Andy Cates docked Red Rooster III at H&M Landing October 13 after the eight-day Seaguar/Catchy Tackle/American Premier Rods trip with 27 anglers and chartermaster Richard Hightower aboard for a ride to Flat City, outside of Mag Bay in kelp-free 82-degree waters. Big dorado were encountered several times, said Hightower. "We had great fishing in hot water," noted HT, "as warm as 84 degrees. Yellowtail fishing was excellent. There was nothing doing on the upper end of The Ridge. Thetis Bank was great on yellowtail and big bottomfish, but not much in the way of larger tuna, just plenty of small ones. "The dorado were free-swimmers. They were all over the place outside the bay. We got easy limits."

Skipper Cates observed, "There were birds on scattered fish. The schools came up in the afternoons." Jeff Pardi of San Rafael won first place for his 36.4-pound yellowfin tuna. He had several nice ones. He said he got the winner with a sardine on a 4/0 Mustad J hook tied to 40-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon and 60-pound Line One spectra. He fished with an Avet MJX reel and a Seeker Black Steel eight-foot rod in the Deckhand series.

Mark Gillig of Phelan won second place for a 35.4-pound yellowfin tuna. Ernie Beltra of La Puente won third place for his 35-pound yellowtail.

Joe Hellerman of Hermosa Beach won the trolling jacket for a hefty 69-pound wahoo that bit an orange and black Marauder on the boat's trolling gear.

An earlier report that indicated the big skinny was caught at 30 miles, the closest anyone could remember. Skipper Cates said that was a misprint, that the wahoo was caught at 230 miles.

The Rooster's next trip is a 14-day excursion that will undoubtedly visit southern waters, based on what's been happening down there.