Penn U. Charter
Searcher docked at Fisherman’s Landing September 24 under owner-skipper Art Taylor’s hand. Following a six-day trip chartered by Penn University’s Steve Carson, who acted as chartermaster. He also caught the largest tuna of the trip, a 92.5-pound Guadalupe whopper yellowfin.
Gary Chung of San Jose got the first-place fish, an 87.6-pound tuna that bit his sardine on a 2/0 Mutu hook and 50-pound pink Yo-Zuri fluorocarbon tied to 50-pound Big Game line and 80-pound Izorline on a Penn 16 S reel and a Calstar 765 L rod.
Matt Kirkpatrick of Bakersfield won second place for an 86.4-pounder. Curtis Howard of Diamond Bar tied with Leon Walraven of Whittier for third place. Both men had 84.8-pound tuna. Kirkpatrick and Howard were on their first long range trips.