Ben Frazier fished aboard Mike Keating's Spirit of Adventure with the owner on a ten-day trip, the Big Jim Charter, and got his first 300-pound tuna with a new Seeker 2 x 4 rod and an Avet HX Raptor reel. Ben reps for both companies, and after the boat docked at fast-disappearing H&M Landing (it's under demolition and reconstruction) November 24, he got his monster weighed in at 300.1 pounds.

Frazier, who lives in Oxnard, said he used a sardine on a ringed 4/0 Super Mutu hook tied to 100-pound Maxima fluorocarbon and 100-pound Line One Spectra. The fight lasted two hours, and he said there was nothing special about it, just a fight with a big tuna. It won the jackpot, and there were 15 tuna over 200 pounds in the catch.

"Big Jim" Boyle, the chartermaster, won second place for a 260-pound tuna. He said it came on a sardine and a 4/0 ringed Super Mutu on 100-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One Spectra. He used an Avet 30 reel and a Seeker 6463 XXXXH rod.

Matt Salas of Salas Lures won third place for a 256-pound yellowfin. He got his best fish ever on a sardine and an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook on 100-pound Izorline fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One Spectra on an Accurate 30 reel and a Super Seeker 6455 XXH rod.

Greg Dahle of Hermosa beach took a 251-pound tuna with a sardine on 90-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon, 100-pound blue Izorline and 130-pound Spectra on a Penn 50 VSW reel and a Seeker Black Steel 6463 XXXXH rod.

Frank James of Warrenton, OR took two hours to land his 245-pounder. It bit a sardine on a 5/0 Mustad Hoodlum hook tied to 90-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One Spectra. He said he used an Avet 50 reel and a Seeker Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.

Pete Fallini of Santa Paula bagged a 237.8-pound tuna with a sardine on a 4/0 ringed Super Mutu hook. He said he fished with 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 100-pound Line One Spectra with a topshot of 100-pound Izorline XXX line on an Accurate 30 and a Calstar 6465 H rod.

"He was a tough son of a gun," said Pete. "It took an hour and 15 minutes."

Steve Grodin of Oakview and Captain Hook's Sportfishing in Oxnard got a 223.5-pounder on a sardine and a 4/0 Mustad circle hook tied to 100-pound Maxima fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One Spectra. He used an Avet 30 reel and a Super Seeker 2 x 4 rod.

Jim Yak had a 207, 218.7 and a 219-pound tuna.