Brian Kiyohara docked American Angler at Pt. Loma Sportfishing February 1, one day before the scheduled arrival, because the 17 anglers aboard had all the tuna and wahoo they needed on the Avet Reels/ Salas Lures/Line One-sponsored trip. Ben Frazier of Avet was chartermaster, and former Excel skipper Shawn Steward assisted Kiyohara. "We tried Hurricane Bank first for wahoo and some tuna," related Frazier to dock reporter Bill Roecker. "All methods worked good for wahoo, and we got a few tuna. Fishing off Clarion was so good we came in a day early. The weather was absolutely perfect right up to yesterday." John "Doc" Metcalf of Danville won first place for a 269-pound tuna, but he had two other cows at 246 and 237 pounds. The big one came on a salami, he said, pinned on a Gamakatsu 11/0 J-hook. He used 130-pound Jin Kai and 130-pound Line One Spectra backing on an Avet 50 reel and a Calstar 7465 rod. "He fought me for about an hour," said Metcalf, "and he's my best fish. The previous best tuna was a 254-pounder. This one came up on the starboard corner." Bob Wheeler won second place for a 257-pounder. He also had a 225-pound yellowfin. He got his big one on a salami and an 8/0 Jobu hook on a Basil wind-on leader with 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon backed by 130-pound Line One spectra on an Accurate 50 N reel modified by Cal Sheets and a Calstar 770 XXH rod. Paul "Planet" Yarnold won third place for a 251-pounder. He said he bagged it with a salami on a Mustad 7691 10/0 hook on 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Izorline spectra. He fished with a topless Accurate ATD 50 reel modified by Sheets and a Super Seeker 2x4 rod built by Rooster Rods. Glenn Bummer of Glendale caught the biggest tuna of the trip, a 286-pound beast that bit on a double sardine rig under the kite and was therefore ineligible for the contest. He used a 7/0 Super Mutu hook from Owner, 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline spectra on the boat's rod with an Avet 50 reel. "It was a tough fish," said Bummer. "He stayed outside the whole time. It was the challenge of my life. He came up midship, my best tuna." Bummer posed in a lineup shot with the winners. Bobby Gott of San Diego took a 211-pounder on a sardine and an 8/0 ringed Super Mutu hook tied to 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One spectra. He fished with an Avet 30 W reel and a Super Seeker 2x4 he wrapped himself. Charlie Iwashita, who hooked three fish over 300 pound last year, had this trip's remaining cow, a 208-pounder. He said it bit a sardine on a 4/0 ringed Super Mutu hook tied to 130-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One spectra on a TLD 30 reel modified by Cofe and a 2x4 Super Seeker rod.