Last year Andy Cates brought Red Rooster III home to H&M Landing October 30 with a pair of cows, one of which went 268 pounds. You could call it a good opener for the boat, but this year Cates stomped all over his year-old mark with a boatload of cows, 30 to be exact. One weighed 291 pounds, just missing the supercow mark, and was exceptional, coming from the Hurricane Bank, which seldom marks fish over 300 pounds. The trip was 14 days, with 24 anglers, a Loftus-Martin charter. "We didn't have bad weather," said Cates to dock reporter Bill Roecker October 28, "but we did have some bumps and breeze coming home."

Most of the fish came on sardines, but a few were taken on mackerel or skipjack, and two were caught on jigs. Many were just short of 200 pounds, coming in at 180 to 198 pounds. The monster of the catch was T.J. Lee's 291-pound whopper yellowfin. Lee, from Huntington Beach, got that baby with a sardine on a 6/0 ringed Owner Super Mutu hook on 130-pound Izorline. He said he fished with 130-pound Izorline spectra on a Penn 70 reel and a Calstar 770 XH rod. He also had one at 208 pounds.

Bill Walsh of Chino Hills won second place for a 229.6-pounder that bit a skipjack baited on a 10/0 Mustad 7691 J hook and 130-pound Yo-Zuri leader tied to 130-pound spectra. He fished with an Accurate ATD 50 reel and a Phenix 700 XXXXH rod. Bill also caught a 204-pounder, but did not appear for the lineup shot after the weighing, ceding his spot to the best trollfish, a wahoo taken by Bob Cherry of Santa Monica.

Jim Ballard found quintuplets in the sea. The best one, a 229-pounder, won third place, but Bill didn't pose with it in the winner's lineup shot, ceding his spot to the best trollfish, a wahoo taken by Bob Cherry of Santa Monica. Ballard's other tuna weighed 209, 211, 214 and 214 pounds.

Clarence Becker of Victorville got a brace weighed 218 and 228 pounds. He baited sardines on 7/0 ringed Eagle Claw hooks and fished with 130-pound Momoi and 130-pound Line One spectra on an Avet T Rex 30 reel and a 770 XXH rod. Al Jackson of Buena Park bagged a 226-pounder, and a 214. Al got his on sardines and a 7/0 Mustad Demon hook tied to 130-pound Izorline fluorocarbon. He used 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline spectra on a Penn 50 W reel and a Calstar 7465 XH rod.

Bob Cherry of Santa Monica spent an hour acquainting himself with a 224-pound tuna that bit a sardine on a Mustad Demon 7/0 hook and 130-pound Izorline. Bob fished with 130-pound Izorline spectra, and Avet 50 W reel and a Calstar 7455 XXH rod.

Rookie Alex Yusim of San Francisco hit for three, with a 204, 209 and 224-pound tuna. He said he fished with sardines on 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hooks on 130-pound Maxima fluorocarbon, 130-pound Maxima line and 130-poound Tuff Line spectra on a Penn 50 reel and a Calstar 770 XXH rod.

Al Babashoff of Monte Bello snared a 223-pounder with a skipjack on a 10/0 Mustad 7691 hook and 130-pound Izorline fluorocarbon. He used 130-pound Izorline spectra on a Penn 70 reel and a 770 XXH rod.

Alex Gawura of Westland, MI brought a 219-pounder to gaff after it bit on a sardine the rookie fished on an 8/0 Mustad Demon hook. He employed 130-pound Yo-Zuri and 130-pound blue Izorline with 130-pound Izorline spectra on an Avet 50 reel and a custom CharkBait Calstar 770 XXH rod.

Lynn Freed of Canoga Park bagged a 215-pound tuna with a sardine on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu on 130-pound Yo-Zuri. He fished with 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline spectra on an Avet 50 reel and a 770 XXH rod.

Dale Somers bagged a 211-pounder with a sardine on a ringed Owner Super Mutu hook in 6/0 size, tied to 130-pound Izorline. He used 130-pound Izorline spectra on an Accurate ATD 30 reel and a Calstar 6465 XXH rod.

Dan Sunderland of San Marcos had a 200.8 and a 210-pound yellowfin. He said he fished with skipjack baits on a 9/0 Mustad 7691 hook and 130-pound fluorocarbon leader tied to 130-pound Line One spectra. His reel was a Penn 50 modified by Cofe and his rod was a Seeker Black Steel 6463 XXXXH rail special.

Joe Terra of Watsonville nabbed a 208-pounder with a white Tady 15 jig on 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Line One spectra. He fished with an Avet 50 reel and a Calstar 770 XH rod. Bob "Scrappy" Michener of Oxnard, an Accurate rep, found a 206-pound tuna with an ABC jig in white and glow finish. He tied the jig to 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Accurate spectra on an Accurate 50 W reel and a Calstar 770 XH rod.

Sam Lewis of Chino caught a 202-pound tuna with a sardine on a 6/0 ringed Owner Super Mutu hook and 130-pound Yo-Zuri leader. He used 130-pound Line One spectra on a Penn 50 reel and a Calstar 770 XXH rod.

Stephen Keanly of Capetown, South Africa came a long way, but was more than pleased with his 201-pound yellowfin. He said it found his mackerel on a 9/0 Mustad Demon hook irresistible. He used 130-pound Yo-Zuri fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One spectra on an Accurate ATD 50 reel and a Calstar 770 XXXXH rod.