"Yesterday was another nice day at the Rocks," wrote Red Rooster III skipper Andy Cates on September 28. "More of that nice size yellowtail today and a scratch on the tuna with a nice afternoon shot ending with 57 tuna and 53 yellows, all nice grade for those of you that are looking forward to the next trip.

"After today we are going inside possibly to the Mag Bay area to look in the big tuna grounds from the years prior. With a couple of days on the inside we would love a surprise with maybe some wahoo or at this rate just something different. I think as a group we have had enough of this."

On the 30th, he wrote, "Good evening, folks. Yesterday we spent the day in search of wahoo and managed to pick up 16 for the day. A couple of fast pace stops with heavy losses but the excitement was there.

"Today was similar with 20 wahoo and heavy losses as well. Fact is wahoo are hard to catch. And everyone found that out the last 2 days. We did drift up a few grouper and will be trying for more of that tomorrow."

The trip was a West Coast Anglers charter with Robert Peterson aboard as chartermaster. He said a custom rod was given away to the taker of the best yellowtail, with all proceeds involved going to help Chef Jorge Nicifore.

Glenn Kerr of Glenn's Alignment and Brake in Costa Mesa, a regular rider on the Rooster was aboard, and remarked, "The yellowtail fishing at Alijos was phenomenal on iron near the bottom. The dropper loop was pretty good, too. We got one toad after another; they were consistently huge."

Back at H&M Lading October 3, Cates remarked on the fine weather and his great trip, with good fishing on The Ridge and offshore kelps as well as the 40 to 100-pound tuna at Alijos Rocks. He weighed the best of the catch.

Bill Walsh of Chino Hills was the first place winner for his 98.2-pound yellowfin tuna. He said he bagged it with a sardine on a 3/0 VMC hook, Blackwater 40-pound fluorocarbon and 65-pound Line One Spectra. He used an Avet LX reel and a Calstar 7865 XL rod.

"He stayed outside and went around the boat twice," said Bill. "He was tough to the end."

Bill Brandstetter of Mission Viejo was second, for an 85-pounder, and Paul Zacks of Fountain Valley was third, for a 76-pound Alijos Rocks yellowfin tuna. Young Tam of Monterey Park, who trolled up a 50-pound wahoo, joined the three in the lineup shot.