It was a big day when the big fish bit, and a big day at the docks when they began arriving. Independence was the next boat in on December 8, and three supercows were carted up to the head of the dock at Pt. Loma Sportfishing. Skipper Mark Pisano had his partner Paul Strasser aboard to help on the ten-day trip with 28 anglers, and the pair brought home a total of five tuna over 200 pounds including the big three.

The kite provided the best pair of tuna on the trip. On his first long range run, Keith Strehle of San Diego found a 338.8-pound yellowfin. His best before that was a 50-pounder.

"He boiled on my sardines, said Keith. "It was an impressive take. He ran out and then went down, and he took me around the boat five times."

Keith used 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hooks on a boat rig with 130-pound Spectra, an Avet 50 reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.

Ben Arellano of Bonita bagged a 313.2-pounder on the same kite rig. Those two fish were ineligible for the jackpot because the kite rotation went unfinished, said Pisano.

"My best before was a 200-pounder," said Ben. "I saw him bite. He went out 200 yards and came back. Then he fought me for 50 minutes."

Rick Berg of Saratoga completed an extremely rare triple-header of super cows when he presented his 300.4-pounder at the scales. He got first place for his flylined fish.

"My 100-pound line got stretched out," he told Bill Roecker, "so I went to the 80-pound." Berg's was the second 300-pounder to come on 80-pound the same day. He gave Roecker a pad with the information about his tackle, but the pad fell out of Roecker's notebook somewhere on the dock. Hopefully it can be retrieved again later.

Mike Steele of San Diego won second place for a 221-pounder that came on a mackerel, a 9/0 Super Mutu hook and the boat's heavy rig. Reny Endozo of San Diego got third place for a 208-pounder.