"Today we went looking for some biting fish," wrote Shogun skipper Bruce Smith July 8. "We covered a lot of water. We found some good size yellowtail under kelp paddy at 85 miles. We really hope to see more this action, but due to the weather and wind conditions today it was tough to keep at it. We continued up the line until we came across boiling and jumping bluefin. The first spot responded and we put on four quick fish, all about 20 pounds. Our next stop only yielded one fish, but that one fish looks to be the first 100+ pound bluefin tuna of the year. As I have stated in previous posts and articles in the past year, the hot technique was a Megabait (4oz.) cast into the boiling bluefin school as the boat slowly pulled with in casting range. This big fish wolfed the diminutive jig as we had to dig the hook out of the back of its throat. Congratulations to Eric Thomas for a fish worthy of any 1.5 trip Jack Pot!"

Eric's tuna was weighed by Smith at Fisherman's Landing July 9, and came in at 105.7 pounds, making it the best of the year so far. He told dock reporter Bill Roecker the jig was a four-ounce Megabait in red and yellow, on 40-pound Stren, 65-pound Power Pro spectra, a Trinidad 20 reel and a Calstar 800M rod. It fought for 20 minutes.