No Tackle Failures

"We had difficult weather," said Independence skipper Jeff DeBuys January 4. He was weighing the tuna from a nine-day adventure with 31 anglers to the southern banks.

"But even with the bad weather, we managed a couple of bunches of big fish, and while we lost a couple to pulled hooks, we had no tackle failures. The guys performed flawlessly."

James Garrison of Temecula won first place for a giant yellowfin tuna of 292 pounds. "He fought hard," said James. "I used a crimped hook."

Garrison said he baited a mackerel on a 6/0 Hayabusa hook tied to 100-pound Big Game and 130-pound Spectra on a Penn 50 SW reel and a Calstar 655 XXH rod.

Walt Bogue of Chico was second, for a 285-pounder. Walt fished with his wife Sandi, who was proud of her 130-pounder and the fact she was the only woman on the boat.

Walt fished a sardine on a 6/0 Hayabusa hook tied to 130-pound Soft Steel Ultra line and 130-pound Spectra backing on a Daiwa 50 reel and am unknown six and a half-foot rod.

Mike Bruer of Temecula won third place for a 278.7-pound tuna, and he also got a 238.8-pounder. He baited a sardine on a Hayabusa 6/0 circle hook tied to 130-pound Soft Steel Ultra and 130-pound Jerry Brown Spectra backing on an Accurate 50 W reel and a 660 XXH rod.

Phillip Anderson of Pasadena, 15, took a 278.6-pounder on the kite with a sardine on an 8/0 Super Mutu ringed hook, 100-pound Big Game line and 130-pound Spectra backing on an Avet 50 reel and a Calstar 760 H rod.

Phillip goes to Arcadia High School, where he plays baseball.

Jeff Lucas of Bonsall caught a 271-pound tuna with a mackerel on a 6/0 Hayabusa hook, 130-pound Soft Steel Ultra line and 130-pound Spectra on an Okuma 50 reel and an unknown six-foot rod.

"He didn't circle; he came up close to the bow when we gaffed him," said Anderman. "He fought for an hour. He's my best fish ever."

Ed Otero of Palm Springs took a brace of yellowfin at 254 and 235 pounds. He fished a sardine on a 7/0 ringed Super Mutu, tied to 100-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izor Spectra on a Penn 30 reel and a Calstar 6465 XH rod.

David Anderman of LA caught a 248-pound tuna with a mackerel on a 6/0 Hayabusa hook, 100-pound Big Game line, 130-pound Jerry Brown Spectra backing on a Tiagra 30 W reel and a Calstar 655 XXH rod by Yo's.

Dustin Watson of Poway took an hour and a half to land a 246-pounder. He said he fished with a sardine on a 6/0 Hayabusa hook, 130-ppound Izorline and 130-pound Izor Spectra on an Avet 50 reel and a Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.

"He fought good," said Dustin. He tried to free himself on the bulbous bow."

Greg Anderson (Phillip's father) of Pasadena got a 226-pound tuna with a sardine on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu, 100-pound Big Game line and 130-pound Izor Spectra on an Avet Pro 50 reel and a Calstar 760 H rod.

Randall Loomis of San Diego snared a 217-pounder with a sardine on an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook, 130-pound Big Game line and 130-pound Izor Spectra on a Tiagra 50 reel and a 760 H rod.

Brian Longmore of Poway bagged a 205-pounder with a sardine on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu and the boat's rig: an Avet 50 reel and a Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.

Angel Mejia of Long Beach copped a 205-pound tuna with a sardine on a 6/0 Hayabusa hook, 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Jerry Brown Line One Spectra backing on an LRS 50 W reel and a seeker 6463 XXXH rod.

The trip returned to Point Loma Sportfishing with 14 tuna over 200 pounds.

Rusty Hook Charter

Jeff DeBuys docked the Independence at Point Loma Sportfishing January 21, after a 16-day Rusty Hook charter with owner Alex Masumoto as chartermaster.

"I had a cow to color," said Alex sadly, "but the hook pulled."

Seven other anglers were more fortunate. Nick Appleton of Tempe, AZ won first place for a 260.4-pound tuna that sucked in a sardine on a 6/0 Gamakatsu hook. The fish then fought Nick for two hours before he was able to bring it to gaff.

Appleton said he used 100-pound Izorline and 130-pound Jerry Brown Line One Spectra backing on an Avet 50 reel and a Calstar 760 H rod.

Ron Puhl of Port Orford, OR (who fished with his dad and his son) won second place, for a 256.8-pounder that took a sardine on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hook. He used 100-pound Izorline and 130-pound P-Line Spectra on an Avet 30 W reel and a Baby Boomer rod.

Nick Puhl (18, and Ron's son) of Port Orford was on his first long range trip, and popped a 239-pound tuna with a sardine on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu. Nick goes to Clackamas Community College. He used a boat rig: 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Spectra on an Avet 50 reel and a Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.

Alan Fay, owner-operator of the El Capitan at Pt. Loma Sportfishing, was aboard for a bussman's holiday. He caught a 228-pounder on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hook tied to 100-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izor Spectra backing on a Penn 30 W reel and a Seeker 6465 XXH rod, after a 45-minute fight.

Roger Puhl of Medford bagged a 226-pounder with a sardine on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu and the same boat rig.

Ken Buzzell of San Pedro got a 223-pounder in 20 minutes. He said he fished a puffer under the kite on a 12/0 Mustad 7691 hook. He also used a boat rig.

Charlie Smith of Minifee took 45 minutes to boat his 220.6-pound yellowfin.

"They're tough fish," he remarked. "I wish I hadn't pulled the hook on the second one."

Charlie used a sardine on a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu hook, with 100-pound Big Game line and 130-pound Izor Spectra on a Penn 30 W reel and a Shimano Talus rod of six feet.

Independence Report

January 26, 2007: "We have started the trip out in the big fish grounds on the coast and after the first full day of fishing we did not even hook a fish. There were some fish that we saw early in the morning that would not boil or bite. So far this morning of the second day we have 2 fish that are in the 100-pound range and we see fish around the boat steady so hopefully they will turn on and bite well for us. The weather has been very good since we left the dock, flat seas and almost no wind." (Skippers Mark Pisano, Paul Strasser)