A deckload of fish!

Tied with the chartermaster for high man on the boat was ???Beans??? Sogioka, 86, of Chino, who got six cows. The Sogioka family is well-known to long rangers, with several regulars. Beans had three family members, Don, Bruce and Norman, with him. Beans??? best was a 239-pounder, and he had others of 231, 229, 222, 217 and 201 pounds.

After the weighing and the counting was finished, skipper DuBuys had some final words.

???I???d like to say that the reason all this happened was that our group was so well-prepared. Their tackle was impeccable. They all used good knots and splices. They changed line every night. That???s why we had this success.???

The fish fought for a half-hour,??? said Joe. ???He pulled my butt down the rail to the bow. After 15 minutes we were back on the stern, and me and Billy Santiago pulled it in to the starboard corner; my best fish.???

Royal Polaris Jackpot Winners.

Dan Gaudy of Upland won first place for a 282-pound tuna
Karl Fechner of Palos Verdes was second, for a 273-pounder.
John Mulay of Atascadero was third, for a 272-pounder.

Vince Biondo of Del Mar took a limit of wahoo with his home-made bombs. He had five cows: 232, 225, 218, 217 and 206 pounds.

Red Rooster winners display their big fish.

Seeker President Joe Pfister and Brian Porter with his 271-pound tuna.
Porter said he fished chunks on 11/0 ringed Super Mutu hooks, with 130-pound Soft Steel Ultra line and 130-pound Line One Spectra backing on an Avet 50 reel and a Seeker 6463 XXXH rod. He won the Seeker award for the best fish to come on a Seeker rod, and he also had a 256-pounder.

Diane Chambers with a 256-pound yellowfin she caught on a chunk pinned on a 9 Eagle Claw 2005 circle hook with 100 pound Berkley High Test line.

Mike Abovsky with a 280-pound yellowfin which was one of the last tuna we put in the fish holds. He caught the fish on a chunk, on 130 pound line and an Eagle Claw 2005 circle hook.

Second skipper Carl ???Rooster??? Karcher with a nice yellowfin.

Photographer Barry Wiggins got his first cow, a 211-pounder, on a chunk with a 12/0 Super Mutu hook, 100-pound Izorline, 130-pound Izorline Spectra on an Avet 50 reel and a Seeker 66463 XXH rod.

Brent Taylor of Riverside won first place for a 285-pound tuna he took on a chunk and an 8/0 ringed Super Mutu hook.

Larry Wicker of San Diego won second place for a 279.5-pound tuna. He fished squid on the kite, on a 7691 Mustad 12/0 hook.

Craig English of San Diego won third place for a 266-pounder. He said he fished a squid on a 10/0 VMC hook, with 130-pound Momoi line on an Accurate 80 W reel and a Calstar 655 TSSL rod. He also had a 202-pound tuna.

Bob ???Turbo??? Ryan of Laguna Niguel found a 219-pounder and brought it to gaff in 30 minutes. He said he fished with sardines on 9/0 Eagle Claw hooks. He used 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Line One Spectra on a Penn 50 SW by Cofe, and a Calstar 6455 XXH rod.

Robert Church of Santa Barbara won first place for a 285-pound yellowfin tuna that ate his chunk bait on a 9/0 Mustad 7691 hook. Church said he fished with 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Spectra Line One backing on a Tiagra 50 reel and a Calstar 755 XH rod. ???It was a 40-minute battle,??? said Robert. ???He made two tremendous runs out, and he shook his head like an earthquake. My previous best tuna was a 197-pounder.??? Church also had a 244, a 210 and a 202-pound tuna.

Dave Coopman of Huntington Beach scored a 248-pounder with a chunk on a 9/0 Eagle Claw hook. He also had a 241-pound tuna. Dave said he fished 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Line One Spectra backing on a Penn 50 T reel by Cofe, and a Seeker 6460 XXH rod. ???I got my butt handed to me,??? remarked Dave about his biggest fish ever.

Tammie Cox of Westchester was third, for a 257-pounder with extremely long sickle fins. She fished with her hubby Jeff and beat him by five pounds. Tammie said she used chunks on an 8/0 Mustad 7691 hook. She fished with 130-pound fluorocarbon leader, 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Line One Spectra backing on a Tiagra 50 W reel and a Calstar 760 H rod.

Jackpot winners:
1st place: Ken Kouchi 290lbs
2nd place: Bill Randall 280lbs
3rd place: Richard Tanaka 267lbs

Jackpot Winners