Fishing : Izor, DFG to Study Sand Bass

Little is known about the habits of sand bass except that they travel the waters between Baja and Southern California’s sandy beaches. According to the state Department of Fish and Game, there is no documented biology on the bass that invade local waters each summer to spawn.

Where they come from and where they go after spawning remains a mystery--one that Russ Izor of 22nd Street Landing in San Pedro plans to solve.

Izor recently met with the Los Angeles County Fish and Game Commission and was granted the funding he needs to complete a three-year study. Izor and the DFG have combined efforts, setting up a tagging operation using Izor’s boat, the First String.

Paul Greagory and Mac Oliphant, DFG biologists, made the first tagging trip last week, along with 26 volunteer anglers.

With floodlights on, the boat traveled along Southland beaches, catching and tagging small fish, then placing them in bait tanks and transporting them to Catalina Island.

The fish were released at Lone Point, on the south side of Catalina, a hard-bottom spot that Izor said was suitable for a possible sand bass fishery. The second of three tagging trips is planned next month at Portuguese Bend off Palos Verdes.

Anglers who catch sand bass or any other tagged fish are urged to turn in the tags to the DFG in Long Beach and divulge when and where the fish were caught.

Fishing tournament: On Sunday, the Cabo Assn. of Boat Owners will hold its second fishing tournament of the season. Fishing will be in Horseshoe Kelp. Fish targeted for the event are bass, yellowtail, halibut and white sea bass.

Information: 714-894-1537.

Southland catches: Ed White of Long Beach, fishing off Catalina, caught the whopper of the week--a 38-pound yellowtail found in floating kelp.

Rick Benton of Lomita won the jackpot with a 33-pound white sea bass while fishing aboard the Blackjack at Catalina.

Gery Geer of Harbor City won the jackpot aboard the Shogun with his 32 1/4-pound white sea bass.

Nelson Parks of Long Beach, fishing aboard the Aztec, caught a 23-pound white sea bass.

Carolyn Buchanon of Long Beach caught a 14-pound white sea bass while fishing on the Matt Walsh at the rock pile off Palos Verdes.

Fish reports: Sand bass and barracuda are providing most of the surface action in the Southland, and white sea bass catches continue to set the pace at Catalina.

Port Hueneme: The Elli M fished locally and caught 130 calico bass and 22 rockfish.

Oxnard: The Island Tac out of Cisco’s Sportfishing landed 87 calico bass, 54 rockfish and one halibut.

Marina del Rey Sportfishing: The Spitfire found the calico bass eager to grab the bait. Anglers returned with 170 calico bass and 15 sand bass.

The Happyman, on two half-day trips, caught 275 calico bass and four halibut.

The Betty O rock cod trip resulted in 250 deep water reds plus one cow cod and two sole.

Redondo Sportfishing: The Sea Spray, on a twilight trip, landed 147 calico bass and 113 barracuda.

The Redondo Special, on a half-day trip to Rocky Point, returned with 225 calico bass.

The Blackjack fished Catalina and landed 80 calico bass, 52 barracuda and seven white sea bass.

The Isle of Redondo had a weekend count of 1,120 mackerel, 37 rockfish and 12 barracuda.

22nd Street Landing: The First String worked Catalina and anglers caught 147 barracuda, 112 bonito and 75 calico bass.

The Monte Carlo, on a half-day trip to Horseshoe Kelp, took in a variety of 30 calico bass, 23 barracuda and 19 sand bass.

L. A. Harbor Sportfishing: The Sportking worked the flats and anglers caught 255 sand bass, 112 barracuda and 75 calico bass.

The Outerlimits fished Catalina successfully with tanks of squid. Anglers totaled 120 calico bass and 12 white sea bass.

Fresh water notes: Dan Deets of Hermosa Beach caught an eight-pound bass at Castaic Lake. Gene Millove of Hawthorne fished Santa Ana Lakes and landed a 10-pound white sturgeon.