Owner-skipper Paul Strasser docked Independence at Pt. Loma Sportfishing February 11 after a great 18-day trip with second skipper Carl "Rooster" Karcher to the Hurricane Bank with 22 anglers. The group found 47 tuna over 200 pounds. Rooster said there might be several more that were crew-caught.

"We had a good day bite for four days," remarked Strasser, "and then we had very good night fishing for five days.

"It was flat calm nice at the end," he continued. "One Kamikaze jumped out of the water in the lights after it was hooked, tore off and then came back to the light, shaking its head.

"Another one bit and then came up in the lights on the other side, and then it was fre-gaffed. We got 80 percent of our fish at night."

Brent Taylor of Riverside won first place for a 285-pound tuna he took on a chunk and an 8/0 ringed Super Mutu hook. He said he used 130-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader, 130-pound Soft Steel Ultra line and 130-pound Izorline Spectra backing on a Tiagra 50 reel and a 7465 H rod made by Mark Kiohara. He also had a 261 and a 205-pound tuna.

""It was late afternoon," said Brent, "and he ripped off 300 yards of line, and then 100 yards, and then he just made gigantic circles."

Larry Wicker of San Diego won second place for a 279.5-pound tuna. He fished squid on the kite, on a 7691 Mustad 12/0 hook. He said he used 130 Izorline and 130 Spectra on an Avet 50 reel and a Seeker 6463 XXXXH rod. He also had a 207-pounder.

Craig English of San Diego won third place for a 266-pounder. He said he fished a squid on a 10/0 VMC hook, with 130-pound Momoi line on an Accurate 80 W reel and a Calstar 655 TSSL rod. He also had a 202-pound tuna.

"It took about 40 minutes," said English. "I was fishing close to the bottom. He made one good run, and then he was just up and down."

Rick Bartholomew of Van Nuys bagged a 280-pounderwith a chunk bait on a 12/0 ringed Super Mutu hook, with 100-pound line, 130-pound Spectra backing on a Tiagra 50 reel and a Seeker 6463 XXXXH rod. He wasn't entered in the jackpot.

Photographer Barry Wiggins got his first cow, a 211-pounder, on a chunk with a 12/0 Super Mutu hook, 100-pound Izorline, 130-pound Izorline Spectra on an Avet 50 reel and a Seeker 66463 XXH rod.

Larry Hendon of Alta Loma got seven cows, at: 260, 243, 237.4, 228, 228, 215 and 205 pounds.