Mike Lackey docked his Vagabond at Pt. Loma Sportfishing August 19 after a three-day trip that produced the best catch of big bluefin tuna so far this season.

"It was our last evening," said Lackey. "We got 13 big tuna. They started biting about 5:30 and went until full dark. We lost a few."

Eleven-year-old Andrew Eastman of San Diego got his first big bluefin with 50-pound Soft Steel Ultra line on a new Torsa two-speed reel, said Mike.

Andrew goes to Dana Middle School in Pt. Loma, where he's a baseball pitcher.

Butch Ward of Tucson won first place for his 91.2-pound bluefin, which becomes the best of the season. He said it took a sardine on a 3/0 Mustad hook, on 30-pound Soft Steel Ultra line and a Tyrnos 12 reel. He used a Seeker 670 rod to beat the fish in a hour.

Second place was won by Aaron Fraser of San Francisco for an 86-pound bluefin on a 'dine and a 3/0 ringed Super Mutu hook tied to 45-pound Yo-Zuri fluorocarbon and 80-pound Berkley Braid on a Cabo 80 spinning reel and a custom rod. That fight lasted an hour and a half.

Mike Livingston of Sunland got third place for a 79.4-pound bluefin he bagged on 40-pound line. Bill Peirce of Cota de Caza sat in for the lineup shot with his honorable mention 87-pound shortfin.

Captain Mike Lackey said he made his catch "...in the bottom corner of where everybody else was fishing." He expected other boats had made some contact with the big bluefin, and thought we might be hearing more about that. His brother Gordon was to take the Vagabond out again the same evening.