Frank LoPreste docked his Royal Polaris at Fisherman's Landing October 29 after a ten-day trip into southern Baja waters that produced 11 tuna over 200 pounds. "They were some of the meanest fish I ever saw," remarked Frank to dock reporter Bill Roecker. "We lost a lot of the biggest ones at color. In fact, one big one was handed to a deckhand after 20 minutes at color, and he needed another 40 minutes to get it onboard!" As a consequence, most of the big ones that did come aboard weren't eligible for the jackpots. They included two at 265 pounds. One was caught by Mark Oliver, pictured above of San Diego, a kite fish that struck a double sardine rig on 8/0 Eagle Claw hooks on one of the boat's rigs: 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline spectra on an Accurate 50 reel and a Calstar 760 XH rod.

"We were getting lots of bites then," remembered Mark. "My baits didn't make it out 50 yards when he bit, and then he fought for two and a half hours. That's a long time to be pinned in the corner."

Tom Diaz of Wilmington also had a 265. It bit a mackerel on a 7/0 ringed Owner Super Mutu hook tied to 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 130-pound blue Izorline and 130-pound Izorline spectra. He fished with a Tiagra 50 W reel and a Calstar 760 XH rod. "It was an hour-long fight," he said. "My best fish before was a 224-pounder. This one took me around the boat twice and stayed outside much of the time."

Willy Leung of San Francisco won first place for his 227.7-pound tuna. He said he got it with a sardine on a 6/0 Mustad Demon hook tied to 100-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon and 80-pound Izorline spectra. He fished a Penn 30 VSX reel and a Calstar 765 H rod. The fish was decked after an hour.

Bob Dutcher of Bob's #1 Tackle and Westminster won second place. He had a brace at 213 and 224 pounds. He fished green mackerel on 7/0 VMC J hooks tied to 130-pound blue Izorline and 130-pound Izorline spectra on a Penn 50 reel and a cut-down Seeker 6455 XXH rod. He posed with his grandson Jake, two and a half years old.

Wade Wells of Camarillo won third place for a 175-pound tuna.

Chris DeMateis of Oceanside had one at 250 pounds. It bit a double trouble sardine rig under the kite on one of the boat's rods. Gregg Marston of Laguna Niguel got a 222-pounder with a sardine on a 7/0 ringed Owner Super Mutu hook and 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon. He fished with 100-pound Izorline spectra on an Accurate ATD 30 W reel and a Calstar 6455 XH rod.

Kim Wong of Alhambra got a 221-pound tuna. Mike Kellogg of Moorpark won the Rollo jackpot for a 37-pound wahoo.