," said Carl, "he acted like a stubborn shark, coming through the water sideways like a 4 x 12 piece of lumber."