Andy Cates docked Red Rooster III at H&M Landing December 8 after a fine 15-day West Coast Angler trip to the Clarion Buffer Zone that produced 16 tuna over 200 pounds, including two over 300. Chartermasters were Robert Peterson and Mark Moffat, and there were many sponsors, including Five Star Fish Processing and FishingVideos.com.

Caleb Peterson, pictured above, 19-year-old, 140-pound businessman, was on his second long range trip and scored on his dream, sort of. He landed a 338-pound behemoth of a tuna and gave credit to Derek Waldman, relief skipper. "After we got the fish on deck," said Caleb, Derek said to me, 'Well, Caleb, you still don't have your 200-pounder!'" Caleb's business is called Top Jaws Janitorial and Windows, in Alpine. A brief story about him can be found in the December 5 entries at FishingVideos.com. He won first place for this fish, of course, and said to reporter Bill Roecker that he got it with a flying fish under the kite, on one of the boat's kite outfits: 9/0 Mustad 7691 hook, 130 Izorline and Izor spectra, a Penn 80 reel and a Calstar 760 XH rod. "He bit around 12:30," said Caleb, "and fought for an hour and a half. He took me around the boat once, but most of the fight was on the starboard side between the bow and the stern."

Chartermaster Mark Moffat of San Diego also used a flyer under the kite to land his best-ever tuna, a 319-pounder. Mark has been after this fish for many years, and was elated to finally catch up with it, so to speak. He said he used a Mustad 8/0 7691 hook, 130-pound Maxima and 130-pound Line One spectra on a Penn 80 ST reel with a Calstar 6455 XXXH rod. Mark noted that he finished the tuna fight in 45 minutes. "Three-fourths of the fight was in high gear," he remarked.

Long-time long ranger Allen Lemberg of San Diego won third place for a 270-pound tuna. He said it also came on a flyer under the kite on a boat outfit that used 130-pound Izorline and Izor spectra on a Penn 80 and a Calstar 760 XH rod. Allen also had a 223-pound tuna.

Charles Tanaka caught four cows at 240, 216, 202 and 200 pounds. Bob "Scrappy" Michener of Oxnard got a 239-pounder with an Accurate 80 reel and 130-pound Accurate spectra.

Rudy Vantine took a brace that weighed 226 and 204 pounds. Ben Kita of LA took a 225-pounder. Archie Irion found a 214-pound yellowfin tuna. Scott Smith had a 206.8-pounder. Felix Rosauro caught a 201-pounder.

Bud Miller of San Diego nabbed one at 201 pounds. Saturday was quite a busy day in the morning at the docks. Both boats were preparing to get back out to the fishing grounds for one more trip before Christmas.