Chartermaster Larry Brown ran a 976 TUNA trip on the Polaris Supreme that returned June 22 after fishing for five days with skipper Tommy Rothery. Brown, a regular long ranger, won first place in the adult jackpot.

“One of the kids was Arthur Shiffman, making his fourth trip,” said Brown. “He’s out-fishing most of the adults now.”

Skipper Rothery was happy. “We had wonderful yellowtail fishing,” he said, “and the kids really improved their surface fishing, even with jigs.”

Polaris Supreme winners sport some nicer albacore at Fisherman's Landing.

Larry Brown, from Playa del Rey, said his winning 37.4-pound bluefin came on a blue and chrome Tady 4/0 jig with a glow back. He fished with 40-pound P-Line, a Torsa 20 reel and a Calstar 760 tied by Yo’s.

J.C. Hardemion won second place for a 35.2-pound albie, and Daniel Delgado, who was second in the kid’s jackpot, won third place in the adult category.

Victoria Van Zandt of Winnetka won the kid’s jackpot for a 34.2-pound albacore. She said she bagged her winner with a sardine.

Kids had their own winners aboard the Polaris Supreme's Father/Son/Daughter trip.

Daniel Delgado of Westminster was second, for a 32.5-pound albie, and L. B. Stephens of San Diego won third place for a 32.3-pounder.

Surface Buster Wins

Sam Patella docked American Angler June 22 after a seven-day trip with 27 anglers. Yellowfin tuna won the top spots.

“Today was our last day of fishing on this trip,” wrote Sam on June 21, “and as I mentioned, we were going to mix it up with the Local fleet in hopes of catching some Longfin to wrap things up here. In the last week things sure have changed in a good way with all the sign of fish still in a bunch of different places in this ocean - it sure looks like we're in for a fun season ahead of us.”

Rep Dan Kadota of San Pedro won first place for a tuna he bagged with one of the lures he supports, an SPRO popper in sardine color. He showed one for the camera.

Dan Kadota whacked some nice tuna with this new popper on American Angler.

Kadota said he used 40-pound Izorline on a Trinidad 30 reel and a Loomis nine-foot jig rod to take his prize.

“It makes you feel like you’re fishing on a lake with the popper,” he said. “You can see the fish come up and smash it.”

American Angler winners pose with their large yellowfin tuna at Pt. Lomas Sportfishing.

Chuck Carlson of Arroyo Grande was second, for a 49.6-pound yellowfin, and Phil Oliva of Woodland, WA was third, for a 49.2-pound tuna.

Good Bluefin Fishing

Searcher docked June 22 at Fisherman’s Landing, under owner Art Taylor’s hand. Art remarked on the great weather and the great fishing he and his angler enjoyed, and said he’d found some good bluefin fishing on tuna of 25 to 40 pounds, about 150 miles from port, in 66-degree water. He also said he’d had excellent yellowtail fishing on inside waters.

Adam “Gator” Saldick of North Hollywood won first place on the five-day trip, for a 39.2-pound bluefin he tricked with a sardine on a 3/0 Super Mutu hook, Ande 30-pound line, a Trinidad 20 reel and an 800 M Calstar rod.

Searcher winners got some nice bluefin tuna.

”It only took five minutes,” said Gator. “He devoured it, took off and came right back to the boat.”

Toney Altieri of Toluca Lake was second, for a 38.2-pounder, and Jerry King, ex lift-poler and long-time long ranger, won third place for a 36.8-pound bluefin tuna.

A Fun-filled Trip

Red Rooster III, skippered by Andy Cates, arrived at Lee Palm Sportfishers and H&M Landing June 22. There were 24 anglers on the five-day trip.

“We had some fun,” said the skipper. “One day we found some bluefin and drifted on the school for about four and a half hours. We got about 80 bluefin and 20 yellowfin there. We also fished at Guadalupe for our jackpot fish and at Cedros Island for yellowtail.”

On June 21, Cates wrote, “Today was our last day of fishing on this trip, and as I mentioned, we were going to mix it up with the Local fleet in hopes of catching some Longfin to wrap things up here. In the last week things sure have changed in a good way with all the sign of fish still in a bunch of different places in this ocean - it sure looks like we're in for a fun season.”

Scott Bishop and his little brother Greg, both of Moreno Valley, won first and third places.

“I got mine during a scratch bite on a long soak,” said Scott. His 48.5-pound yellowfin tuna bit a sardine on a 6/0 ringed Mutu hook, 60-pound fluorocarbon leader and 60-pound Izorline. He fished with a Penn `16 S reel and a Calstar 7465 L rod by the Whopper Stopper.

Red Rooster's best yellowfin tuna bit for these lucky anglers; all took sardines.

Janelle Mattern of Renton, WA won second place for a 48.2-pounder, and Greg Bishop of Moreno Valley was third, for a 44.1-pound yellowfin tuna.

“A Large Spread”

“There’s a large spread of fish,” said Pacific Queen owner-skipper Bill Cavanaugh after a day and a half trip that came back to Fisherman’s Landing June 22. “We had two big schools of bluefin tuna stay with the boat for a while and we picked a few. We saw a lot of fish that didn’t want to bite. We ended up with 73 albies and 13 bluefin. The jackpot bluefin weighed 34 pounds.”

Gets New Shoes

Well-known reel repairman and two-speed reel blueprinter Larry Cofe of San Diego met the Red Rooster III June 22.

Larry Cofe, master reel builder, took a dare on some new deck shoes.

Pressuring photographer Bill Roecker for a shot of his new Crocs deck shoes, Cofe struck a toe-out pose in front of the landing. Onlookers clapped approval of Cofe’s friendliness, and several commented on his new necklace as well.