Brian Kiyohara brought American Angler back to Pt. Loma Sportfishing January 19 with an exceptional catch of tuna that included three fish over 300 pounds. One was a "kamikaze" tuna that was decked in a minute and a half. It was an Accurate trip with Gary Teraoka as chartermaster, who gave away a copy of At The Rail among other sponsor's products, including Mustad hooks and Accurate reels.

"All three of the big fish came around 4:30 in the morning," said Gary to dock reporter Bill Roecker. "We spent our time at the Big C, Clarion Island, in nasty weather. All the big ones bit flylined salamis, and they all were caught on Accurate reels and Calstar rods."

Pat Patrykus of Bishop had the biggest of the bigs, at 349 pounds. He said it ate his salami on a 7/0 Mustad Demon ringed circle hook, tied to 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline spectra on an Accurate ATD 50 reel and a Calstar 770 XXH rod. "It took me about an hour to bring in," he said, "and it's my best. The biggest one I caught before was a 70-pounder."

Ron Bryan put out his first bait on the first day and set on a fish. He reeled in a 324-pound tuna. His salami was pinned on a Mustad 7698 hook, and he used 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon, 130-pound Line One spectra, and Accurate ATD 50 W reel and a Super Seeker 3 X 5 rod. He said the fight lasted 45 minutes.

Joe Machado skippers a bait boat, the Ebbco, that supplies Everingham Brothers, who in turn supply the fleet with prime sardines. "I've done it for 37 years," he remarked. "My tuna weighed 323.5 pounds. It bit in the dark and ran under the boat and we gaffed it in a minute and a half. My salami was on a 9/0 ringed Owner Super Mutu hook. I fished with 130-pound Blackwater and an Accurate 50 W reel. The rod was a Calstar 770 XXXH."

Tom Mato of Pico Rivera caught a 260-pounder with a salami on a Mustad 7691 hook, 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline spectra. He fished with a Penn 80 N reel modified by Baker, and a Super Seeker 3 X 5 rod.

Kohei Kikuchi was the hot stick, with a 205, a 225, and a 246-pound tuna. He also fished salami mackerel, on 8/0 Mustad 7691 hooks, with 130-pound Izorline and Izor spectra on a Penn VSX 70 reel modified by Cofe (Larry Cofeen), and a Calstar 770 XXXH rod.

John Mason of Las Vegas bagged his first cow, a 228-pound tuna, with a salami on a 6/0 Mustad Demon tied to 100-pound Izorline and 100-pound Line One spectra. He fished with a Accurate ATD 30 reel and a Calstar 770 XXH rod.

Nine cows were caught on the trip.