Shimano sponsored an eight-day trip aboard the Royal Polaris, and owner Frank LoPreste took the boat out with 36 anglers aboard, including Shimano's Mark Mills as chartermaster. Frank came back with a good catch of yellowtail.

"It was a good trip for the Waxwings," said Mills. "The fish stayed under the boat very well." Bruce Hutcheon of Colorado Springs, CO said he got five yellows on the same Waxwing.

"Bait was also working very well," said Bruce, "and so were the Butterfly jigs. Almost 80 percent of the fish came on iron jigs." Eric Shipp of Lakewood took ten minutes to whip a 34.2-pound yellowtail for first place.

"He was a tough fish," said Shipp, who used a Tady 5 in purple and white to hook the winner. He fished with 40-pound blue Izorline and 60-pound spectra on an Accurate 665 reel and a Calstar 800H rod.

Shipp was tied by Frank Bantz of Reno, who got his 34.2-pounder with a sardine. The pair split first and second places. Third place went to Henry Chow of Merced, who posed with Shipp, holding his 33-pound yellow.