It Was No Holiday for Fish: Anglers Made Heavy Catches

Presidents Day was no holiday for the fish.

Anglers who took advantage of the long holiday weekend caught a variety of fish that put lumps into the sacks.

Halibut and sculpin made up most of the catches, with the deep-water rock cod boats scoring limits on two-day trips.

Redondo Sportfishing’s Sea Spray was drifting at Twin Roads and 18 anglers reeled in halibut from 10 to 25 pounds.

Long Beach Sportfishing’s Southern Cal fished Catalina Island for rock cod in an area not fished for a month and within two hours anglers decked a limit of cows and lings.

Fishing aboard the Annie B barge, Otto Koval of Long Beach was using a two-hook leader with cut squid and reeled in two halibut. Knowing they were hooked well, he bounced them to the deck instead of waiting for the net.

The Cabrillo Marine Museum will have an open house Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in honor of the L.A. Parks and Recreation Centennial Celebration.

A guided tour will give a view of the marine lab’s support systems.

Also for viewing will be some of the exotic fish caught in local waters this winter.

South Bay Catches:

Arnold Fofa of Santa Monica caught the whopper of the week aboard the Spitfire off Sunset Beach, a 31-pound halibut.

Bob Tyler of West Los Angeles, fishing at Catalina Island aboard the Southern Cal, won the jackpot with a 28 1/2-pound cow cod.

Dee Clay of Redondo Beach, fishing at Hidden Reef on the Blackjack, won the jackpot with a 25-pound cow cod.

Bob Sullivan of Santa Monica, on the Redondo Special, caught a 16 1/2-pound halibut.

Myron Ackerman of Long Beach, at Catalina aboard the Southern Cal, landed a 16-pound cow cod.

Dave Parke of Torrance, aboard the Sea Spray, won the jackpot with a 15 1/2-pound halibut.

Fish Reports:

At Marina del Rey Sportfishing: The Spitfire, fishing the bay for halibut, returned with 14, plus 300 sculpin and 12 sand bass.

The Betty O deep-water rock cod trip produced 195 groupers.

At Redondo Sportfishing: The Blackjack fished Hidden Reef and garnered 200 reds, 1 lingcod and 1 cow cod.

The Sea Spray worked Twin Roads and sacked 600 sculpin, 28 halibut and 21 sand bass.

The Redondo Special fished the Flats and chalked up 185 sculpin and 17 halibut on a half-day trip.

At 22nd Street Landing: The Monte Carlo worked White’s Point and sacked 139 sculpin, 28 sand bass, 2 calico bass and 1 sheepshead.

The Freedom tried San Nicholas Island and returned with a limit of 330 rock cod and 4 cow cod.

At L.A. Harbor Sportfishing: The Matt Walsh half-day trip to Horseshoe Kelp and Shallow Rocks chalked up 27 sculpin, 15 sheepshead, 10 half moon and 2 rockfish.

The Grande 85 on a two-day trip to Cherry Bank had limits of 500 rock cod, 10 cows and 1 ling cod.

The Annie B barge had a weekend count of 976 queenfish, 450 mackerel, 220 jacksmelt and 2 halibut.

At Long Beach Sportfishing: The Southern Cal fished outside the east end of Catalina and returned with a limit of rock cod, 285, plus 4 cows.