Justin Fleck docked Excel at Fisherman's Landing October 15 after a ten-day Braid Products trip with 27 anglers and chartermaster Dennis Braid aboard. "We had excellent fishing for yellowtail, dorado and yellowfin," said Fleck to dock reporter Bill Roecker. We found a lucky spot for yellowfin and we left the yellowtail biting more than once; you could call it limit-style fishing. "The water down below in cooling," continued skipper Fleck, "it's down from 87 to 81 or 82 degrees now. Also, we had a young lady catch a big goldspotted sand bass. It weighed 10.2 pounds." The world record for goldspotted sand bass is 10 pounds, four ounces, held since 2006 by Dan Cash.

Jim Barker of Boulder City, NV won first place for a 41.8-pound wahoo. He said he got it with a sardine on a 2/0 Mustad J hook and 60-pound wire. He used 65-pound Power Pro spectra on a Newell 322 reel and a Calstar 6465 rod.

Kevin Gilfoy of Mammoth Lakes won second place for a 40.6-pound dorado. "It was the last one at that stop," he remarked. Carl Dillbaldo of Santa Barbara won third place for a 37.4-pound dorado.