Fighting Barracuda, White Sea Bass Hit in Wide Area

Line-slashing barracuda and white sea bass have spiced spring deep-sea fishing. The biggest concentration of barracuda is spread out from the oil rigs to Rocky Point.

The white sea bass at Catalina Island have been showing signs of biting. They play hide and seek one day and then bust tackle the next.

Most barracuda caught by anglers tossing jigs have averaged five pounds.

The largest weighed 10 1/2 pounds and was caught by Long Beach angler Howard Bagley on Monday aboard the Southern Cal out of Long Beach Sportfishing.

Bagley fished with jigs he carves out of bones. They weigh four ounces and with hooks attached are seven inches long. He uses homemade jigs on all surface game fishing trips. Last year the jigs won him two jackpots with yellowtail weighing 23 pounds each.

Fishing at Catalina aboard the private boat Intrepid, Rico Curtis of Lomita, Ernie Aguillar of San Pedro and Rod Hammet of Torrance dropped anchor near the east end.

First to hook up was Curtis; he reeled and followed his moving fish but was unable to gain much line.

Aguillar and Hammet were busy catching caico bass and dropping them on deck. Curtis’ fish crossed the other two lines and all three reeled in the tangled lines. To Curtis’ surprise, he had hooked a big bat ray.

While the untangling and line-cutting was going on, eight bass on deck escaped through the boat’s scuppers.

It was still a productive day as the three Intrepid anglers returned to San Pedro with a limit of bass and halibut to eight pounds.

Linda Lee Lewis of Gardena, fishing at Cherry Bank on the Grande 85 out of L.A. Harbor Sportfishing, was bouncing a rock cod jig with 20-pound test line when she hooked a cow cod. After 22 minutes of steady reeling it floated to the top.

The big cow weighed 35 pounds and Lewis said that was the largest fish she had ever caught, and she is going to have it mounted.

South Bay Catches:

Kevin Mitchell of West Los Angeles, fishing at Catalina aboard the Victory, earned the whopper of the week using 12-pound test line and against all odds of landing it. The fish wrapped around the anchor line seven turns. After 20 minutes his fish, a white sea bass that weighed 35 pounds, was pulled aboard.

Ron Nayden of Inglewood, aboard the Happyman, won the jackpot with 26 1/2-pound halibut.

Joe Exchan of West Los Angeles, at Santa Rosa Island aboard the Pacific Eagle, won the jackpot with a 25-pound salmon.

Jerry Milliken of Carson, fishing aboard the Reel Special at Twin Roads, caught a 21-pound halibut.

Tony Crossnoe of Torrance, on the Annie B barge on Wheelchair Angling Day, won the Angler of the Day award.

Fish Reports:

Halibut fishing has slowed as anglers have been targeting barracuda. The fish are scattered and it takes light tackle and jigs to catch legal barracuda and white sea bass.

At Marina del Rey Sportfishing: The Spitfire fished the Sunset Beach area and anglers returned with 118 calico bass, 10 sand bass and eight halibut.

The Happyman fished the bay and anglers sacked 50 sculpin, 20 sand bass and eight halibut.

At Redondo Sportfishing: The Sea Spray worked Rocky Point and chalked up 57 barracuda and 21 calico bass.

The Redondo Special tried the barge area and anglers caught 145 calico and sand bass plus eight barracuda.

The Blackjack fished Catalina and anglers chalked up 145 calico bass and eight barracuda.

At 22nd Street Landing: The First String struck at Catalina for 160 bonito, 31 barracuda, 24 calico bass and nine yellowtail, with several lost.

The Monte Carlo on a half-day trip to Horseshoe Kelp found barracuda, with 98 going into the sacks, plus 37 sculpin.

At L.A. Harbor Sportfishing: The Sportking tried Rocky Point and anglers limited out with 117 barracuda, 25 sculpin and three sand bass.

The Matt Walsh headed to the oil rigs on a half-day trip and returned with 43 barracuda, 33 calico bass and one sole.

The Annie B barge had a weekend total of 711 queenfish, 140 kingfish and one halibut.

Anglers on the Grande on a two-day trip to Cherry Bank limited out on rock cod with 325 reds, 32 cow cod and five lingcod.

At Long Beach Sportfishing: The Victory worked Catalina and anglers caught a variety: 114 barracuda, 21 bonito, 11 sheepshead, one yellowtail and one white sea bass.

The Southern Cal on a half-day trip to Horseshoe Kelp returned with 77 barracuda.

The Aztec fished Catalina and 160 blue perch, 86 sculpin and 66 calico bass were landed.

Freshwater Reports:

Monte Stark of Inglewood used plastic worms to land a seven-pound bass at Castaic Lake.

Beverly Quailze of Long Beach used power bait to catch a limit of trout at Anaheim Lake.