Rules Change Ends 20-Catch Limits on Smelt, Pacific Sardines, Herring

State fishing regulations adopted by the Fish and Game Commission last December went into effect March 1.

South Bay landings and tackle outlets have the regulations published by the Department of Fish and Game with all the rules changes.

While the changes are few, addition of blue ink to highlight the changes helps.

Anglers need only skim the free booklet and make note of changes.

One of the changes noted this year is the elimination of the 20-catch limit for smelt, Pacific sardines and herring. There is no longer a limit on those fish.

South Bay Catches: Greg Baldwin of Long Beach, fishing aboard the Reel Special, caught the whopper of the week when he had to follow his hookup four times around the boat to bring to gaff a 47 1/2-pound white sea bass.

Paul Niblsteis of Redondo Beach, on the Blackjack at Cherry Bank, reeled in a 24-pound cow cod using an anchovy.

Zane Hienrich of West Los Angeles, aboard the Reel Special for halibut in the Marineland area, landed a 19-pound halibut.

Bonnie Burns of West Los Angeles landed a 15 1/2-pound halibut using a small sardine.

Alan Huston of Santa Monica brought to gaff a 12-pound halibut on the Spitfire fishing the Santa Monica Bay area.

Freshwater Notes: Greg Shinmoto of Torrance fished Santa Ana Lake and checked in with eight trout totaling 40 pounds, all on lures.

Jack Rozar of Long Beach fished Santa Ana Lake and caught a 6 1/2-pound catfish.

Jim Shroder of Harbor City, fishing Irvine Lake, caught a five-fish limit of rainbow trout that weighed in at 24 pounds. He was using night crawlers.

Fish Reports: The halibut bite continues to set the angling pace in Santa Monica Bay.

The Horseshoe Kelp area has been improving for calico bass and bonito.

The outer islands continue to produce big rock cod and lingcod.

At Marina del Rey Sportfishing: The Spitfire, fishing for halibut, chalked up 21 plus 35 sculpin and 82 sand bass to 6 pounds.

The half-day boat Happy Man brought to gaff 39 halibut on the afternoon trip plus 75 sand bass.

The rock cod special Betty O, fishing the Deep Hole, returned with 150 reds and 3 lingcod to 10 pounds.

At Redondo Sportfishing: The Sea Spray on the morning run Tuesday fishing Rocky Point caught 35 bonito, 33 sand bass, 15 halibut and a barracuda.

The Blackjack fished Cherry Bank and returned with a limit for all anglers: the count was 522 salmon grouper, 3 lings and an 11-pound cow cod.

At 22nd Street Landing: The Monte Carlo fished the rigs and anglers hooked 7 halibut, 25 bonito, 15 sand bass and 18 rock fish.

The Freedom fished the east end of Catalina Island with live squid and cranked in 200 rock fish, 50 whitefish and 29 calico bass.

At L.A. Harbor Sportfishing: The Outerlimits, with tanks of mixed bait, headed to Tanner Bank and anglers caught 125 whitefish, 82 sheepshead, 96 rock cod and 35 sculpin.

The Grande fished Cherry Bank and caught 240 rock cod, 17 calico bass to eight pounds plus 127 sheepshead.

The Matt Walsh, fishing the Horseshoe on the afternoon trip, had a good showing of bonito with 45 up to six pounds plus 45 sculpin and 2 sole to 10 pounds.

At Long Beach Sportfishing: The Reel Special fished the rigs area and chalked up 40 rock cod, 30 whitefish, 8 sculpin and 1 white sea bass.

The Aztec fished Catalina and 209 whitefish, 23 sculpin and 18 sheepshead went into anglers’ sacks.