Three a.m. is a tough time to be up fishing, but Royal Polaris anglers who made the sacrifice pulled in some wonderful white seabass at Cedros Island on a five-day trip with 32 anglers and owner-skipper Frank LoPreste at the helm. The trip was sponsored by Hi's Tackle of San Francisco.

RP regular Kathy Rounds said, "We got all we wanted on the yellowtail, and we saw some 70 to 90-pound bluefin, but they didn't bite. We got one small one."

Lino Gantan of San Francisco won first and second places for his marvelous 50.6 and 45.8-pound white seabass, his best ever for the species. He told Roecker he got the big one in 15 minutes, after it bit on a sardine on a 3/0 hook, 50-pound Ande line, an Accurate BX 400 reel and a Seeker 6470 rod. He said it was a hard fight.

"The thing acted like a seal," said LoPreste. "It took a lot of line." Kristine Page of San Diego won third place for her first and largest white seabass, on a sardine and 50-pound line. She's 15, and will be a junior at University City High next fall. She's active in school sports, in volleyball, water polo and swimming.

One other white seabass, not entered in the jackpot, weighed 48 pounds. There were a dozen in all.