"Hello everyone," said the Royal Polaris report on August 31, "the weather continues to be wonderful. Flat seas, clear skies, and warm days. Fishing was on fire today. We had an excellent day of Yellowtail fishing. Most of the fish were in the 14 to 20 pound range, with a few going over the 30 mark. We started out at Cedros Island.

"The fish at Cedros didn't cooperate for numbers," the report continued, "but the quality was there. So around lunch, skipper Billy Santiago Jr. made the move over to San Benitos Island, and what a great move it was. The Yellowtail charged the boat, like fireworks on the 4th of July. We had limit-style fishing today, and what a day it was. We are now headed up the coast and will fish offshore, looking for a few paddies to stop on for some Dorado."

At Fisherman's Landing September 2, Santiago weighed the winners. Robert Garrido of Petaluma won first place for a 99.4-pound tuna. He said he got it with a sardine on a 2/0 ringed Gorilla hook, 40-pound Izorline, and Avet 6-3 reel and a Calstar 765 L rod.

Steve Koke of Manhattan Beach won second place for an 86.6-pounder (his best tuna ever), and Chai Lee of LA was third, for an 80-pound yellowfin tuna. Posing with the winners was regular long ranger Roger Hegyi of Laguna Niguel, who bagged the trip's only wahoo, a 42-pounder, at Guadalupe with a purple Marauder on the troll.