"I was listening to let's Talk Hookup on a Sunday morning," said Kent Iwata of Valencia to dock reporter Bill Roecker at Pt. Loma Sportfishing January 16, "and I decided to go out on the American Angler on Tuesday."

Most anglers would want a bit more time to get ready for a 10-day trip with skipper Brian Kiyohara and 22 passengers to the lower banks for big tuna, but things went the right way for Kent, and he produced the best tuna of the trip, a 294-pound yellowfin that won him first place in the jackpot.

The Angler returned with her fish holds filled with 24 cows and many smaller tuna.

Iwata said he baited a sardine on a 5/0 Gorilla hook tied to 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon. He said all the anglers aboard were given fluorocarbon. He tied it to 100-pound Blackwater Spectra on an Accurate ATD 30 reel on a Calstar 6465 XXH rod.

He's my best fish," said Iwata. "He fought hard for two hours."

Dave Boes of Seattle won second place for a 273-pounder. He also had one at 255 pounds. He fished sardines on 5/0 ringed Super Mutu hooks. He used 100-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon and 100-poundSpectra on a Tiagra 30 reel and a Calstar 6460 H rod.

"It took an hour and a half," he said. "He ripped me! I was about spooled and had the backup ready. The 255-pounder did spool me and he got half the line off the 80 W backup reel. When that one came in we got him up on the bow."

Harvey Rosen of Benicia won third place for a 267-pounder.

"He fought like a junkyard dog for an hour and a half," commented Harvey, who said he used a mackerel on a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu tied to 100-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One Spectra on an Accurate ATD 30 mounted on a Calstar 7465 H rod.

Dale Prichard of Redondo Beach caught a 256-pound tuna on a sardine and a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu. He said he used 80-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon and 100-pound Line One Spectra on a 4/0 Avet reel and a Calstar 6460 XH rod. Dale also had tuna of 208 and 210 pounds. His big fish took an hour, he said, and all three were his first cows.

Karl Bornemann of Hemet took a 249-pound tuna with a sardine on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu and 80-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon, tied to 100-pound Line One Spectra. He used a Penn 16 VS reel and an older Truline six and a half-foot rod. The job took 45 minutes, he said.

Mark Johnson of Ventura bagged a 231-pounder on a sardine and a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu hook. He said he used 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Spectra on a TLD 30 reel and a Calstar 760 H rod. The fish fought him for two hours.

Bob Hara of Santa Monica found a 226-pounder with a sardine on a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu. He used 130-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One Spectra on an Accurate ATD 50 reel and a Super Seeker 2 x 4 rod.

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Corey Burak of Westlake, NY decked a 219-pound yellowfin tuna with a sardine on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hook on 80-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One Spectra on an Accurate BX-2 30 reel and a Calstar 670 XH rod. The fight lasted an hour, he said.

James Barker of East Nicolaus got a 215-pounder on bait and a 210-pounder on the kite. The baitfish took a sardine on a 6/0 ringed Eagle Claw hook and 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon. He said he used 130-pound Line One Spectra on a new Accurate BX-2 50 reel and a Seeker 6364 XXH rod he wrapped himself.

Bob Danner of Marysville used 35 minutes at the rail to bring in a 214-pound yellowfin. He baited a sardine on a 4/0 ringed Super Mutu tied to 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Spectra on an Avet 50 reel and a six and a half-foot rod of unknown make.

Mark McClintock of Goleta got a 205-pound tuna with a sardine on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hook and 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon. He used 100-pound Spectra on a Penn 50 reel and a Calstar 64665 XH rod to take his best fish in an hour.

Steve Bowman of Las Vegas came home with a 204 and a 201-pound tuna. The big one fought 45 minutes, he said. He fished with 7/0 ringed Super Mutu hooks on 130-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One Spectra on a Penn 50 W reel and a Calstar 6460 XXH rod.

"Old" Bob Henke (78) of Whittier also nabbed a 201 and a 204-pounder. They were the trip's first cows, on the first day of fishing. He said he baited sardines on 5/0 Super Mutu hooks on 80-pound colored Blackwater fluorocarbon. He used 80-poundSperctra on an Avet 30 reel and an American Angler boat rod.

Jigmaker Matt Salas of Redondo Beach bagged a 202-pound tuna with a sardine on a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu hook tied to 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 100-pound Izorline Spectra. Matt fished with an Avet 30 reel and a Super Seeker 2 x 4 rod.

Skipper Kiyohara was pleased with his trip, especially with the flat calm weather.

"We had 19 anglers who got one over 200 pounds," he noted.