The Phil's Propellers charter aboard the Excel docked at Fisherman's Landing August 9. Justin Fleck skippered the trip, and took his anglers to Cedros Island and the offshore fishing areas for albacore and kelp paddies.

"The longfin bit a little on our departure day," wrote Justin on August 8, "so we decided to start our trip off on the albacore grounds. Unfortunately they didn't bite two days in a row. After only a small sample of tuna, we spent the next day offshore with good fishing on kelps. There were a few big kelps around with a good mix of yellows and dorado. Today, we are enjoying a very nice day at Cedros, catching jumbo yellows and a couple halibut."

Bruce Moore of Moreno Valley won first place for a 44.6-pound yellowtail. "He fought me for ten minutes and took me around the boat twice," said Bruce. He added that he used a sardine on a 2/0 Gamakatsu hook, with 30-pound Izorline XXX mono on a Newell 332 reel and a Calstar 700 M rod.

Chartermaster Phil Mitsueda of Shasta Lake was second, for a 38.2-pound albacore, and Kurt Kohler of San Diego won third place for a 37.6-pound yellowtail.