Brian Kiyohara docked American Angler at Pt. Loma Sportfishing September 2 after a five-day James Hardware expedition with 27 anglers, the eighth trip for the group. David Samarin was chartermaster. This year there were only two David Samarins on the boat; several years ago there were four at once.

"We had excellent stops on albacore," noted David. "We got up to 20 at a stop. We found them all on sonar. We also got some bluefin on the first night out.

"At Guadalupe Island we had 60 yellowfin at the South End," continued Samarin, "but the bite died with the current, so we went up to the North End for some yellowtail."

Daniel Samarin of La Habra won first place for a 69-pound tuna. He got that one with a sardine on a 3/0 J hook and 40-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader tied to 60-pound Line One Spectra on an Accurate 870 reel and a Calstar 700 H rod.

"It took me 30 minutes," commented Daniel. "He's my best fish, and he almost spooled me after I hooked him over 100 yards down-current. I had no belt and no shoes on, and he made three long runs."

Jim Demetriff of Porterville won second place for a 63-pound tuna, and Morrie Beliakoff of Hacienda Heights won third place for a 61-pound yellowfin tuna.

The 2008-09 record fish season closed September 1, so the 54-pound albacore caught by Nathan Suhovy will go into next season as the initial first-place fish. Suhovy said it bit on a sardine pinned to a 1/0 Mustad hook. He said he used 30-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader on 65-pound Power Pro Spectra, and Avet JX reel and a custom rod of an unknown brand.