Fishing Notes : Fall-Winter Prospects Are Bright; Rock Cod on the Menu

The fall and winter fishing season looms as a good one for South Bay anglers.

The surface fish don’t know winter is on its way, and the bulk of the deep-sea menu should be rock cod.

At Rocky Point the white sea bass that had been playing hooky for several days have once again become aggressive. Over a 3-day period the Redondo Sportfishing fleet counted 71, and the island boat on one stop caught more than 50.

The Aztec took a 2-day trip to Cortez and Tanner Bank, and Capt. Curtis Wineger reported that three anglers using 80-pound test line hooked up with tuna that weighed more than 100 pounds, but the reels were spooled and lines parted.

One yellowtail that was brought to gaff during the red-hot action is another potential world record on 15-pound test line. Danny Stimson of Long Beach fought the yellowtail for 23 minutes. It officially weighed in at 42 pounds and has been registered with the International Game Fish Assn. as a possible line record.

Fishing on a 2-day trip aboard the Grande 85 at Cortez, Mitch Marmorstein of San Pedro hooked the rocks and, after moving from bow to stern with the line holding tight, he forced his catch out of the rocks and decked a 20 1/2-pound sheepshead. Marmorstein said it is the largest sheep he has ever caught.

Milt Lurch of Marina del Rey was fishing Santa Monica Bay with live squid aboard his boat the Silver Bullet and caught three halibut. He weighed each as it came aboard and the total increased every time--the first weighed 12 pounds, the next two 16 and 26.

Phil Hazeltine of San Pedro was fishing aboard his boat Phil A Donna for bass near the Marineland area, but having no bait he used an 8-ounce jig and went down toward the bottom to yo-yo it. When he hooked up he reeled in and, to his surprise, hooked to his jig was a lobster that weighed 8 3/4 pounds.

Troy Barnum of Long Beach, fishing aboard the Laco Dix with live squid at the Rockpile, caught a 10-fish limit of calico bass. The smallest weighed 6 1/2 pounds and the largest 9 1/2.

South Bay Catches: Wayne Smith of Venice, fishing aboard the Grande 85 at Cortez with 20-pound test Izor line, hooked a yellowtail that wound around the anchor twice. With help from the crew, Smith directed the fish to the stern and brought to gaff the whopper of the week, a 45-pound yellowtail.

Dave Lampson of Long Beach, at Cortez aboard the El Dorado, caught a 42-pound yellowtail he moved out of the rocks.

Craig Johnson of Palos Verdes, working Rocky Point on the Sharpshooter, caught a 22 1/2-pound white sea bass.

Frank Blackford of El Segundo, fishing aboard the Bonanza, caught a limit of rockfish and won a jackpot with an 18-pound lingcod.

Fish Reports

At Marina del Rey Sportfishing: The Spitfire fished the Sunset Beach area and returned with 85 sand bass, 9 halibut and 3 sole.

The Happyman morning half-day trip chalked up 38 sculpin, 30 sand bass and 14 halibut to 15 pounds.

The Betty O rock cod special fished shallow rocks in the bay and anglers sacked 120 reds and 3 lingcod.

At Redondo Sportfishing: The Blackjack fished the west end of Catalina Island and anglers limited out on white sea bass with a boat total of 69, plus half-limits of calico bass.

The Redondo Special on the afternoon run to Rocky Point found a wide-open bite on white sea bass, with anglers sacking 57, plus 1 yellowtail.

The Sea Spray tried Rocky Point on a morning trip Monday and anglers caught 8 white sea bass, 98 calico bass and 3 big black sea bass, which were released.

The Sharpshooter worked the Rocky Point area successfully, with 22 white sea bass, 47 rockfish, 32 calico bass and 18 sheepshead being decked.

At 22nd Street Landing: The First String fished Catalina with tanks of squid and returned with 116 bonito, 55 calico bass, 41 sculpin and 19 lingcod to 12 pounds.