Sam Patella docked his American Angler at Pt. Loma Sportfishing September 18 after a six-day trip that gave his 25 anglers all the tuna and yellowtail and dorado they needed, and offered a first-timer a bigger tuna that anyone was prepared to see. "We fished six out of seven days," said Sam to dock reporter Bill Roecker, "and Aaron came up with a bigger tuna than I've ever seen north of Guadalupe Island."

Aaron Scheiern of Thousand Oaks was on his first long range trip, fishing with his dad. The boat was about 140 miles south of San Diego. He was trolling a green and black (Mean Joe Green) Zuckers skirted jig when the big tuna took it and made a run that blew up the dogs on his Penn 6/0 reel. It was on a boat rod, so the crew spliced Aaron into an Avet 2-speed reel and he landed the fish without event after a brief fight.

If catching the best yellowfin seen in "local" waters for more than 20 years wasn't enough, Aaron also caught one of three albacore that swept the jackpots. His was the smallest of the trio, but Aaron got to pose in the number one spot because of his unprecedented yellowfin. His tuna weighed 129.8 pounds, and the albacore went 34 pounds.

Erik Mathistad of El Cajon won first place for a 36.2-pound albacore. He caught it on a sardine. Steve Yoshimura of El Cajon won second place for a 35-pound longfin. Patella said the trip fished on The Ridge and offshore, in very pleasant weather.