Intrepid pulled off a feat that may have folks calling November 24 "Big Wednesday." When skipper Kevin Osborne docked the boat at Pt. Loma Sportfishing that day his crew and anglers offloaded the best catch of big tuna seen here for years. That there were seven yellowfin tuna over 300 pounds was exciting. Equally impressive were the many fish from 250 to 300 pounds.

"They were biting," said Osborne to dock reporter Bill Roecker, "and they were thick! At times we were very busy just trying to keep up. I have to say this is the best crew I've ever worked with. They made it all happen."

There were 35 cows aboard the boat, including the seven supercows caught on the Wahoodad & Willy (David Choate and Bill Casper Jr.) charter.

Chartermaster Choate got the big one, which weighed in on the certified dock scales at 350 pounds even. He got it with a chunk, he said, on a 14/0 Mustad circle hook on 130-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon and 100-pound Line One Spectra. The fish packed all of it on his Accurate 30 reel, via his Super Seeker 6463 XXXH rod during a two-hour battle.

Choate also got tuna of 219 and 209 pounds.

Dan Kammerzell of Phoenix got a 332-pounder on the kite with a squid bait on the boat's kite rig in 48 minutes. The rig uses 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Line One Spectra on an Avet 50 reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXXH rod.

Ross Leonard of Pacifica caught a 332-pound tuna on a sardine and a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu hook tied to 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One Spectra on an Avet 30 reel and a Calstar 700 XH rod.

Louie Jiminez used a squid on the kite and boat rod to take a 325.2-pound tuna. He said his best before was a 227-pounder.

Ron Surgener of Bakersfield brought a 317.2-pound tuna to the Intrepid after it took a sardine on a 7/0 Mustad hook. He said he used 130-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One Spectra on an Avet 50 reel and a Boomer Jr. rod. He also had a 209-pounder.

Brad Goldstein of Woodland Hills fished a double sardine bait on the kite to catch a 315-pound yellowfin after a 90-minute fight. He fished with 8/0 Owner Offshore hooks tied to 130-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One Spectra on a Penn 50 T reel modified by Cal Sheets and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXH rod. He also got a 288-pounder, and said his best previous fish was a 191-pound tuna.

Mike Mayes of Rancho Santa Margarita made himself a winner of a fight with a 310-pounder and also had fish of 289 and 231 pounds. He fished a squid under the kite with the boat's rig, beating the big fish in a hour and a half. He said his best fish before was a 122-pounder.

Jim Odlum of Mission Viejo sniffed the supercow bracket with a 292 and a 284-pound tuna. They bit on sardines and a 5/0 Gorilla hook. He used 130-poundSeaguar fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One Spectra on an Accurate 50 reel and a Super Seeker 2 X 4 rod. Jim had nine fish on the trip from 140 pounds up to his big one, all caught on the new Super Seeker seven-foot rod.

"My best fish before was 125 pounds," he told Roecker. "This one fought me for an hour and 40 minutes.

Jeff Buttemer of San Diego bagged a 286-pounder that beat his previous best fish, a 60-pound bluefin, by 224 pounds. He got it with a squid under the kite on the boat rig, he said, as he posed with his kids for pictures.

John Keeler of Santa Monica caught a 276.4 and a 255-pound tuna with a sardine on a 5/0 Gorilla hook. He said he used 130-pound Yo-Zuri fluorocarbon and 100-pound Momoi line with 130-pound Izorline Spectra on an Avet 30 W reel and a Super Seeker 2 X 4 rod, and that the fish fought for 45 minutes.

Wes Franks of Redding came home with a 275 and a 273-pounder. The big one bit on his birthday, on a sardine pinned to a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu on 100-pound unknown line and 130-pound unknown Spectra. He used a rod and reel of unknown make.

Chad Ede of Fresno reeled in a 275 and a 272-pound yellowfin that erred on his sardine with a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu hook. He said he used 130-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One Spectra on an Avet 50 reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXXH rod.

"That one took me around the boat six times," he said, "during a three-hour fight. They had to splice me in twice."

Joe Davis of Green Valley caught a 270-pound tuna with a squid under the kite, on the boat's rig. He said his previous best fish was a 190-pounder.

Jim LaChapelle of Alaska bagged a 267-pound tuna with a sardine on a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu tied to 130-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One Spectra wrapped on an Avet 30 reel on a Super Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.

Al Winton of Redding caught a 249-pound tuna on a sardine and a 5/0 gorilla hook. He used 130-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader and 130-pound Line One Spectra on a Tiagra 50 W reel and a Calstar 6455 XXH rod.

Bob Mitchell of Phoenix got his best fish ever in 45 minutes, a 244-pound yellowfin on a sardine and a 66/0 ringed Super Mutu. He fished with 100-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon and 130-pound Power Pro Spectra on a Penn 30 SW reel and a home-built rod with an unknown blank.

"It took an hour and 20 minutes," he told Roecker. "It took me around the boat five times, and it's my best fish by 100 pounds."

Other Cows For Intrepid

Jack Mitchell, 238 #

Greg Wood, 238 #

Bill Casper, 219 #

John O'Donnell, 218 #

Ray Tolson, 208 #

Ken Peters, 208 #

Jim Brashear, 205 #