You don't have to be a man to catch a cow, as the anglers aboard the Intrepid proved. Skipper Kevin Osborne docked the boat at Pt. Loma Sportfishing early in the morning of January 20. There were two women aboard with 22 other anglers, and both of them scored tuna over 200 pounds.

The trip, with chartermaster Jon Bakos of Glendale AZ, was 14 days. "It was an excellent trip except for the weather," said Bakos to reporter Bill Roecker on the dock. His group tallied 10 cows. Skipper Osborne added, "It was good on big fish, and at times it was exceptional."

Chiropractor Mike Gooing, pictured above of Costa Mesa got the big boy, a 280.6-pound yellowfin tuna, and also had a tuna of 250 pounds. He said his winner came on a salami pinned on a 9/0 Mustad Demon hook tied to 130-pound Seaguar Blue flourocarbon, 130-pound Line One spectra on a Penn 50 W reel tricked out by Baker and Cal Sheets and a Super Seeker 2 X 4 rod wrapped by Bobby at Glenn's Bait & Tackle. Gooing was so happy with his catch he gave his smaller tuna a good smooch on the scales, to the amusement of the crowd.

Jim Hart of San Jose won second place for a 246-pounder. He took it with a salami on a ringed Owner 8/0 Super Mutu hook and a Basil topshot of 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon. He fished with 130-pound Line One spectra on an Accurate ATD 50 W reel and a Super Seeker 3 X 5 rod.

Chartermaster Bakos' 243-pound yellowfin won third place. It ate a salami on a 9/0 ringed Super Mutu tied to 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One spectra. He used an Avet 50 reel and a Super Seeker 3 X 5 rod by Salty Dawg, and brought his tuna to gaff in 40 minutes.

David "Fishy Buzz" Tang of Tucson scored a 233.6-pounder that bit his salami, after an hour's fight. He said it came on a 9/0 ringed Super Mutu hook tied to 130-pound Momoi mono and 130-pound Line One spectra. He said he thought the mono helped him by offering a bit of stretch in the big swells. He used an Accurate ATD 50 reel and a Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.

Mike Wallace of Mesa, AZ bagged a 220.6-pounder with a salami on a 9/0 super Mutu attached to 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon and 100-pound Line One spectra. He used an Avet 50 reel and a Super Seeker 2 X 4 rod by Salty Dawg.

Samantha Eggert, Photo #1 of Pleasanton took Jim Hart's rig and landed her first cow, a 213-pounder, after an hour's tussle with the beast. "I had fun," she said of the event.

Jan Satterfield, Photo #2 of Denver, CO popped a 211.8-pound yellowfin tuna with a salami bait on an 8/0 ringed Super Mutu. She fished with 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One spectra on a Penn 50 W reel and a Calstar 655 SSH rod. It was her late husband's rig, she told Roecker, and went into the drink later on a slipped cast another person made for her. That was as it should be, she said, like a part of him that would remain there.

Vincent Foster of Pacific Palisades spent 35 minutes making acquaintance with his first cow, which squeaked in at 201 pounds. It was Foster's first long range trip, and he bagged his tuna with a sardine on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hook and 100-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon. He used 130-pound Line One spectra on a Makira 30 reel and a Calstar 770 XXH rod.