Accurate Pro Staffer David Choate of Torrance took first and second with 240 and 228-pound tuna. He used caballito baits on a 12/0 Mustad Circle hook, 80-pound Jerry Brown Hollow Spectra with a fluorocarbon top shot, an Accurate 30 reel and a Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.

John Franke of West Hills took first place with his 237.5-pound tuna. He fished a 7/0 Mustad circle hook with 130-pound fluorocarbon, 200-pound Line One Jerry Brown Spectra, a Calstar 6455XXH, a Shimano 50/80 Beast Master.

Mike Simmons of San Diego caught a 202-pound yellowfin on the fourth night fishing chunk. Simmons added, ???We stayed at Hurricane Back for eight days, tough tuna fishing at night but great wahoo fishing during the day. My dad got ten wahoo as I fished the kite for two days. The current wasn???t working in our favor, but the weather was fine.???

Jin S. Chang of Koreatown won first place, for a 239-pound tuna that bit a double sardine rig under the kite. The hooks were 7/0 Eagle Claw Mag 118s, and Chang used 130-pound Maxima line with 130-pound Line One Spectra backing on a Penn VSW 70 reel and a Calstar 755 XXH rod.

Larry Martin of Dayton, NV had a brace of cows at 225 and 200.1 pounds, good for second place. The big one came on heavy gear, Larry said.

???I had him dead to rights. It took 20 minutes, max.???

Martin said he fished a live flying fish off the kite, with a 9/0 Mustad 7691 hook, for the big one. He used 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Line One Spectra backing on an Accurate 80 W reel on a Seeker Black Steel 6463 XXXXH ???Rail Rod.???

Winners

Vince Biondo of Del Mar got a 219-pounder on the kite with a flyer for bait on a 10/0 Mustad 7691 hook tied to 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Line One Spectra. He said he fished with a Penn 70 VS reel and a Calstar 6460 XXH rod.

Biondo set a mark for himself. ???This is my ninth consecutive trip,??? he said, ???that I got a cow a tuna over 200 pounds.???

Harley Martin of Westmorland got the second biggest fish, an ineligible 248-pound yellowfin that bit on a flying fish under the kite, on the boat???s kite rig: a 10/0 stainless Mustad 7691 hook, 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Jerry Brown Spectra backing on am Accurate 50 W reel and a Calstar 6460 XXH rod.

???I saw the boil; it was as big as a table top. It took me an hour and five minutes,??? said Harley. ???They put me in the little boat (chase skiff) and we went about 500 yards before he gave any line back. He came up dead.???

Bob Wolfson of Dana Point won first place for a 259.2-pound chubby yellowfin that bit on a flying fish under the kite, as did most of the larger tuna. (The biggest one not on the kite was a 110-pounder taken by Don Burnside.) Bob got his on a 9/0 Mustad 7691 hook, with 130-pound fluorocarbon leader and 130-pound Line One Spectra backing on a Penn 50 T reel blueprinted and modified by Cal Sheets. He said he used a ???Broomstick??? rod made by his son David.

???I saw his splash,??? said Wolfson. ???He took about an hour and a half to get to the boat. I thought the fish on the Hurricane were tougher than the ones we caught inside last fall.???

Dan Luke of Bush, LA was second, for a 245-pound yellowfin. ???My best fish by far,??? he said. ???It came during an open water bite. I got picked up, and I could tell it was big when it settled down; those big fish pull slow, for a long time. The crew, especially Jesus Companioni, was a big help to me. The skipper was great.???

Don Burnside of San Diego won first place for his 274.2-pound tuna. He got it with a chunk at the Hurricane Bank, on an Eagle Claw 9/0 circle hook, 90-pound fluorocarbon leader and 80-pound Line One Spectra backing on an Avet 50 reel and a Seeker 6460 XXH rod.

Brad Baron of Cardiff was third, for a 220-pound tuna. ???I saw a big blowout on my mackerel bait about a hundred yards out,??? he said. He won a Seeker 6470 rod.

Baron fished his mackerel on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hook, 100-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader, 130-pound Line One Spectra backing on a Penn 30 T reel and a Calstar 765 H rod.

Teri Santisevan of Alhambra got one at 184 pounds

Excel regular Bob Orth of Moreno Valley won first place and the High Roller Jackpot for a 263-pound tuna he caught on a plastic flying fish under the balloon. He pinned his plastic on a 10/0 Mustad 7691 hook, he said, and fished with 130-pound Big Game line and 130-pound Spectra backing on a Penn 50 SW reel and a Calstar 760 H rod.

Jackpot winners

Bob ???Whitey??? Ziemer of Fullerton, 76, won third place with a 258-pound yellowfin tuna.

???I saw the boil,??? he said, ???and started winding, and I was on! He???s my best fish, and he fought for 30 minutes.???

Lonnie Robnett of Reno, NV won second place, for a 263-pound yellowfin. ???He was onery,??? said Lonnie. ???He pulled hard for 45 minutes. When he bit it was already too dark to see the bait. I was talking to Tim when the line went tight.???

Lonnie???s fish took a flyer on the boat???s kite rig, with a 10/0 Mustad hook, 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Spectra backing on a Tiagra 80 reel and a Calstar 765H rod. He said it tussled with him for 45 minutes.

The top tuna was a 264.8-pounder caught by Tom Zienner of Riverside. ???It took about 40 minutes,??? said Tom at the dock. ???He fought hard, and he???s me best fish ever. I also got about 10 wahoo; all on bait except for one on a jig.???

Tom said he bagged his biggie on the kite, and that all the large tuna came that way. He fished with a flying fish on a 10/0 Mustad 7691 hook, with 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Spectra backing on a Tiagra 50 reel and a Calstar 755 XH rod.

???Chico Leonard caught a 210 pound fish on a Caballito. This fish was long and skinny and really put Chico through an endurance test and kicked his butt, not only did this fish put Chico through the battle of the giants, the galley helper (Tony) put a gaff into the fish, the gaff ripped out and Chico fought the fish for another 20 minutes with a gaff still in the fish.

At the scales, Chico???s tuna proved to be the first-place winner, at 217 pounds.

???It took about an hour,??? said Oleson. ???It was fun; he was taking more line off than I reeled in.???

Paul used a flying fish baited under a balloon on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hook to take his prize-winner. He fished with 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline Spectra backing on a Penn 70 VSW reel and a Seeker 6463 XXXXH ???rail rod.???