John Grabowski returned his 24 anglers on the Red Rooster III to the dock at H&M Landing February 7, after a 15-day trip.

"We fished the southern banks for five days," he told dock reporter Bill Roecker. "Then we went out to the Buffer Zone and found a lot of smallish tuna. Then we went back into the beach for one day and got 15 good ones in an afternoon.

"Conditions are still very good on the inside," said Johnny G. "The water's holding at 71.5 to 71.7 degrees. There's phenomenal squid showing, 30 to 50-pounders. They get pushed up in the afternoons by the tuna. The fish tear into ???em, and shred ???em. No wonder they bite on chunks. We saw big spots of 25 to 40-pound yellowfin all the way up to the cows. It looks good for next season, too."

David Dudley of El Cajon spent 45 minutes taming a 300.1-pound yellowfin. The fish won first place.

"My best fish," he said. "The whole trip was fabulous."

Dudley baited a mackerel on a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu hook. He used 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon, 130-pound Spectra, a Penn 50 VSW reel and a Seeker 1994 rod.

Joe Ornelas of Oceanside won second place for a 269-pound tuna he bagged on his first long range trip. He said the fish took a sardine on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu on 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon leader and 130-pound Line One Spectra. He fished with a Tiagra 30 reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.

Jack Preston of Alta Loma won third place for a 268.9 and a 209.7-pounder.

"I knew he was heavy," he said of the larger fish, "right after he bit."

Jack dunked a mackerel on an 8/0 Mustad circle hook, tied to 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon leader and 130-pound Line One Spectra. He used an Avet 50 SDS reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXXH rod to bring the big one boatside in 45 minutes, his best tuna ever.

Scotty Pomeroy of Montclair got a supercow, a 309.6-pound tub he hauled in after a hook and hand. He said it took an hour. The tuna bit on a mackerel pinned to a 6/0 Eagle Claw hook. He fished with 130-pound Izor flourocarbon, and 130-pound Line One Spectra, on a Penn 50 W reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.

K. J. Song of LA got a 260 and a 211-pounder. He fished sardines on the kite, with the boat's rig: 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izor Spectra on an Accurate 50 reel, with a Super Seeker 6463 XXXXH rod.

Morgan Promnitz was on his first long range trip. He got a 242-pound tuna on a mackerel and a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu. He used 100-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon and 130-pound Izor Spectra on an Avet 30 reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.

"The fight lasted 45 minutes," said Morgan to Roecker. "It's my first cow. I love it; I'm addicted!"

Mike Gooing of Costa Mesa brought home a 241-pounder. He said it came on a sardine and a 7/0 Mustad Hoodlum hook. He fished 130-pound Yo-Zuri leader and 130-pound Line One Spectra on a Penn 30 reel by Baker and a 670 H Calstar rod.

"He was a tough fish," said Mike. "I got him in a half-hour."

Matt Bowland of Encinitas caught a 238 and a 235-pounder. He said he fished sardines on a 4/0 ringed Super Mutu tied to 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Izor Spectra, with a Tiagra 30 W reel and a 6460 H rod.

David "Golden Boy" Choate, an Accurate rep, was aboard and bagged a brace of cows at 234 and 224 pounds. He had a couple of other fish that just missed the 200-pound mark.

"I was on fire," he said. "These were tough fish. I had to sit down after I got one. They bit equally well on sardines and mackerel, I got half of mine on each. We had the most beautiful weather you'd ever want to see."

Choate said he used 6/0 Gorilla hooks on 130-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon, 130-pound Line One Spectra, an Accurate ATD 30 reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXH rod to take the big one in 35 minutes.

Paul Zacks of Fountain Valley took a 227-pound tuna with a mackerel on an Eagle Claw 7/0 ringed hook. He said he used 130-popund Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One Spectra on a Penn 50 W reel by Cal Sheets and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.

Bill Brandstetter of Mission Viejo took a 222.2-pound tuna on a sardine and a 4/0 ringed Super Mutu hook. He said he fished with 100-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader, 130-pound Line One Spectra on a Tiagra 30 reel and a Baja Boomer Jr. rod.

Dr. Scott Johnstone of Nashville, TN brought home a 206-pound yellowfin tuna that bit on his sardine and an 8/0 VMC J-hook tied to 80-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izor Spectra. He fished with an Avet 50 SDS reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.

"It's my fourth cow," he said. "It came to gaff in 25 minutes."

Richard Mondos of Parker, AZ won the trolling jackpot for a 154-pound tuna he got with an orange and black Marauder.

A tuna of 100 pounds or so was caught that seemed to be sporting an archival tag in its belly. If so, the angler who got it may be eligible for a $500 reward.

Owner Linda Palm said the Red Rooster III is leaving on a 16-day trip February 13, and there are still some available spots.