Justin Fleck docked Excel at Fisherman's Landing January 21 after the annual 15-day Team Hoo trip with 21 anglers. The group found very good fishing off Clarion Island and the Hurricane Bank, where they scored the best wahoo catch seen in some weeks. Two supercows and three more fish over 200 pounds were caught, along with a good catch of 60 to 180-pounders. Yellowtail provided another excellent catch on the way home. Using heavy gear paid off for Greg Winfree of Eureka, who took the biggest fish of the jackpot winners in the least amount of time. Greg got a 316-pound yellowfin on a salami mackerel pinned on an 8/0 ringed Owner Gorilla hook, tied to 130-pound Seagua Premier fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One spectra. He used an Accurate 50 W reel and a Super Seeker 2x4 rod to bag is first-place winner in an hour and a half. "He bit at midmorning, and he stayed way outside for about half the fight," said Greg, "mostly on the starboard side. I got a 250-pounder, took a break and had a beer, and then hooked him when I got out with the bait about 100 yards. My best one before was 307 pounds." Dean Jefferis of Paso Robles worked hard for his 303-pounder, and won second place. "The fight lasted two hours and 20 minutes," he told dock reporter Bill Roecker. "He got tail-wrapped in the last 30 minutes and died and it was very tough winching him up, but Justin Fleck was there with me and told me to just get a little bit of line at a time, and it worked! He came up on the port corner. My best fish before was a 283-pound tuna." Jefferis fished a salami on an 8/0 ringed Eagle Claw hoo on 130-pound Yo-Zuri fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One spectra. He fished with a Penn 50 VSW reel and a Calstar 7455 XH rod. Ted Prager of Seafrod, NY won third place for a 284-pound tuna he got with a mackerel on an 8/0 Mustad Demon hook and 100-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon backed with 130-pound Line One Spectra. He used a Penn 50 reel and a Calstar 6460 XXXH rod. Prager's fish was a toughie that gave him a two-hour and 20 minute battle. "He didn't run right away," said Prager, "but when he did he got half the spool and took me around the boat four times. He came up on the port side midship. My best fish was a 285-pound bigeye I got off Long Island." Eric Woyce caught a 249-pound tuna with a sardine on a 5/0 ringed Owner Super Mutu tied to 100-pound Yo-Zuri and 100-pound Big Game line backed with 130-pound spectra on a Penn 50 W reel and a Calstar 6465 XXH rod. "He came up on the bow," said Eric. "It was a normal fight, the only one I had this time." Mark Dorton of Woodland bagged his 228-pound tuna in just 40 minutes with a mackerel on a Mustad 7691 hook. "He was a dawn fish," remembered Mark. "Justin said they were under the boat, so I cast out and got hooked up."