Justin Fleck docked Excel at Fisherman's landing August 7 after the annual Phil's Propellers Six-Day charter with 26 anglers aboard. They fished at Alijos Rocks and on floating kelp mats found from 220 miles south.

"Those paddies are loaded with yellowtail," said Justin to dock reporter Bill Roecker. "I saw some that had a thousand fish under them. The fishing was incredible for dorado. also. We saw marlin above the Rocks, too. The dorado were mostly eight to 10 pounds, and the yellowtail went 10 to 25 pounds with a few bigger ones."

Brown sharks at The Rocks took numerous larger tuna, said Justin. He reminded anglers that from now until December 26, fishermen signing up for trips on the Excel get a ten percent New Owners discount on their tickets. Danny Yanagihara of Oxnard won first place for a 57.8-pound tuna. It bit a sardine on an Eagle Claw 6/0 hook tied to 40-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon, 40-pound Ande and 65-pound Power Pro spectra. He fished with an Avet JX reel and a Calstar 700 M rod. "He ran like a train!" said Danny, "And I fought him for 40 minutes."

Mike Morishita of Belmont won second place for a 56.5-pound tuna. Danny's son Russell Yanagihara of Solana Beach won third place for a 43.5-pound Alijos Rocks yellowfin tuna.