In a change of events, Shogun skipper Norm Kagawa told dock reporter Bill Roecker that the fish he caught on his last trip were biting in a more normal fashion, and that he'd had stops for 30 to 60 fish on the day he caught longfin. He also reported a stop of 50 bluefin.

The trip was sponsored by Blackwater, and lasted five days with 28 anglers. The first 40-pound albacore seen by Roecker this season headlined the catch, winning first place for Chris Edmondson of Mission Viejo.

Chris bagged his beauty on a Tady 9 iron in white and glow. "I dropped it down about 5:30 AM," he said, "and got the fish in about ten minutes. I was using 40-pound Momoi line and 65-pound Izor Spectra on an Accurate 270 two-speed reel and a Seeker 870 rod."

Mark Davidson of Murrieta won second place for a 39-pound albacore, and James Raven of Newport Beach took third for a 38.8-pound longfin.