American Angler arrived February 18 with 19 anglers from the annual Ken's Custom Reels (Oceanside) trip of 15 days. Chartermaster Ken's regular customer Zeke Harloff of Oceanside won the jackpot for his best tuna ever, a 262.5-pounder. Zeke's been fishing long range for five years, he said, "...and this make seven cows. It was Devine intervention, because it was at the last minute, and I was up on the bow. He took me around the anchor twice and around the whole boat twice." Zeke used a mackerel on a 10/0 Department of Fish & Game RegulationsMustad 7691 hook tied to 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline spectra on a Tiburon SST 50 reel and a Calstar 770 XXXH rod.

Kambiz Moradi of West Covina bagged a 211-pounder on a mackerel and an 11/0 Gamakatsu hook to take second place. He used 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One spectra on a Penn 50 VSX treated by Cal Sheets, and a Calstar 770 XXH rod to bring it in after 20 minutes.

Jack Esson of Arleta won third place for a 202.5-pounder. He got it with a sardine at three AM. He fished with a 9/0 Department of Fish & Game Regulationsringed Owner Super Mutu hook on 130-Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One spectra, and he used a Triton 50 W reel and a Calstar 770 XXH rod.

Don Bilteau of San Mateo rounded up the cow catchers with a 220 he got on the kite with the boat's rig and a double trouble pair of sardines dangling. "We had good wahoo fishing," commented skipper Sam Patella, "and a scratch on the big ones."