The Loftus-Martin charter with 24 anglers aboard Red Rooster III to the Hurricane Bank and the Buffer Zone returned to H&M Landing March 23 with a fine catch of yellowfin that included 14 tuna over 200 pounds and about two-thirds wahoo limits around. "It was a productive winter trip," said Cates. "There was low traffic down there, and fishing was good for wahoo and tuna." Dan Pope of Buena Park caught two big ones and won first place for his 283-pound tuna. The other weighed 243. He said he fished mackerel on 9/0 Mustad 7691 hooks tied to 130-pound Maxima and 130-pound Line One Spectra. He used a Penn 50 VSW modified by Cal Sheets and a Calstar 755 XH rod wrapped by Fisherman's Hardware. He said the fight went about 45 minutes on the big fish. John Aviles of Tracy won second place for a 270.8-pounder. He also got a 264.8 and a 277-pound tuna, but the big one was shark-bit. It might have weighed nearly 300 pounds had it not been missing a chunk from its back. Aviles said he got his fish with mackerel on 9/0 Mustad 7691 hooks, with 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Line One Spectra on a Penn 80 reel tuned by Cal Sheets. He fished with a Calstar 760 XXH rod. "The winner took me around the boat twice," he told dock reporter Bill Roecker. "He took me around the anchor five times. He was a tough fish." Pete Fellini of Santa Paula won third place for his 266-pounder. It bit on a mackerel and a 9/0 ringed Owner Super Mutu hook tied to 130-pound Blackwater fluorocabon and 130-pound Line One Spectra. Pete fished with a Sheets-modified Penn 50 SW reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXXH rod. Bob "Scrappy" Michener of Oxnard continued his quest to reach the 50-cow mark with three nice ones: 244.4, 261.4 and 261.8 pounds. He said he baited mackerel on 9/0 Mustad 7691 hooks, with 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Line One Spectra. He fished with an Accurate 50 W reel and a Seeker 6465 XXXH rod. Tom Jackson of Norwalk bagged a brace of cows at 228.2 and 243.8 pounds. He wasn't available for comment. Rich Gallimore of Santa Paula took a 237-pounder with a sardine on a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu hook. "My best fish," remarked Rich. "It was a walk on the wild side. He pulled me around the boat four times." Bob Milleson of Lawndale also got his best fish, a 203-pounder. He said it bit a mackerel on a 9/0 Mustad 7691 hook on 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Spectra. He used a Sheets-treated Penn 50 W reel and a Calstar 760 XXH rod to take his first cow in a half-hour. Ron Hirao of Huntington Beach whipped a 203-pounder in a half-hour, after it bit a sardine under the kite on an 8/0 ringed Owner Super Mutu hook. He said he fished with 130-pound Izorline Spectra on a Penn 70 reel and a Calstar 765 XH rod. Dan Sunderland of San Marcos got his first cow, a 201-pounder, in 40 minutes. He baited a salami mackerel on a 9/0 Mustad 7691 hook tied to 130-pound Maxima and 130-pound Line One Spectra. He fished with a Cofe-modified Penn 50 W reel and a Black Steel Seeker 6463 XXXXH rod.