Fishing / Dan Stanton : Three Tagging Trips to Probe Secrets of the Sand Bass

Where do they come from and where do they go? The answers to these questions about sand bass may be provided by Capt. Russ Izor of 22nd Street Landing in San Pedro who has obtained support for a three-year study.

Very little is known about the habits of the mature sand bass except that they travel the waters between Baja and Southern California’s sandy beaches.

There is no documented biology on the bass that invade our water every summer to spawn and then disappear.

Izor met with the County Fish and Game Commission recently and generated money to do a three-year survey. Izor has gotten together with California Department of Fish and Game and has set up a tagging operation using his boat, the First String.

Last week the first tagging trip was made with 26 volunteer anglers along with biologists Paul Greagory and Mac Oliphant of the DFG who observed the first of three trips planned this summer.

With flood lights on, the boat fished several areas along south beaches, caught and tagged small fish then placed them in the bait tanks and transported them to Catalina Island.

The fish were released at Long Point. Izor said it is a hard bottom spot good for a possible sand bass fishery. The next tag and release trip is being planned for July at Portuguese Bend.

Oliphant will be heading up the tagging program and this should answer some questions which the DFG has, he said.

Anglers, when catching sand bass or any other tagged fish, are urged to turn in the tags and tell where and when the fish was caught.

News Note:

The Cabo Assn. of Boat Owners is having its second fishing tournament of the season on Sunday. Fishing will be in the horseshoe kelp area. Fish targeted for the event are bass, yellowtail, halibut and white sea bass. For information, call tournament director Bill Thompson at (714) 894-1537.

South Bay Catches:

Ed White of Long Beach, fishing at Catalina caught the whopper of the week when he pulled a yellowtail out of floating kelp that weighed in at 38 pounds.

Rick Benton of Lomita, won the jackpot with a 33-pound white sea bass 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 fishing on the Matt Walsh at the rock pile.

Fish Reports:

On the local scene sand bass and barracuda make up most of the surface action. White sea bass catches continue to set the pace at Catalina.

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

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

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

At Redondo Sportfishing: The Sea Spray, on a twilight trip, scored with 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 with success and 80 calico bass, 52 barracuda and 7 white sea bass went into the sacks.

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

At 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 the horseshoe, had a variety of 30 calico bass, 23 barracuda and 19 sand bass.

At L.A. Harbor Sportfishing: The Sportking fished the flats and anglers sacked up 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, all over 25 pounds.

The Matt Walsh, on a half-day trip, worked the horseshoe kelp and returned with 89 calico bass, 37 sand bass and six sculpin. The Annie B Barge weekend count was 140 mackerel, six halibut and three bass.

The Shogun headed to Catalina with squid and anglers caught a variety of 181 calico bass, 15 barracuda, two white sea bass, one yellowtail and one black sea bass.

At Long Beach Sportfishing: The Victory fished the flats and anglers chalked up a count of 391 sand bass, 39 barracuda and one halibut.

The Aztec worked Catalina for a count of 170 barracuda and two white sea bass.

The El Dorado fished Catalina and anglers caught 71 barracuda, five white sea bass and one yellowtail.

The Chieftain twilight trip resulted in a catch of 75 sand bass and 29 barracuda.

At Belmont Pier: The Explorer II found a wide open sand bass bite and anglers sacked 111 plus 33 barracuda.

Freshwater 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.

Cindy Long of Gardena used power bait to land two catfish that weighed eight pounds each.

Valley Fish Report:

Steve Sutter of Panorama City, fishing at Catalina aboard the Freedom on first cast with squid, landed a 39-pound white sea bass.

Chuck Kwasny of Ventura, fishing at Catalina aboard the Sea Spray at rocky point, caught a 28-pound white sea bass.

Jon Flack of Studio City, fishing at Catalina aboard the Toronado, won the jackpot with his 30-pound ling cod.

Robin Gulvin, fishing aboard the First String tagging trip, caught a seven-pound sand bass. The Chatsworth angler returned it with a tag.

Valley Freshwater Reports:

The bass bite is on at Lake Castaic. Fish are being caught in 15 feet of water.

Russ Partee of Oxnard used plastic worms to land 12-pound bass. Dave Brink of Granada Hills, caught a 10-pound bass and Joseph Deefuss of Ventura landed a 17 1/2-pound catfish.

Sandy Unga of Canoga Park, fished Lake Piru with a night crawler and landed a 9 1/2-pound catfish.