A
Shimano charter with 29 anglers aboard the Royal Polaris returned with skipper Frank LoPreste to Fisherman’s Landing September 2.
“We had 106 nice big yellowtail in a night bite,” commented Frank.
The best yellow wasn’t in the Rollo jackpot, exclusively for the species. It was a 54-pounder caught by Shimano pro staff angler Jon Kuch of Yorba Linda. He used heavy gear and a dropper loop to take the big jack, with a sardine on a 9/0 Mustad hook tied to a 100-pound Shimano wind-on leader and 80-pound Power Pro Spectra. He used a Tallica 16 reel and a prototype Shimano rod.
“That fish was violent!” said Kuch, who cranked it up in ten minutes.
Rudy Sgontz of Chico won first place for an 83-pound yellowfin tuna, which went to the processors. He said he fished a sardine on a 4/0 ringed Super Mutu hook tied to 50-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader and 65-pound Power Pro Spectra on a Tallica reel and a prototype Shimano rod.
Bruce Arnold of Chino tied with Gary “Murph” Murphy of Simi Valley for second and third. Both men had 64.8-pound tuna from Guadalupe Island.
Rent Rod Rookie Wins
Brian Evans parked Mike Keating’s Spirit of Adventure at H&M Landing September 2 after a three-day trip to offshore waters with 26 anglers.
Bob Tiffany of Myakka City, FL fished a sardine on a 3/0 Mustad hook and a rental outfit to bag the trip’s best fish, a 59.8-pound yellowfin tuna that fought him for 30 minutes.
Captains Mike Keating and Brian Evans
(619) 222-1144 - H&M Landing
Ty’s Tuna Trip
Royal Star arrived at Fisherman’s Landing September 2 after a nice five-day trip to Guadalupe Island and offshore waters. All three of the boat’s regular skippers, Randy Toussaint, Time Ekstrom and Brian Sims were aboard. The anglers were excited about the quality and the numbers of tuna and yellowtail caught.
Doug Taylor of Oak Park won first place for a 91-pound yellowfin he bagged with a sardine on a 4/0 ringed Mutu hook. He said he used 50-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon leader and 60-pound Line One Spectra on a custom Cal Six reel and a Calstar 765 L rod.
Mike Nagao of Whittier was second for an 82-pounder, and Bryan Sherman of Calabasas won third place for an 81.5-pound Guadalupe Island yellowfin tuna.
New Best Albacore
Brian Kiyohara docked American Angler at Pt. Loma Sportfishing September 2 after a five-day James Hardware expedition with 27 anglers, the eighth trip for the group. David Samarin was chartermaster. This year there were only two David Samarins on the boat; several years ago there were four at once.
“We had excellent stops on albacore,” noted David. “We got up to 20 at a stop. We found them all on sonar. We also got some bluefin on the first night out.
“At Guadalupe Island we had 60 yellowfin at the South End,” continued Samarin, “but the bite died with the current, so we went up to the North End for some yellowtail.”
Daniel Samarin of La Habra won first place for a 69-pound tuna. He got that one with a sardine on a 3/0 J hook and 40-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader tied to 60-pound Line One Spectra on an Accurate 870 reel and a Calstar 700 H rod.
“It took me 30 minutes,” commented Daniel. “He’s my best fish, and he almost spooled me after I hooked him over 100 yards down-current. I had no belt and no shoes on, and he made three long runs.”
Jim Demetriff of Porterville won second place for a 63-pound tuna, and Morrie Beliakoff of Hacienda Heights won third place for a 61-pound yellowfin tuna.
The 2008-09 record fish season closed September 1, so the 54-pound albacore caught by Nathan Suhovy will go into next season as the initial first-place fish. Suhovy said it bit on a sardine pinned to a 1/0 Mustad hook. He said he used 30-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader on 65-pound Power Pro Spectra, and Avet JX reel and a custom rod of an unknown brand.
NEW! Alijos Tuna Flyer! Join Standup Fishing Host Bill Roecker and skipper Justin Fleck aboard the biggest sportfisher in the San Diego fleet, the Excel. It's called a flyer because the boat goes straight to the Rocks, and home again, fishing for yellowfin of 30 to 70 pounds. The bite's just about wide-open!
Yellowtail come up to compete with tuna for flylined sardines, and both are chompin' 'dines dangled from helium balloons. You can't get into the strike zone before tuna are boiling on the dancing baits.
Come aboard, learn a few tricks about hooking and playing tuna on light gear, and enjoy an Alijos Tuna Flyer!
Watch the crew go head to head in an action-packed fishing finale!
Available at
FishingVideos.com 
Pro Staffer Bags Mossback 
Linear Mode
