"Greetings from the sportfishing vessel Independence," wrote skipper Jeff DeBuys September 13. "Here is a brief account for today's activities. We arrived at the outer island around 0800 and saw some decent sign of tuna. We started by getting most of what we hooked on board. After lunch we got taxed heavily by the sharks. Even after moving the boat, things didn't get much better. We still had a good day by most standards. We did get two fish that were 100 to 115 pounds that didn't get eaten by Whitey. The weather is still really good."

At the dock September 15, Jeff weighed the biggest tuna caught on the Young's Tackle open trip, which had 29 anglers aboard.

Johnnie Allos of San Diego won first place for an 86-pound tuna. He said he bagged that one with a mackerel on a 2/0 Super Mutu hook and 40-pound Izorline. He fished with 40-pound Spectra backing on an Avet two-speed reel and a Seeker Black Steel 6460 rod.

Ziad Kizy of San Diego wa second, for a 70-pounder, and Al Brandenburg of San Clemente was third, for a 66-pound Guadalupe yellowfin tuna. Don Wallace stood in with the sinners for a lineup shot with his honorable mention 125-pound tuna.