Fishing Notes : Barracuda, Salmon Action, Good Bait Supply Brighten Holiday Weekend Outlook

Ocean fishermen can look forward to action for the three-day Memorial Day weekend.

Conditions continue to improve, and with bait now in good supply prospects are excellent.

For several days barracuda have been caught in all local areas and big salmon have been showing up close to shore.

The excitement of the week was on the Outerlimits from L.A. Harbor Sportfishing, which was returning from San Clemente Island Captain Gary Norbre spotted a swordfish eight miles out.

Bob Bindell of San Pedro put a mackerel on his hook using a 20-pound test line and after 56 minutes of strain brought to gaff the first swordfish of the year, weighing in at 137 pounds.

Danny Walters of Long Beach, fishing aboard the half-day boat Southern Cal, caught the largest barracuda of the spring, a 9 1/2-pounder.

The yellowtail situation remains unpredictable. These tackle-busters may bite any day.

South Bay Catches: David Wade of Wilmington had to fight off sharks and seals fishing aboard the private boat Foolish Pleasure. He won the battle and brought aboard the whopper of the week, a 44-pound white sea bass.

Robert Baker of Torrance, on a two-day trip aboard the Admiral, caught a limit of cod plus a 18 1/2-pound lingcod.

Ron Ashimino of Long Beach, aboard the Victory, kept changing baits trying to catch an elusive yellowtail that chased his anchovy, but the fish had lockjaw and refused the bait. Ashimino removed his hook went with a taddy jig and reeled in the 14 1/2-pounder.

Gabriel Ayald of Long Beach, fishing aboard the Southern Cal at Portuguese Bend, landed a chinook salmon that weighed in at 13 pounds.

Fish Report: At Marina del Rey Sportfishing: The Happyman fishing in the Twin Roads area had a good count of 98 barracuda, 65 sand bass, 55 bonito and 5 halibut.

The Del Mar, in Santa Monica Bay, returned with 112 barracuda, 66 sand bass and 15 sculpin.

At Redondo Sportfishing: The Barge Isle of Redondo chalked up 1,710 mackerel, 38 bonito, 30 rock fish and 9 sand bass.

The Redondo Special on its morning trip at Rocky Point returned with 71 barracuda, 36 bonito, 12 sculpin and 2 halibut.

The Sea Spray, fishing Twin Roads, brought in 100 barracuda, 37 bonito, 41 sand bass and 7 halibut to 10 pounds.

The Blackjack fished Catalina Island and returned with 185 bonito, 42 barracuda, 65 sand bass and 2 halibut.

At 22nd Street Landing: The First String fished the Marineland area and had a wide-open barracuda bite with 347 going into the sacks, plus 80 bonito.

The Monte Carlo fished the Rockpile and landed 3 silver salmon, 136 bonito and 22 barracuda.

At L.A. Harbor Sportfishing: The Sportking fished Catalina and chalked up 75 barracuda, 48 bonito, 10 sand bass, 5 sculpin and 1 salmon.

The Grande fished San Clemente Island and had a big catch of 222 sheepshead, 142 calico bass, 117 whitefish and 11 sculpin.

The Outerlimits, fishing San Clemente Island, took 22 calico bass, 55 bonito, 2 sculpin and 1 swordfish.

The Shogun tried the back of Catalina and 64 calico bass, 117 bonito, 4 sheepshead and 1 yellowtail went into the sacks.

At Long Beach Sportfishing: The Victory fished Rocky Point and reeled in 161 barracuda, 88 bonito, 9 sand bass, 5 sculpin and 1 yellowtail.

The Southern Cal fished the Rockpile and anglers caught 3 salmon, 53 barracuda and 12 sand bass.

The Aztec returned from a two-day trip with a limit of rock cod plus 110 calico bass.

News Note: The Redondo Sportfishing pier is expected to reopen in three weeks, after damage from the recent storms is repaired. The ticket office and tackle store continue operations from the boat hoist.