Andy Cates brought Red Rooster III home to H&M Landing after a 14-day trip with 18 anglers, the annual Loftus & Martin expedition. "We had spectacular fishing at the Hurricane Bank," remarked Cates, "with plenty of opportunities at wahoo."

The trip's tusker was a 274.8-pound yellowfin taken by Tom Kelleher of Corona del Mar. He told dock reporter Bill Roecker it was his best-ever tuna, though he'd had a 243-pounder six years ago. He said he baited a mackerel on a 9/0 Mustad 7691 hook, and used the boat's kite 130-pound pound kite outfit, with a Penn 80 reel and a Seeker Black Steel 6463 XXXH rod. The big tuna fought for an hour.

Butch Oldenkamp of Bakersfield won second place for a 244.6-pounder. It bit a sardine on a 12/0 Mustad circle hook tied to 130-pound Maxima fluorocarbon leader, 130-pound Line One spectra, an Accurate ATD 30 reel and a Calstar 7455 XH rod.

Gary Grimaud of Ocean Beach won third place for a 210-pound tuna. He said it bit on a sardine and an 11/0 Mustad 7691 hook. He fished with 130-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon and 130-pound Power Pro spectra on a Penn 80 W reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXHG rod. "It took a half-hour," he remarked. "It's my fifth cow."

Peter Wright of Torrance got a 200.2-pound tuna in just 20 minutes. He said it took a sardine on an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook, 130-popund Blackwater fluorocarbon, 130-pound Maxima mono topshot, 130-pound Izorline spectra, an Avet 50 reel and a Calstar 770 XXH rod.

Squeaking into the cow club with a 200-pound fish, Tony Postolov used a sardine on an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook. He said he used 130-pound Izorline pink fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One spectra on an Accurate ATD 50 reel and a Phenix seven-foot rod.