"Jeff put us on 'em good!" said Chartermaster Gary Buddenbohm of Big Fish Tackle in Seal Beach at Point Loma Sportfishing May 25. He was just back from a six-day trip a "flyer" to Alijos Rocks aboard the Independence with skipper Jeff DeBuys.

"We had good weather and made good speed downhill," said DeBuys at the scales. We got there in time to spend two days and a morning fishing. It was typical but good spring fishing, in 68-degree water. There was good sign of tuna and they were readily biting.

"The tuna averaged 40 pounds, and 40-pound line was the right stuff," he continued. The yellowtail ran from 15 pounds to over 50. If you wanted yellows you put on a small sinker; if it was tuna you were after you fly-lined 'em. Fishing was full speed on the kite. Yoyo iron fishing was good with heavy, large jigs."

Mordy Kay of LA won first place for a 102.6-pound tuna. He got the fish with a squid on the boat's kite rig.

Gary Moates of Seal Beach and the LA Rod & Reel Club won second place for an 83-pound yellowfin, and Cathy "Cookie" Killeen of Seal Beach and Big Fish Tackle won third place for a 72-pound yellowfin tuna.

John Carmadella of San Dimas got honorable mention for a 52.2-pound yellowtail, a lunker that sucked in his mackerel bait and gave him a 30-minute fight.