"We spent all our time down there on the southern banks," said Excel skipper Justin Fleck at Fisherman's Landing January 5. He had just finished a ten-day trip with 33 anglers.

"The water's still at 75 degrees," he noted, "and the 40 to 90-pounders were really biting good. We got near-limits of tuna. We also had great yellowtail fishing on the beach."

Dave Parker of Rossmoor won first place for a 218-pound tuna. He said he got it with a sardine on a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu and 80-pound Bass Pro Shops line tied to 130-pound Izorline Spectra on a TLD 30 reel and a Calstar 6465 H rod.

"It took two hours," commented Parker. "For 25 minutes of that time he stayed up on the surface with his fin out."

Ken Mayer of Reno, NV won second place for a 214-pound yellowfin. He got his with a sardine on a 7/0 Super Mutu and 80-pound Big Game line and 130-pound Line One Spectra on a Penn 30 W reel treated by Cal Sheets on a Calstar 6465 H rod. This fish also stayed on the surface for about half the fight, he said, and it duked it out with him for an hour and 20 minutes.

Jim Beck of Huntington Beach took an hour to beat his third-place winner, a 209-pound tuna. He said he put his sardine on an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook on 130-pound Yo-Zuri line and 130-pound Line One Spectra. He used a Penn 50 reel by Sheets and a Calstar 6460 XH rod.

Gary Kramer of Willows bagged a 201-pound tuna with a sardine on a 4/0 ringed Super Mutu tied to 80-pound Izorline on a Penn 50 W reel and a Calstar 6460 XXH rod.

"It took an hour and 40 minutes," he said. "It's my best fish ever and my first cow."