Big Fish Of The Year????

[HOGGEMIN]

Big Fish Of TheYear? Already?


Andy Cates docked Red Rooster III at H&M Landing November 1 after the 14-day annual Winter Wanderlust trip of 14 days with 20 anglers. He had two very large tuna aboard, one he estimated at over 330 pounds. There were 11 cows on the boat.

“There weren’t many close to 200 pounds,” Cates told Bill Roecker as he cinched up the big one. “They were either 220 or more or they didn’t make it.”

Hoisted on the certified scales, the massive critter came in well over its estimated weight, tipping the digital scales to 351.2 pounds, a weight that has in past years often made fish of the year honors.

The giant yellowfin was caught by 75-year-old Bob Peters of Medford, OR, and won first place in the jackpot. He said his best previous tuna went 260. Bob said he used a sardine on a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu hook, tied to 130-pound pink Yo-Zuri leader, 130-pound Izorline and 100-pound Line One Spectra.

As Cates was hoisting the tuna, I remarked to Bob, “That is one big SOB, he might be bigger than Andy thought.”

“I called him a lot worse than that,” said Bob, “when I was pulling on him.

“He made several runs,” added Bob, “and took about two-thirds of my line. He came up in the front of the boat, on the port side.”

Jim Kokesh of El Granada had a fish on the cusp of 300 pounds, but the scales said it weighed 294, good enough for second place. Kokesh said he took it with a sardine on a 5/0 Super Mutu tied to 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Blackwater Spectra. He used a Penn 50 reel modified by Cal Sheets and a Boomer Jr. rod.

“He fought long and hard,” said Kokesh, “for about two hours.”

John Nelson of Escondido won third place for a 277.2-pound tuna. That one bit on a live skipjack festooned with an 11/0 Mustad 7691 hook. Nelson said he used 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Line One Spectra on a Penn 70 VSW reel and a Calstar 7455 XXH rod.

“He took me around the boat once,” said Nelson. “He came up in the port corner.”

John Wichmann of Oceanside bagged a brace of cows weighing 236 and 258 pounds. He fished sardines on 5/0 Super Mutu hooks. He fished with 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One Spectra on an Accurate 50 reel and a Calstar 7465 XH rod.

Mike Butler of Sonoma took a 235.8-pound tuna on a four-pound yellowfin pinned to a 12/0 Mustad 7691 hook. He told dock reporter Bill Roecker he used 130-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader and 130-pound Line One Spectra on an Accurate 50 W reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXH rod.

Joe Davidson of San Pedro caught a 226.5-pound tuna on a sardine and a 12/0 Mustad circle hook. He fished with 130-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader, 130-popund Izorline and 130-pound Izor Spectra on a Shimano TTS 50 reel by Cal sheets and a Calstar 655 XXH rod.

Larry Martin of Dayton, NV bagged a 265.5-pounder with a sardine on a 9/0 Eagle Claw hook. He fished with 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon, 130-pound Maxima line and 130-pound Line One Spectra on an Accurate 50 reel and a Calstar 7465 H rod.

“It took about an hour and 15 minutes,” said Larry, “in the skiff. Everyone should go for a skiff ride at least once!”

Charles Tanaka of San Francisco got a 256.5-pound tuna with a sardine on a 5/0 Super Mutu hook. He told Roecker he used 130-pound Seaguar and 130-pound Line One Spectra on an Accurate 50 topless reel and a Calstar 770 H rod.

David Snyder of Thailand came back to the US to fish, and caught a 220-pounder on an 8/0 Mustad J hook, a 94150, he thought. He used 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izor Spectra on a Penn 30 T reel by Cal Sheets and a Calstar 7465 H rod.

“My best fish,” he told Roecker. “He fought for 45 minutes, and he came up at the bow.”

Fred Wakefield of Tustin got the trip’s “small cow,” a 211.9-pound yellowfin that bit on his sardine and a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hook. He said he fished with 100-pound Momoi Diamond line and 130-pound Power Pro Spectra on a Sheets-treated Penn 50 W reel and a Calstar 760 H rod, custom-wrapped by Melton’s. He said the fish fought for 40 minutes and came up on the starboard stern corner.

[CATCH AND EAT]

I can't even imagine boating a big fish like that. Amazing!

[Fishing PaPa]

Great Story and pics. Thanks for the posting.

[Fishing Dear]

Awesome pics, Just awesome!

[Highmark]

WoW. I can only dream.....

[Hanapa'a Time]

Mmmmmoooooooooo!!! They're in the pastures

Someday

[Joatmon]

Great post Mike!,
Maybe some day we will be able to fight that quality of fish.

[fishbait]

And to think, a few fish like that are swiming around in our waters in Aug & Sept.

Now them are tuna.

[Seefood Man]

What a time that must have been

When on a trip like that does the fisherman keep the fish or does it go to the boat? I heard tuna that size are bought for upwards of 10k to 20k each for the Asian markets.

[HOGGEMIN]

Yes the angler keeps his catch. The yellowfin market is not what the Bluefin market is and Yellowfin sport caught fish are not legel to sell.

[TillamookChinook]

Fishbait says, "And to think, a few fish like that are swiming around in our waters in Aug & Sept."

Just imagine how totally nuts the Salty Dogs will be when somebody actually brings one of those cows to the dock in Garibaldi. Englunds will have to bring in a carload of stuff so everybody can gear up.

It'll happen. Can't wait!

TC

[nickles]

Wow, I wish I was there!