Andy Cates docked Red Rooster III at H&M Landing Sunday morning, June 14, after a 15-day "June Heat" trip sponsored by Accurate Fishing Products. Leo Riehsen was the Accurate rep aboard. Many of the anglers were regulars who make the trip each year. This year Brandon Hayward, saltwater editor at Western Outdoor News, was also aboard, on his first trip to the islands as one of the 22 fisherman instead of a deckhand.

"It's a whole other deal when you get your own cow on the deck," said Brandon to dock reporter Bill Roecker. "These long trips are the same as the shorter long range trips; you don't need to take a lot of gear. They have it on the boat. And the costs aren't bad, either. If you saved $11 a day you'd have the money to go again next year.

"Andy's perseverance paid off," continued Hayward. "The big tuna were mostly caught in the last four days, mostly on the kite."

Brandon had two cows, of 244.2 and 202.5 pounds. He baited sardines on 5/0 ringed Super Mutu hooks, and fished with 1230-poundSeaguar fluorocarbon leader and 130-pound Line One Spectra on an Accurate 50 topless reel and a Calstar 7465 XH rod.

It was hard to talk with anyone at the dock, because a huge crowd took just about every square inch of cement on the pad at the scales, mostly on the rumor that the big fish might be a 400-pounder. Channel 8 and 9 were both there, along with several other news outlets, including the San Diego Union Tribune, represented by outdoors reporter-editor Ed Zieralski.

The onlookers were there to see the supercows. The taped weights came in a bit short when the fish were weighed, not uncommon, but perplexing to skipper Cates, who had thought Mike Ashford's tuna might go 380 pounds. The crowd pressed inward as the fish went up on the scales. The dial showed a weight of 362.1 pounds, just good enough to make the all-time top ten list, in the last spot.

"I'm blown away," said Ashford, of Coarse Gold, CA. "I didn't know how big it was until they brought aboard through the gate. It was the last bait of the trip, and I was first in the water. He fought for an hour and 15 minutes."

Mike gave Roecker a written account of the event. "The fish hit a bobber balloon," he wrote, "on the last stop of the day. He ran across the stern and up the starboard side to the bow. I put the rod butt in my plate and never moved it. At no time did anyone touch the rod, not did it tough the rail.

"The fish ran straight out, and was tail-wrapped when landed. It took four gaffs to bring it in through the gate."

Ashford listed the following for his tackle: a sardine on a 7/0 ringed Super Mutu hook, crimped to 130-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon and 130-pound Power Pro Spectra with a loop connection to 130-pound Line One Spectra with a Teraoaka nub knot connection. He fished with a Shimano 50 LRS reel and a Calstar 7465 XH rod. He also had a tuna that weighed 236.8 pounds.

Paul Oster of Mammoth Lakes won second place for a 304.8-pound tuna that sucked in a tube mackerel on the kite. He used a boat rig with a 12/0 Mustad 7691 hook and 130-pound Izorline Spectra on an Accurate 80 reel and a Calstar 760 XH rod.

Lynn Freed of Winnetka won third place for a 295.3-pound yellowfin, his best ever, that bit a flying fish on the kite and fought for an hour. He pinned his bait on a 9/0 Mustad 3994 hook. He used 130-pound Izorline Spectra on a Penn 80 S reel modified by Cal Sheets and a Calstar 755 XXH rod.

Newport CPA Art Green, a long-time regular, got a pair of cows, at 270 and 202 pounds. Art fished sardines on 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hooks under a bobber balloon. He said he used 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One Spectra, with a Tiagra 50 W reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXXH rod.

Thad Peach of Stanley, NC got fish of 261 and 236 pounds, with sardines on 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hooks. He went 100-pound all the way with 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon leader and 100-pound Line One Spectra on an Avet 30 W reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXXH rod.

"I love my custom rail rod," he told Roecker, "it's very powerful. I also got some fish on the new Two by Four Super Seeker. I liked that rod, too.

Chartermaster Leo Riehsen of Eagle Rock got a 259.8-pounder with a flying fish on a 9/0 Mustad 7691 hook and the kite, with 130-pound Izorline Spectra on an Accurate 80 reel and a Calstar 7460 XH rod.

Bob Cherry of Santa Monica picked a pair at 240 and 218 pounds. The big fish took 45 minutes, he said. He used 9/0 Mustad 7691 hooks on mackerel under the kite, with 130-pound Izorline Spectra on a Penn 80 S reel and a Calstar 7455 XXH rod.

Steve Kneip of Bishop bagged a brace at 239 and 204.2 pounds. He baited flyers under the kite on 9/0 Mustad 7691 hooks, with 130-pound Momoi leader and 130-pound Line One Spectra on an Accurate 50 W reel and a Super Seeker 6455 XXH rod.

John Keeler of Santa Monica got a 238-pounder in 30 minutes on a sardine and an Eagle Claw 8/0 hook. He fished with 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon leader, 130-pound P-Line and 130-pound Izorline Spectra, with an Avet 50 reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.

Roger Goldthwaite of LA bagged a 232.9-pounder on a mackerel under the kite. He put his bait on a 12/0 Mustad 7691 hook and used the boat's rig with an Accurate 80 reel. Mike Butler also used the boat rod and reel to take a tuna of 225.9 pounds, baiting mackerel under the kite.

Bill Walsh of Chino Hills nabbed a 207-pounder in just 15 minutes after it took a mackerel under the kite. He put the bait on a 9/0 Mustad 7691 hook, with 130-pound Line One Spectra on an Avet 50 reel and a Calstar Baja Boomer rod.

Skipper Andy Cates tallied up his catch at 22 tuna over 200 pounds for 20 anglers, on the last trip of the 2008-09 season.

"Good fish," he grinned.

The next big fish season will begin next fall, with the taking of the first 200-pound yellowfin, although any summer bluefin tuna of over 200 pounds will be included