Frank LoPreste brought the Taka Tanaka (Taka's Bait & Tackle) 16-day Royal Polaris charter home to Fisherman's Landing January 18 with a new boat record of 72 tuna over 200 pounds. That record is the third in three trips to the southern banks this winter, with the prior mark being 69 cows brought home by Roy Rose December 23.

On January 12, the report from Royal Polaris read: "?Ķweather was sunny today, with 10 to 12 knots of breeze. Fishing was quite good. We released 8 fish today and kept 14 Cows from 205 to 270 pounds. We feel quite fortunate to have had such a good day. Our fish holds are full so we will be spending the next several days fishing our way up the Baja coast looking for new spots and releasing most everything we catch."

At the dock, Gary Ah Sing of Gardena won first place for the largest tuna, a 283-pounder.

"He came up tail-wrapped," said Gary. "He bit on the slide when we metered some fish."

Gary said he baited a sardine on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hook tied to 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline Spectra. He used a Penn 50 SW reel and a Calstar 6460 XXH rod.

Bill Gilpin of Camano Island, WA was second, for a 278-pound tuna. He also had a 269-pounder. He said he fished sardines on a ringed 6/0 Super Mutu hook, and used 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline Spectra on an Avet 50 SDS reel and a 6460 XXH rod. Gilpin's best previous fish was about 70 pounds.

Calvin Fujimoto of Burbank was third, for a 276-pound yellowfin that bit a sardine on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu. He fished with 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Line One Spectra backing on a Penn 50 SW reel and a Truline C6H rod.

"It was a gentle bite," remembered Calvin, "but then he took off like a rocket. The last 20 feet was the hardest. The fish bit about mid-morning."

Bob Crawford of Chico had five over 200, at 274, 238, 235, 221 and 210 pounds. The big one came in an hour and 15 minute4s, he said. He fished sardines on 6/0 Mutu ringed hooks. He used 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Line One Spectra on a 50 SW reel by Cal Sheets, and a Calstar 760H rod.

Ron Watanabe of Carson took 45 minutes to land a 260-pounder. He had six more cows to back it up, at 232, 210, 209, 209, 206 and 204 pounds. The big one was "?Ķa tough fish," he said. "They're all tough down there. I got it up with the help of the crew. It was an amazing trip."

Chartermaster Taka Tanaka had ten tuna over 200 pounds, which may be some sort of record. His best was 254. Taka had tuna of 254, 253, 243, 230, 230, 225, 222, 218, 207 and 206 pounds. He declined to pose with the winners, saying they should get the glory.

Taka said he fished with sardines on ringed 6/0 Super Mutu hooks. He used 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Seaguar Spectra backing on a Penn 50 SW reel and a 6460 XXH rod.

Butch Brown of Castaic, long-time regular on the boat, got a 263-pound tuna; and a 237 and a 217-pounder. He said he fished sardines on ringed 6/0 Super Mutu hooks, and with 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Line One Spectra on a Cal Sheets blueprinted Penn 50 SW reel and a Calstar 6460 XXH rod.

There were 24 anglers aboard the rig. Sue Gentry of Westminster was ever so close to a cow with a 197-pounder.

Meeting the RP were a couple of sponsors: Jerry Brown of Gold Hill, OR, the Line One spectra distributor, and Jack Nilsen of Accurate, who put a couple of long aluminum gaffs aboard the rig. Gaff bamboo is very scarce, said Jack.