Justin Fleck docked Excel at Fisherman's Landing November 24 after a fantastic ten-day trip that visited The Ridge, Uncle Sam Bank, Hipolito and the southern banks.

"We saw fish all over the place down there," he said to dock reporter Bill Roecker. "They'd pop up here, over there, everywhere you could see. It looks real good. It was a typical 10-day trip."

Fleck's 24 anglers had 22 tuna over 200 pounds, including four over 300 pounds. They were weighed aboard the boat.

Carl Dorton of Tarzana, after many years of trying, got his 300-pounder, and it proved to be the best fish of the trip, at 343 pounds. Carl said he got it with a sardine on an 8/0 Eagle Claw ringed circle hook on 100-pound Big Game line and 130-pound Line One Spectra on a Penn 30 SW reel and a re-wrapped Sabre 6455 XXH rod. The fish fought him for an hour, said Carl.

Dorton's son Mark Dorton of Calabasas won second place for a 286-pounder. Mark said he bagged it with a sardine on an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook tied to 100-pound Blackwater flourocarbon leader, and 130-pound Line One Spectra on a Penn 30 SW reel and a Calstar 7465 XH rod.

Pete Price of Woodinville, WA won third place for a 273-pound tuna. The three posed with the opther three 300-pound tuna catchers: Steve Olson of Newbury Park, John Malloy and Steve Wenzel.

Olson said he got his 320-pounder on a sardine and an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook, with 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Spectra backing on a Penn 50 VSW reel and a Calstar 7460 XH rod.

John Malloy used the kite to bag his 335-pounder. Steve Wenzel had a 305-pound yellowfin. Two of the non-qualifying 300-pounders were hooked and handed by Gary Hughes of Fork River, NJ. He said he had a physical condition that prevented him from pulling on the big fish.

Al Shakespeare of Glendale had two cows at 220 and 243 pounds. He said he used sardine baits on 8/0 Eagle Claw hooks, with 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon leader, 100-pound Big Game line and 130-pound Line One Spectra backing on a Penn 50 S reel and a Calstar 7455 XXH rod.

Other cow catchers included Mark Dorton with a 202, Pete Price with a 249-pounder, Bill Anderson for a 272, Wayne Snobarger with a 268, Bill Cashman with a 205 and a 223-pounder, John Preston, 221, Ken Bell, 211, Paul Backes for a 206 and a 242, Bill Benson for a 220 and a 246, and John Kasey with a 205 and a 244-pound yellowfin tuna.