Brian Simms brought Royal Star home June 5 from a day and a half trip that produced the first albacore of the season. Crewman Joey Conrad said all three albacore (22 to 25 pounds) were caught on the boat's rigs; trolled "?Ķblack & purple Sevenstrand tuna clones."Simms said he was "stoked"to see some longfin pop up.

The fish were found approzimately100 miles south, 20 miles out. The albacore bit around 7:15 in the morning. Scott Whitman of Aliso Viejo, and a newbie, said he's "coming back next year."

"We kept a few bonito,"continued Whitman, "and threw a bunch back. The crew told me they weren't the fish we were after. I think we got about thirty-something yellowtail, and we busted off our only bait-hooked albacore."

"I thought it was a great trip,"said Maurice Kendall of Dana Point. "The albacore were the first fish we caught early Monday morning. It was the highlight, of course."

"I had a great time,"said Richard Cota of Rosemead. "Many thanks to Brian and the crew."

The trip was chartered by Miguel Hernandez of North Pacific Group.