A ten-day Accurate trip to the southern banks arrived January 16 when skipper Brian Kiyohara docked American Angler at Pt. Loma Sportfishing. The trip was notable for fine weather and finicky giant yellowfin that were thicker than flies on a dungheap.

"We saw lots of cows jumping," said chartermaster Gary Teraoka of Torrance. "They were as close as five or ten feet from the boat. We got six of ???em on the boat."

Gary was in charge of the 40 "loaner" tuna outfits put on the boat by Accurate, with various Accurate reels on Calstar and Seeker rods. The reels were spooled with Izorline, Blackwater and Line One," said Jack Nilsen, Accurate founder who was on the dock.

"It was like grease," remarked one passenger. "You could have water skied behind the boat for ten days. But the fish are all full of red crab and foot-long squid."

The biggest fish was ineligible, a handoff. The 279-pounder was caught by Felix Weaver of Modesto and weighed on the boat.

Felix said he caught the fish after it took a sardine on a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu hook on 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izor Spectra on an Accurate 50 reel and a Calstar 6465 XH rod. He stood in with the winners as honorable mention in the jackpot lineup.

Dr. Corey Burak, an orthopedic surgeon from Scarsdale, NY won first place for a 267.5-pound yellowfin he bagged with a sardine on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu on 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Izor Spectra on an Avet 50 reel and a Seeker 769 XXH rod.

"I've never heard of that model Seeker," Bill Roecker said.

"I think I might have the only one. It's pretty old," noted Dr. Burak.

Jeff Price of Yorba Linda won second place for a 240-pounder.

"He was a long time at color," said Price. "It took an hour and 45 minutes to deck him."

Jeff baited a sardine on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu. He used 90-pound Seaguar leader and 130-pound Izor Spectra on a Penn 30 W reel and a Calstar 655 XXH rod.

Ted Windham of Mission Viejo won third place for a 232-pounder that ate a sardine on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu tied to 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon leader and 130-pound Line One Spectra on a Penn 30 W reel modified by Baker and Sheets and a Calstar 6460 XXH rod.

"It took 30 minutes," he said. "He got wrapped in a big wad of Spectra, and the deckhands helped me out of it."

Joe Eldeiry of Martha's Vineyard, MA caught a 227-pounder on a sardine and the boat's kite rig after an hour and a half fight. The rig featured a sardine baited on 130-pound Spectra on an Accurate 50 reel and a Calstar 6460 XH rod.

Dan Spiegel of Venice Beach took a 208-pounder on a mackerel and an 8/0 Mustad hook tied to 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Izorline Spectra. He used an Avet 50 reel and a Calstar 760 H rod and got the fish in 30 minutes.

Spiegel bottom fished on the Morgan Bank with a dropper loop rig and got an olive grouper and a 43-pound yellowtail. The yellowtail was an uncommon catch so far south. He posed with it on the dock.

Smaller tuna were more plentiful on the Morgan Bank as well, said the anglers aboard.