The big tuna season's finale, a 15-day trip aboard the Red Rooster III with skipper Andy Cates, arrived at H&M Landing June 10. It was an Accurate open charter, said Jack Nilsen of Accurate, also sponsored by Calstar and Seeker rods, with 22 anglers. There were five tuna in the catch that weighed over 200 pounds.

"These are tooth-and-nail fish," said Cates of the yellowfin. "They're extremely tough. We fished five days at Clarion Island. The fish were in a very uncertain pattern; fishing was excellent one day and tuna were hard to find on the next. Wahoo fishing was great. We got near-limits."

Angler Erik Olson of Pacific beach was on his second long range trip. When a 288-pound tuna took his sardine-mackerel combo baits, it tangled itself in the double leaders on the kite rig and came in backward in short order.

Olson used 7/0 Super Mutu hooks, 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline Spectra backing on an Accurate 80 N reel and a Calstar 755 XXH rod.

Mike Gooing of Costa Mesa won second place for a 243.6-pound tuna. He said it ook a sardine on an 8/0 Owner Offshore hook, tied to 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline Spectra backing on a Penn 50 SW reel modified by Baker and a 6455 XXH Calstar rod made by "Bobby" at Glenn's Tackle.

"He came in easy," remarked Gooing, who also won the wahoo trolling jackpot for a 70.6-pound skinny he got with an orange and black Marauder. He said he tuned his jig to run properly, and that made all the difference.

"I never used to be able to get anything trolling," he remarked.

Bob Cherry of Santa Monica was third, for a 241-pounder.

"It took two hours," said Bob. "He just kept running away from the boat."

Cherry fished a sardine on a 5/0 Super Mutu hook, and used 130-popund Seaguar fluorocarbon leader, 100-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline Spectra on an Avet 50 reel and a Calstar 755 XXH rod.

Joe Arimitsu of Simi Valley caught a 223-pound tuna with a flying fish under the kite. He used a Mustad 7691 9/0 hook, with 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline Spectra on an Accurate 80 reel and a Calstar 760 H rod.

Bob Rubalcava used a flying fish under a balloon to take a 215-pound yellowfin. He wasn't available for comment, but skipper Cates said he thought Bob used 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline Spectra backing to get his cow.

While 200-pound bluefin or 200-pound bigeye tuna are a possibility during the summer months, the next "regular" big tuna season will commence in next fall, as early as September, when San Diego long range boats will run trips to southern Baja and the Hurricane Bank once again.

Final results of the just-past season will be available in a few days.