Independence arrived under skipper Jeff DuBuy's hand at Pt. Loma Sportfishing June 11 after an eight-day Fisherman's Hardware of Huntington Beach charter loaded with 30 anglers and a good catch of tuna and yellowtail.

The tuna were from three and a half days at Alijos Rocks. "A couple of those days were real good," said Jeff. "We had excellent weather, and a nice grade of tuna there; from 30 to 60 pounds on the average. The water was 67.5 degrees."

Second skipper "Rooster" Kyle Karcher said the group also fished at Benitos for a day on the way back, finding 15 to 20-pound yellowtail under birds schools in the strait between Benitos and Cedros Island.

Ying Lee of Diamond Bar won first place for a 91.4-pound yellowfin tuna. He said he bagged it with a sardine on a 4/0 Hayabusa hook, with 30-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader, 30-pound Izorline XXX and 50-pound Power Pro Spectra backing on a Trinidad 16 reel and a GRUSA 80 Megamag rod. The fish fought for an hour and 15 minutes on the long rod.

"The crew was fabulous," said Lee. "It was a miracle to get that one to gaff. I had to thumb the spool to stop him."

Pete Vitkus of Lake Wholford won second place for a 62.6-pounder, and Alex Mobile of Long Beach was third, for a 56.5-pound yellowfin tuna.

"Big" Russ Rihel of Wilmington jigged up a 46-pound amberjack on a Salas 6X Jr. iron in mint green and white finish. He posed with the jackpot winners.

The Indy also brought back an archival tag, passed on to Ed Everett of the IATCC for analysis. Ed said the tag would reveal dept, position, body and sea temperatures during the time it was sewn into the belly of a tuna, possibly not long ago at Clarion Island, during the Royal Star's tagging trip.

"The tag and wound looked pretty fresh," said Ed.

Two dorado were also caught at Alijos Rocks.