The Loftus-Martin charter with 15 anglers aboard the Red Rooster III returned to H&M Landing March 25. A crowd was waiting for the anglers, and there was a stir when skipper Andy Cates hoisted a 327.4-pound yellowfin tuna on the certified scales for first-time long tripper Jeff Cakin of Leavenworth, KS. A few moments later the crowd cheered when Cates hoisted a second supercow, a 302.3-pounder, for Butch Oldencamp of Bakersfield. The fish had taped at 298 pounds, and bystanders gave strong approval for the heavier weight.

"We tried the Lusitania Bank," said Cates to dock reporter Bill Roecker, "and were disappointed by wind and a lack of fish that wanted to bite. We went out to the Buffer Zone for six days and found very good fishing. We got almost all of the big fish, the 150 to 200-pounders, on two of those days. In the Buffer Zone we found fish under birds, but the best fish were found on the meter.

"Some of the big ones were really tough," remembered Cates, "especially one that went about 240 pounds and required a skiff chase."

The big fish was a tub of a tuna, short and rotund, weighing in within a pound of Cates' taped estimate of 328 pounds.

"I saw the boil when he took, and then he almost spooled the 80," said Jeff Cakin, who'd been on some fall trips but never on a trip to the Revillagigedos Islands. "He stayed out there at three or four hundred yards. When he came up he was at the bow.

"My best tuna before was a 65-pounder," continued Jeff. "This is really fun. I'm doing it again. Actually, it was awesome; they fight a lot harder than I thought."

Cakin said he fished a double sardine rig on the kite to bag his 327.4-pound monster. He used 7/0 Hayabusa hooks on 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline Spectra, with an Accurate 80 reel and a Calstar 760 XH rod. The fight lasted an hour and 45 minutes.

The 302.3-pounder caught by Butch Oldencamp of Bakersfield won second place. It came on a sardine and a 6/0 ringed Gorilla hook, he said. He used 130-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader and 130-pound Maxima mainline with 130-pound Line One Spectra on a Penn 30 modified by Cal Sheets and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.

"It took an hour and a half," said Butch. "He bit on a long soak. He ran out and got most of my line, then went down and took me around the boat three times. He came up in the port corner. I loved it; I'm signed up again for next year."

John Raspperry of Ocean Beach scored third place for a 277-pounder. He also got a 248-pound tuna.

"My best fish before was a 106-pounder," he told Roecker. He said he fished sardines on 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hooks, with a balloon, 130-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader and 130-pound Line One Spectra. He used a Tiagra 50 W reel and a Calstar 760 XH rod and got the better fish in an hour and a half.

Chartermaster John Loftus bagged a 265.4-pounder on the double sardine/kite rig. He said he fished with 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline Spectra on a Penn 80 reel and a Calstar 760 XH rod.

John Aviles of Tracy got a pair of cows at 259.7 and 238.9 pounds.

"The big one took 625 yards of line with the drag down tight," said John. "He smoked my reel. Then I was in low gear for 625 yards. I used an extra, stinger hook to hold my sardine bait. It was a 2/0 Owner and I put it on a big 8/0 ringed Super Mutu. I was high man on the boat for tuna."

Aviles used 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One Spectra on an Accurate 50 W reel and a Black Steel Seeker 6463 XXXH rod, and brought the big fish to gaff in an hour and 15 minutes.

Woody Woodruff of Torrance spanked a 237-pound yellowfin with a sardine on a ringed 5/0 Super Mutu hook tied to 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Izorline Spectra backing on an Accurate 50 reel and a Calstar 765 H rod. He said his previous best tuna was a 224-pounder, and only needed 40 minutes to finish this one.

Pete Fallini of Santa Barbara bagged a 226.8-pound tuna with a sardine on a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu. He used 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Izorline Spectra on an Avet 50 SDS reel and a Calstar 765 H rod. He said the fight went an hour and a half.

Rich Gallimore of Santa Paul found twin 206-pounders. He fished with sardines on 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hooks. He used 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One Spectra, on a Cal Sheets-treated Penn 50 W reel and a Calstar 760 H rod.

Archie Irion caught s 204-pounder. Tom Jackson of Norwalk took a 200-pound tuna with a sardine on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hook. He fished with 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izor Spectra on a Penn 50 SW reel modified by Cal Sheets, and a Calstar 7465 rod.