Big Jim's Bomb Squad charter, twelve years running, returned to H&M Landing November 20, after fishing eleven days aboard the Spirit of Adventure with owner Mike Keating at the helm. The boat's 20 anglers saw eight cows landed. "It's looking good down there," Keating said. "I have to admit, I'm excited to get back out on Friday."

Matt Salas of Salas Lures took first place with a 268.6-pound yellowfin tuna he jokingly said was caught on a Salas 6X iron. ??"I used a sardine," said Salas laughing. "He fought for an hour and a half and then he came up head first, dead. ??He took me around the boat four times though, it was a tough fish."

Matt's bait was on a 5/0 ringed Owner hook, 130-pound Blackwater Spectra from Yo's Tackle in Gardena, an Avet 50 reel, and a Saber 6460 XXH rod.

"The weather down there got progressively more windy each day," continued Matt, "But it was never bad. ??We were chasing porpoise and common dolphin. ??The black porpoise are hard to see, you just see the tops of their fins."

Second place went to Pete Fallini of Santa Paula, and his 247-pound yellowfin. ??Pete used a 5/0 Owner Super Mutu hook, 130-pound line, a Penn 70 VSW reel, and a Calstar 755 XXH rod. "The fight lasted 45-minutes," said Pete. "He was tail hooked, it would have spooled an International 50 reel. I'm glad I had the 70."

Rick Bowden of El Segundo took third with a 245.5-pound tuna caught on a sardine with a 3/0 ringed Owner hook, 100-pound Izorline fluorocarbon leader, 135-pound Izorline Spectra, a Penn 30 S reel modified by Cal Sheets, and a Calstar 7455 XH rod.

Chartermaster "Big Jim" Boyle of El Cajon hooked and handed off at least six of the bigger tuna caught on the trip. "We mostly do wahoo fishing," said the Chartermaster, "But this was a big tuna trip. Everybody gets a big fish; that was my gig. The Penn International 30 reel did a very good job."

Stan Kosinski of San Jose took the beating of one of those handed-off fish, a 286-pound brute. "The fight wasn't bad," said Stan, "it just lasted two hours. We were on some really nice fish, but this is the biggest fish I've landed. I'm ready to go catch some more."

Drew Alvey landed a "Big Jim hooked" 279-pound tuna that bit a fly-lined sardine on a 4/0 Owner Super Mutu hook, 100-pound Izorline XXX line with 135-pound Izorline Spectra, a Penn 30 SW reel, and a Calstar rod custom wrapped by Wes Drennen. Alvey also hooked and landed a 207-pound tuna the next day. ??"The 278-pounder killed me," he said, "but it also warmed me up to fight this one. I'm excited. This was my first cow tuna."

George Mayfield of Escondido caught a 209.6-pound tuna on a 4/0 Owner Super Mutu hook, 130-pound fluorocarbon, a Penn 50 T reel, and a 765 M Calstar rod. "Small bait, small hook," said George. "I rail-fished this one."