Big Al Scow's annual "Fisherman's Pals & Gals" trip returned to Fisherman's Landing May 28 after a 15-day Excel trip with 27 anglers and skipper Justin Fleck at the helm. The trip found nine tuna over 200 pounds at the Hurricane Bank, and scored limits of wahoo.

"The wahoo weren't as bad this time as they were last trip," said Justin to dock reporter Bill Roecker. "They weren't biting everyone off all the time. The tuna fishing was better."

Jan Howard of Mission Viejo, who caught two cows, agreed. She wasn't in the jackpot.

"The tuna rolled around in the mornings," she said. "The last three days were hot for tuna."

Luan Pham of Garden Grove won first place for a 252-pound yellowfin tuna. It bit on a flying fish under the kite. He said he used a 10-0 Mustad 7691 hook, 130-pound Line One spectra, a Tiagra 50 reel and a Super Seeker 6364 XXXH rod. "That's my first self-wrapped rod," he remarked. "I got him in 30 minutes."

Jim Carlisle of Long Beach won second place for a 217-pounder, and also had a 202-pound tuna. He said he fished with sardines and mackerel and got one cow with each. He used 8/0 Eagle Claw hooks and balloons for bobbers. He fished with 130-pound Izorline spectra on a Penn 50 T reel modified by Cal Sheets and a Calstar 755 XXH rod.

Gary Gillingham of Accurate won third place for a 206-pounder. He got that one with a sardine on a 6/0 Owner Offshore hook, 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 130-pound Line One spectra and Accurate ATD 30 reel and a Calstar 770 XXXH rod.

Jan Howard of Mission Viejo caught two cows that weighed 249 and 217 pounds. She fished a puffer under a balloon and a flying fish under the kite to get them. Her Mustad hooks were a 10/0 offset J hook and an 8/0 Demon. She fished with 130-Big Game line on a Penn 50 reel by Sheets and a Calstar 6455 XXH rod.

The bigger one fought for three hours. "It was the meanest fish I ever pulled on," she said. "I also pulled for two hours on a 160-pounder. That's five hours in one day on two fish!"

Ted Kamenecka of Palm Beach Gardens, FL bagged a 246-pound non-eligible tuna. It fought for two hours, he said, and was his best fish ever. He used a 6/0 ringed Gorilla hook on 130-pound pink Yo-Zuri fluorocarbon, 130-pound Line One spectra on an Accurate 50 W reel and a Super Seeker 6364 XXXXH rail rod to take his best fish in two hours.

Roland Reesby of San Clemente spent two hours one day pulling on a 204-pounder. It bit on a flying fish under the kite, on a 12/0 Mustad offset hook tied to a Basil topshot of 130-pound Momoi. He used 130-pound Izorline spectra on a Tiagra 50 W reel and a Calstar 755 XH rod.

Chris Perez of Westchester caught a 201-pound yellowfin tuna after a scrap of an hour and a half. His best tuna ate a chunk on an Owner 8/0 ringed Super Mutu hook tied to 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Izorline spectra on an Accurate ATD 30 reel and a Super Seeker 2 x 4 rod.

There was one other three-hour tuna fight that occurred when Curt Wiesenhutter's 40-pound rig hooked a 170-pound tuna at night. The fish stayed on during an anchor move by the boat, and deckhand Derek Waldman played a big role in landing the tuna, a big fish on light line.

The trip concluded Excel's big fish season. Her summer trips will begin in about a week.