Bill Poole was at the dock to meet his boat December 14, when skipper Justin Fleck docked the 124-footer at Fisherman's Landing with the first big haul of tuna over 200 pounds. There were 23 cows aboard. Five belonged to jet jockey and regular Excel angler Tim Turis of Atlanta, the first time that feat has been accomplished for at least a season. Wahoo fishing was so good, said skipper Fleck, that the skinnies became pestiferous.

"We saw wahoo swimming in the chunk line that had tags on them," Fleck told Roecker. "We had as many as five going at once, and we ended with near-limits."

Dennis Braid and his rep Jan Howard were also aboard, and each had a cow. Braid had a 209-pounder that he hooked on a trolled flying fish on 130-pound Momoi and 130-pound Power Pro Spectra on a Penn 50 T reel and a custom Calstar BR48XHR rod that he straight-reel in after it broke the rod in its extended fore grip.

Braid had another interesting experience that he related to Bill Roecker.

"We spent about four days at the Hurricane Bank," he said, "and two days on the Finger and the Toussaint. I reeled in a jig when no one was around, stopped and lifted it, when up comes this wahoo, straight up, like a missile with an open mouth. He must have closed it when he came through between the rail and the bulwarks. He hit them both and hit me in the leg, and fell back in. I was afraid to look, thinking he'd hit an artery. He did break the skin and gave me a hell of a bruise. I don't think I could have done anything better."

Dennis Saylors of Long Beach won the jackpot with a 250-pounder. (His tuna was nearly tied by Turis' best fish, a 250-pounder, but Tim doesn't enter the jackpot.) Dennis said he got his winner with a chunk of a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hook, on a 130-pound Momoi Basil topshot and 130-pound Line One Spectra on a Tiagra 30 reel and a Calstar X46XH rod. He also had a 206-pound tuna.

Basil Pappas of Harrington Park, NJ, maker of the Basil topshots, won second place for a 248-pounder. Basil said he baited a skipjack on a 14/0 Mustad 3691 hook, tied to a Basil 130-pound topshot and 130-pound Line One Spectra on a Cal Sheets-treated Penn 50 TW reel and a Calstar X46XH rod. He also had a 230-pounder.

Joe Hupp of Chico took a 240-pounder for third place. He fished a sardine on a 9/0 Mustad 39942 hook straight-tied to 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Line One Spectra on a Tiagra 50 reel and a Calstar 655 XXH rod.

Tim Turis of Atlanta gets the next mention for his five cows: 250, 226, 220, 218 and 209 pounds respectively. He said he fished skipjack baits on 16/0 Mustad 7691 hooks, with 130-pound Momoi line and 130-pound Line One Spectra, with a Sheets-treated Penn 50 TW reel and a Yo's custom Calstar X46XH rod.