Fresh from a win on the five-day Seeker trip aboard Excel that returned July 14, Phil Ruemmler of Pasco, WA did a turnaround trip on the Big X with skipper Mike Ramirez. His luck wasn’t quite as good, because he had to settle for second place on this trip, which arrived July 21, but his fish was four times larger than his first-place fish on the first trip, a 23.6-pound yellowtail. His second-place winner this time weighed 97.8 pounds, a yellowfin tuna from Alijos Rocks, where the group of 23 anglers found good fishing on the flyline and the kite.

Chartermaster Ken Bell of Camarillo won first place at Alijos, for a 100.5-pound yellowfin. He got that baby on a sardine and a 5/0 Eagle Claw hook, tied to a50-pound Yo-Zuri fluorocarbon, 40-pound P-Line and 60-pound Line One spectra. He used an Avet JX reel and a Calstar 700 M rod.

“He fought me for an hour and 25 minutes,” said Ken to dock reporter Bill Roecker. “He really kicked my butt. I was using a small reel, fishing for yellowtail. He surprised me!”

Most of the anglers said they resorted to stealth tactics to hook a large tuna. Ruemmler was also using 40-pound line on an eight-foot rod, and paid the price, a 40-minute fight on his tough fish.

Clay Smith of Reno, NV took a 95-pound tuna, good for third place.



Searcher Finds BFT

Owner-skipper Art Taylor’s Searcher returned from a four-day trip with a catch of yellowtail, dorado and some bluefin tuna. One, an ineligible 65-pound shortfin, joined the jackpot winners as an honorable mention for a lineup shot.

Dave Knight of Corona got the big tuna. Tony DiPaola of Encinitas won first place for a 22.4-pound yellowtail. He was tied by Henry Nzuyen of Victorville. Third place went to Jim Freed of Carson City, NV, with a 21.8-pound yellow.



SOA Whacks Yellowtail

Mike Keating’s Spirit of Adventure came home to H&M Landing July 21 after a four-day trip with limits of yellowtail. There were 20 anglers aboard, who also caught 10 bluefin. Harry Neksalyan of North Hollywood won first place for a 38.9-pound yellowtail. He said he got it with a sardine on a 2/0 Mustad Hoodlum ringed hook tied to 40-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon and 60-pound Line One Spectra. He used an Avet SX Raptor reel and a Seeker Hercules seven and a half-foot rod.



Good Bluefin Catch

“We are on our way home,” said the American Angler report from July 20, “with every angler on the boat taking home some gorgeous RSW Bluefin tuna. The photo of the trip is Jonna, who happens to be a very Fishy angler with one of bigger models she caught in the last couple of days. This is old news by now and we feel very fortunate we had the trip that we did catching 82 Bluefin Tuna with what has been going on the fishing scene but I have to say a few things about why we had the luck we did. First of all we are not the biggest boat in the long range fleet and not the fastest and we don't hold quite as many fish as some of the bigger boats. However we do have the best crew that knows how to use the finest binos money can buy. This is a team effort and of course the Capt has to get the boat in the right Zone, but It's Ray, Taro, Bobby, Cameron, Jordan and Andrew that put fish on this boat.”



Good Tuna, Great Yellowtail

“Today reminded me of yesterday,” wrote skipper Jeff DeBuys aboard the Independence July 20, “in the way that it was really busy from day light until lunch time, and then slow for a couple of hours. Good tuna fishing, and great yellowtail fishing. We are currently on the way up to try for some more yellows tomorrow, gaining altitude all the time. The weather is great for now, and we hope it stays this way.”



Stones Are Popping Tuna

“We scratched out another day here at the Stones,” said the report from Intrepid July 20. “The quality remains very good with most of the Tuna in the 60 to 90-pound range and the Yellows going from 20 to 35 pounds. The morning is best for the Tuna until around two pm when they shut down, then it's off to catch some Yellows. Last night there was a little action on bigger Tails for the guys who wanted them on the dropper loops. A couple of Grouper also came in on the dropper loop as well. We will tough it out again tomorrow, as this is the best shot at Quality Tuna going right now.”



Bluefin On Kelp With Dorado

“We fished offshore July 20,” said the report from Red Rooster III, “and saw really good sign of twenty five to thirty-pound bluefin. We also had a kelp with bluefin, dorado and yellowtail. One of the yellows of the kelp was close to sixty pounds. We are still offshore today in hopes that the weather coming down will bring the fish back on the bite. The weather came up a little bit but has backed of to almost grease. Wish us luck. We will report back tomorrow.”