Justin Fleck brought Excel home to Fisherman's Landing after the 15-day Team Hoo charter with Mark Dorton as chartermaster for his 29 anglers. The group scored 21 tuna over 200 pounds despite tough weather and large swells. "We lost a lot of big fish as a result," said Justin, "including two or three really big ones right at gaff. We spent four days at the Hurricane Bank and three days at Clarion Island." The size of the cows ranged from 270 pounds (two of those, seen in the lineup shot as honorable mention) down to 200.6 pounds.

Jason House of Reno, NV won first place for a 263.3-pound tuna. He told dock reporter Bill Roecker his first jackpot tuna ate his salami bait on a 10/0 Mustad Demon hook. He fished with 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 130-pound Line One spectra, a Tiagra 30 W reel worked over by Cal Sheets and a Super Seeker 2 X 4 rod. The tuna fought for 50 minutes.

Jason Smith of Mesa, AZ won second place for his 252.4-pounder, which bit a salami on a 9/0 Mustad Demon tied to 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 130-pound Line One spectra on a Tiagra 50 by Sheets and a Super Seeker 3 X 5 rod. He also had cows of 207.8 and 206.2 pounds.

Rodger Elkins of Tucson, AZ won third place for a 248.8-pound yellowfin, and also got one of 214 pounds. The big one ate a salami on an 11/0 ringed Owner Super Mutu hook and 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon. Elkins used 130-pound Momoi line and 130-pound Line One spectra on an Accurate ATD 50 reel and a Calstar 770 XXH rod.

Dennin Peterson of Port Aransas, TX got a 270.2-pounder with a sardine on a 9/0 Eagle Claw hook and 130-pound Yo-Zuri fluorocarbon. He fished with 100-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 130-pound Power Pro spectra, a Tiagra 30 W reel and a Seeker 655 XH rod, and fought his tuna for an hour and a half.

Tying Peterson's fish with an identical 270.2-pounder was John Nappo of Plainview, NY, who got his bite on a chunk and an 8/0 ringed Owner Super Mutu hook. He employed a 130-pound Basil topshot of Seaguar Premier and 130-pound Western Filament spectra, on a Sheets-treated Penn 50 VSX reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXH rod. His fish also fought for an hour and a half. He also got one at 206 pounds.

Dr. Lee Erlandson of Rancho Mirage had a triple: 205, 218 and 220 pounds. He said he yoyoed sardines and a salami at the Hurricane Bank to take those, with a 10/0 ringed Super Mutu hook, 130-pound Yo-Zuri and 130-pound Line One spectra on a Sheets-treated Penn 50 W reel and a Calstar Boomer rod.

Rookie Joe Lanour of Oxnard spent an hour with a 209-pound tuna that bit a sardine on a 7/0 Mustad Demon and 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon connected to 130-pound Line One spectra. He fished with an Avet 30 W reel and a Calstar 760 H rod.

John Chambers put a sardine under a balloon to take a 207.6-pound tuna on an 8/0 Super Mutu hook, 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon, 130-pound Line One spectra on a Penn 50 W by Sheets and a Calstar 665 XH rod.

Ted Prager of Long Island, NY produced a brace at 205 and 206 pounds with sardines on a 7/0 Quick Rig hook on a 130-pound Basil topshot and 130-pound Line One spectra. He fished with a Penn 50 W by Cal Sheets on a Seeker Rail Boss 100 rod.

Pete Price caught a 208-pound tuna.

B. J. Beck of Huntington Beach had a 45-minute fight with a 206.4-pound tuna that bit on his sardine and a 5/0 Super Mutu. He used 130-pound Seaguar Premier and 130-pound Line One spectra on a Penn 50 W by Sheets and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.

Chartermaster Mark Dorton bagged a 206-pounder.

Kim Hoadley bagged one at 203 pounds.

Bill Lynd of Green Valley, AZ got a 200.6-pounder with a double sardine rig under the kite. He said he used 8/0 Eagle Claw hooks, 130-pound Yo-Zuri, 130-pound Line One spectra on a Penn 50 W by Sheets and a Calstar Baja Boomer rod to bring it to gaff in 45 minutes.