Fishing Notebook : Marina del Rey Anglers Prep for Annual Halibut Derby
The Marina del Rey Anglers Assn.’s 14th annual Halibut Derby will be launched in Santa Monica Bay on April 16-17 and is co-sponsored by the Boy Scouts, which will benefit from proceeds.
Last year’s derby drew 1,300 anglers and paid $10,000 in prizes.
The association is a nonprofit organization with about 100 members that sponsors events in the South Bay.
South Bay Catches: Ray Ferris of West Los Angeles won the South Bay whopper of the week with a 24 1/2-pound lingcod at Santa Barbara Island aboard the Challenger.
Frank Morral of San Pedro, fishing aboard the Toronado at Catalina Island, caught a limit of bass with a jig, then inserted a squid and won the jackpot with a 17-pound lingcod.
Rich Rose of Hermosa Beach, fishing on the Shogun at the east end of Catalina with a squid, won the jackpot with a 16-pound cow cod.
Tony Meyers of Long Beach won the jackpot with a 12-pound sheepshead aboard the Sharpshooter.
Barry Reichert won the jackpot on the Sea Spray with a 13-pound sheepshead caught with cut squid at the oil rigs.
Dottie Archibald of Hermosa brought to gaff a 12-pound sheepshead at the oil rigs aboard the Victory.
Terry Slechta of Torrance, aboard the Calico Ed at Bird Rock, caught a limit of big bull bass with squid. The catch of the day was an 8 3/4-pounder.
Freshwater Report: Sam May of Long Beach, fishing with a night crawler at Irvine Lake, caught an 11 3/4-pound rainbow trout.
Melinjey Esperanza of Wilmington, fishing the bridge area at Anaheim Lake, reeled in an 8 3/4-pound rainbow trout.
Fish Report: Increased sportfishing was reported with all South Bay landings having bait tanks full of squid.
Surface and rock fish trips have produced near-limits.
About 100 halibut were checked in last weekend at Santa Monica Bay landings.
At Marina del Rey Sportfishing, the half-day boat Happyman chalked up 34 halibut going to 15 pounds, 15 sand bass and 6 sculpin.
The Betty O, the rock cod special, rewarded anglers with 150 rock fish and 25 halibut.
The Spitfire had 20 halibut and 150 sculpin.
The Sharpshooter, fishing in the Marineland area, scored with 225 bonito, 125 blue perch and 50 rock fish.
The Blackjack returned from Osborne bank with a limit of rock cod plus one lingcod. The 240 cod weighed 6 to 20 pounds.
At L. A. Harbor Sportfishing at Ports O’ Call, the half-day trip aboard the Matt Walsh chalked up a good count fishing the horseshoe kelp: 50 whitefish, 20 rock fish, 21 sculpin and 18 sheepshead.
The Shogun fished Catalina and 58 sheepshead, 220 calico bass and 10 whitefish went into the sacks.
The Grande fished Catalina and returned with a limit--210 calico bass, 140 blue perch, 37 sheepshead and 78 rock fish.
The Victory fished the oil rigs with squid and had a limit of calico bass, 40 bonito and 25 sheepshead to 12 pounds.
The Sea Spray, fishing bull kelp, rewarded its morning anglers with 15 sheepshead, 50 rock fish, 22 white fish and 15 bonito.
The Toronado fished Santa Barbara Island and returned with limits of 180 rock cod, 5 lingcod and 11 sheepshead to 10 pounds.