Andy Cates had 23 anglers aboard Red Rooster III for a 15-day trip, and he obliged all but three of them with a cow, a cow tuna of over 200 pounds. Eleven anglers had never caught a cow before, so it was a happy crowd at H&M Landing and Lee Palm Sportfishers January 19 when Cates docked the rig with a total of 59 tuna over the 200-pound mark, a new boat record.

"All those newcomers got into the 200-pound club," said Cates, "so they'll get a jacket. That's what it's all about; it makes it so much easier to get into long range fishing."

On January 9, Cates reported, "The day could not have gone much better. The weather laid back down to no wind and just a little swell. The great fishing continued with an exceptional day on quality; An all-day drift that brought 10 fish from 225 to 285 pounds and three others from 204 to 220. There were three fish in the 270-pound range and one at 283. Fred Knilans landed the big fish the 283, Dennis Rogers with a 270 , Tim Ivy with a 256. Mike Deppe, Gary Rogers, Ray Broders , Ted Kirkbride and a few others also had personals bests. The drift produced mostly big ones with only having to release about 12 fish throughout the day. Tonight we are looking for bait and then heading back out to the grounds. With only enough room for 15 more fish we are going to have to be very selective. These big fish take up a lot of fish hold space."

Those were the taped weights, which, as usual, proved to be pretty close estimates when the fish were weighed on the certified scales at the dock.

The best tuna was a 292-pound yellowfin caught be Emerald Argonza of Montclair, after a two-hour battle.

"My best tuna before this was a 60-pounder," said Emerald. "M rod was bent over like crazy. He bit deep on my mackerel with a 2-ounce slider weight. He took me around the boat four times, and nearly spooled me twice. He came up in the starboard corner on four gaffs."

Argonza said he used an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook on straight 130-pound Izorline mono, and an Accurate 50W reel on a 6460 XH rod. He also had tuna of 230 and 204 pounds.

Fred Knilans of Tustin won second place for a 284-pound tuna. He said he fished a sardine on a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu hook, and used 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline Spectra backing on a Tiagra 50 reel and a Calstar 760 M rod.

"It was a slow pickup," said Fred, "I thought I was tangled on another fish, or maybe it was a shark. The skipper teased me about the mystery fish, with no tailbeat. He took me around four times, and came up in the corner after an hour and a half. They put four gaffs in him and brought him on through the gate."

Fred also had tuna of 250, 223, 220 and 212 pounds.

Dennis Rogers of Newport only needed a half-hour to boat his third-place 282-pounder after it ate a sardine on a 7/0 Eagle Claw hook. He fished with 130-pound Izorline, 130-pound Line One Spectra, Sato crimps, a Penn 50T reel blueprinted by Cal Sheets, and a 760 H rod.

Gary Rogers of Carlsbad decked a 272-pounder in 45 minutes after the fish took a sardine on an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook. He said he used 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Line One Spectra backing on a Penn 50 T reel that was Sheets-modified, and a 760 H rod.

Bob Michener of Oxnard, a Rooster regular, brought his daughter Susan on the trip and both got big tuna. Bob's weighed 270, and he also had fish of 248, 245, 234, 200.9, 200.8 and 203 pounds. He said he fished sardines on 12/0 Mustad hooks, with 130-pound Izorline, 130-pound Spectra backing on an Accurate 50W reel and a Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.

Susan Michener of Oxnard got a 258 and a 223-pounder. She fished sardines on 12/0 Mustad circle hooks, with 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Spectra on an Accurate 50W reel (an old one, factory number 84, her father noted), and a Seeker 6364 XXXH rod.

Other notable catches were made by: Mark Kazmak of Great Neck, NY, four cows, at 244, 235, 233 and 201 pounds; Gary Rogers of Carlsbad, four cows at 272, 236, 223 and 200 pounds; Alfredo Slagado of Norco, 257, 209, 200.6 and 200.4 pounds; Mike Deppe of Huntington Beach, 280, 266, 225 and 201 pounds; Tim Ivy of San Diego, 246, 229, 226, 210 pounds; and Vern Brown of San Diego, 223, 212 and 203 pounds.