"We had great fishing on 80 to 100-pounders with a couple bigger ones mixed in," owner skipper Sam Patella said after he returned American Angler to Point Loma Sportfishing December 8. "It was rough coming back up but at the fishing grounds, we had beautiful weather."

The ten-day Avet open returned 21 anglers December 8 with three cows, one of which went 320-pounds for angler Ed Morrison of Santa Cruz. The big tuna was weighed aboard the boat.

"Somebody told me it was an hour and ten-minute fight," Ed said. "The deckhands did a great job. They don't let anything go wrong. This is my fifth year going on the American Angler."

Ed fished a sardine on a long soak with a 5/0 Super Mutu hook, 100-pound Blackwater line, a Penn 50 reel and a Calstar 7465 H rod.

Eighty-year old Joe Rubio of San Jose won second place for a 218-pound tuna. Joe fished a 'dine on a 2005 Eagle Claw hook, 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon, 130-pound Line One Spectra, an Avet San Diego Special reel on a Custom Bob's Sporting Goods rod.

"I threw my sardine and it hit it right away," he said.

Avet co-owner Harry Alajajyan won third place with a 195-pound yellowfin. Harry used the Avet HX Raptor reel to bring in the big fish. "It was only a 25-minute fight," he added.

Christian Rydgren stood in with his 295-pound kite fish, caught on the boat's gear.