Great reports the previous week for the bluefin tuna, but the bite all but shut down on Thursday, the 13th. Fishing southeast of Catalina Island, we got only six tuna for five anglers out of 29. I was very lucky and got one, a 42 lb bluefin, to take the jackpot.

I'm posting here because this was the maiden trip for my Toro Tamer Topwater 50 rod that I got at Charkbait about two weeks earlier. It was set up with an older model Okuma Titus Gold TG15-ii, 400+ yd of 65# Spectra, six foot 40 lb fluoro leader, and 3/0 ringed circle hook. Big sardine, long soak. Initially, I had 50 lb flouro on it, but dropped down to 40 lb after not getting bit for two hours.

I'm almost 60yo, out of shape, bad back, and the fish kicked my b--t, but the gear performed perfectly. This is not an ad for the rod, but I was going to bring a heavier rod, except I met up with an experienced tuna fisherman on the way to San Diego, he pulled on the Topwater 50, said it felt good, and I should probably fish with it all day. And, so I did.