American Angler returned to Pt. Loma Sportfishing January 6 after a good 11-day trip that produced 10 cow tuna for skipper Ray Lopez and his Calstar charter with chartermaster Glenn Kuromi, who called it “A great trip.” Two of the top three jackpot winners were from trip co-sponsor Ken’s Custom Reels in Oceanside.

“It was a scratch bite, but every bite was worth it,” said skipper Lopez. Long soaks were the order of the day.


One of the anglers was celebrating 100-plus days on the water with the American Angler this past year. Bill Randall of Foothill Ranch told dock reporter Bill Roecker about it:

“I’m retired since 2008,” said Randall, “and this is what I do now. I’ve averaged 70 days a year for the last four years. Last year I had 82 days and this year I was almost at 100 days so I went ahead and signed on. The trips have been from five to 15 days. I got a 202-pounder this time, on my 12th trip this year.”

John Haskin of San Clemente won first place for a 230-pounder. He also had one at 217. He said he got the bigger one on a sardine and a 5/0 Owner Gorilla hook tied to 100-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon,, 100-pound Line One spectra, an Accurate ATD 30 reel and a custom Calstar wrapped by Ken’s, a 770 XH rod.

Zeke Harloff of Oceanside got a 220.5-pounder for second place, but he also got a 91-pound wahoo on the same outfit. Zeke said he fished sardines on 5/0 ringed Owner Super Mutu hook, with 130-pound Blackwater wind-on leaders from Ken’s and 130-pound Izorline spectra on a Baker/Penn 30 reel and a Calstar 7465 H rod.

“It took an hour,” said Zeke. “This one was tougher than my 232-pounder.”

Reel builder Wes Cogan of Ken’s won third place for a 217.5-pounder, but he also got a 231-pound tuna. Wes said he got his winner with a salami mackerel on an 18/0 Eagle Claw hook, 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Izorline spectra on a Tiburon SST 50 reel and a Calstar 770 XXH rod.


Chris Sato of Encinitas caught a 258-pounder, but wasn’t available for an interview.

John Wilson of San Clemente copped a brace at 208 and 216 pounds. Dave Boes of Bellvue, WA got a 214-pounder. His fellow Washingtonians, son and father Dustin and Bill Graham of Mukilteo popped a pair at 214 and 205 pounds.

Nacho Camarena of Oceanside bagged a 208-pound yellowfin with a flying fish under a balloon. He used a Mustad 8/0 7691 hook and a 130-pound boat rig.

Bob Hanke of Whittier, 80 years old, bagged a 208-pound tuna. Chris Rinauro of Murphys found a 206-pound tuna.



Supercow For Intrepid

Mike Pritchard brought Intrepid home to Pt. Loma Sportfishing January 6 with his best catch ever as master of a sportfishing vessel. He thought he had 21 cows, including the supercow caught by Ed Otero of Palm Springs, but they couldn’t all be located on the pad. David Choate of Torrance chartermastered the Wahoodad/Izorline trip of 11 days.

Otero’s 321.6-pound yellowfin tuna starred in the catch, and won first place. He said he got his dream fish on a squid under the kite, with a kite outfit belonging to the boat: a 10/0 Mustad 7691 hook, 130-pound Izorline fluorocarbon and 130-pound guide’s Choice spectra on an Avet 50 W reel and a Super Seeker 2X4 rod.

Nick Rekrut of Mission Hills won second place for his 251.6-pound tuna. He said he fooled it with a sardine on a 5/0 Owner Gorilla hook on 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 100-pound Line One spectra, an Accurate ATD 12 reel and a Super Seeker 1X3 rod.


Jerry Green of Riverside won third place for a 233-pounder. That one ate a sardine on a 6/0 Mutu hook on 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 80-pound Big Game spectra, a Penn 30 reel and a Calstar 665 XH rod.

Chartermaster Choate wasn’t in the pot, but came up with two cows of 274.6 and 209 pounds. He used sardines on Owner Offshore 5/0 hooks, 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 100-pound Tuffline spectra, an Okuma Makira 20 reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXH rod to bag the big boy in an hour and a half. Some of the information about the fish posted here was provided by Choate.

Bill Brown of Juneau, AK bagged a 231-pound tuna with a “double trouble” sardine rig under the kite. He fished with one of the boat’s kite outfits to take his best fish ever in a hour.

Drew Cole of San Diego got his first cow and his best fish ever, a 229-pound tuna, on a sardine and a 5/0 ringed Gorilla hook. He used 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 130-pound Tuff Line spectra, an Okuma 30 SE reel and a Super Seeker 2X4 rod.

“I got him in ten minutes,” said Cole. “There were sharks around.”

Brady Daniels of Orcutt caught a 220-pounder on a sardine and a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu hook. He said he used 100-pound Maxima fluorocarbon, 130-pound Guide’s Choice spectra, a Makira 30 reel and a Calstar 770 XH rod.

Mark Selman of San Diego caught a 220-pound tuna with a mackerel on a 9/0 ringed Super Mutu hook. He fished with 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 130-pound Line One spectra, an Avet 50 reel and a Super Seeker 2X4 rod.

“Loreto Joe” Chinovsky of Culver City bagged a 219-pound yellowfin with a sardine on a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu hook on 100-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izor spectra, with a Sheets/Baker Penn 50 reel and a Calstar 770 XH rod.

Jeff Tedmori of Newport Beach battled his 219-pound tuna for three hours after it ate his sardine on a 5/0 Gorilla hook on 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 130-pound Izorline spectra, an Okuma 20 reel and a Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.

Robert Ehret of Stockton nabbed a 218-pounder in 20 minutes after it bit on his sardine and an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook. He said he fished with 100-pound Izorline fluorocarbon, 130-pound Line One spectra, an Avet 50 W reel and a Calstar 755 XXH rod. Jarrod Weymer found a 219-pound tuna.

Alex Selman of San Diego took an hour and a half to subdue his 206-pounder. He fished a sardine on a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu hook, 100-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 100-pound Line One spectra, an Avet HX 30 W reel and a Calstar 770 XXH rod.

Last but not least interesting in the catch was a 26.5-pound Kawakawa, a skipjack-like tuna from Hawaii, caught by Brian Le of San Diego while fishing heavy gear for tuna.

New Heavy Rod Line From Seeker

Darin Dohi of Seeker Rods was at the landings January 6. He had a pair of new rods with him.

“These are from our new Rail Boss Rods series,” he said. “They come in 50, 60, 80 and 100-pound ratings. They’re made from E Glass, with ringed Fuji guides and a foregrip that’s beefed up, reinforced with cork tape and cold shrink. They’re value-priced, at under $400.”