"Yesterday after the report was sent in some things came to light," wrote Shogun skipper Bruce Smith December 18. "For one, I found out that the tuna bit for the Excel and the RRIII. The decision was made to turn around and spend our last day trying for the giants. We were trying to pull a slow trip out at the end, swinging for the cheap seats, so to speak. It was all or nothing, and if it didn't pay off, we were looking at a long ride home.

?Į "Today the fishing was as good as anything we saw last year. We had a stop for seven first thing in the morning. Right on, things might be good today, I thought. At 13:00 the sonar lit up with a huge spread out school of heavy fish. I got on the microphone and told Mikie to give it to 'em, brail scoops this is the ???real deal.'

"The fish responded, immediately 200-pounders came flying out of the water, doing back flips. The lunch truck had arrived right on time! Kite bites twenty feet from the boat, 12 to 15 fish hooked-up at once, 200-pounders boiling like albacore in the corner, big fish chasing the baits back to the boat. At one time, an acre of big fish erupted between us and the Excel.

?Į "We ended up with 30 yellowfin for the day with a dozen going over 200 pounds, the rest on the small side just 140 to 190 pounds! We did it, we pulled it out at the end. Ninth inning, two outs, down by three, bases loaded, three and two pitch, we went out swinging the big stick, and hit the cheap seats."