"I can hardly wait to go back," Skipper Jeff DeBuys said after he returned Independence to Point Loma Landing November 21 after a Farallon Boats charter, a 10-day trip. "There is some good fishing down there, we had beautiful weather and noon to dark drifts.

"We had 26 anglers, ages 16 to 82," Jeff continued, "and they all got their personal best. We're extremely happy."

Bill Asbell, 68, took first place with a 356-pound super cow. "I used a friends rod and reel," Bill said. "I wasn't prepared for this stuff. The reel was toast when I got finished. I caught a 400-pound thresher shark in Cabo San Lucas 34 years ago, but this was a lot better fight."