???The Tuna Are There???

Skipper Justin Fleck docked Excel May 8 after an eight-day trip with 16 anglers.

"We had good island fishing," he said at Fisherman's Landing. "The tuna are there offshore; lots of small albacore and impressive sign of bluefin. The seiners are concentrating on the main school or vein of tuna, but there's little pieces or fragments around that, which is good for us (sport boats)."

"The bluefin are running about 25 to 40 pounds, and if you're good you can pick one off on the iron. The Cedros yellowtail are eating the surface iron."

Louis Nordorf of Gardena won first place for a 30-pound yellowtail. Bill Becker of Lucerne was second for a 29-pounder. John Surno of Fullerton won third place for a 27.8-pounder, and 17-year-old Breanna Durell of Hawthorne stood in with the winners with her 22-pound yellowtail.