Fishing : Boyhood Experiences Hooked McLean for Life

It all started six decades ago for Don McLean.

As a youngster McLean, who was raised in Long Beach, fished on the old Long Beach Pier at the foot of Pine Avenue. From that time on he knew he wanted to be a professional fisherman.

As a teen-ager, the opportunities in the ocean-fishing industry were promising. His first job was as a deckhand on a commercial tuna boat. Traveling as far as Puerto Rico in the Caribbean, his seagoing voyages kept him away from home as many as 300 days a year.

In 1950, after several years on commercial tuna boats, McLean decided that he would try party-boat fishing. He worked on charter boats to gain the experience needed to obtain an operator’s license.

In 1952, he was granted his first license and hired at Pierpoint Landing in Long Beach running half-day and all-day boats.

The following year, first-time angler Harry Merick caught a 550-pound black sea bass--still the largest fish caught on a boat skippered by McLean--aboard the Islander out of Pierpoint. (It is currently illegal to keep black sea bass caught in California waters because they are an endangered species.)

McLean also was at the helm of the 65-foot Freedom that made frequent runs to Catalina Island and albacore trips to San Clemente and San Nicolas islands.

When Pierpoint closed he ran the Catalina boat out of the old Catalina Terminal at the foot of Avalon Boulevard in Wilmington.

In 1972, he purchased the Victory, a 75-foot sportfisher that was in the Pierpoint fleet and operated out of Queen’s Wharf in Long Beach.

Two years ago, he sold the Victory to George Xenio of Long Beach, who currently operates the vessel out of Long Beach Sportfishing. McLean says that many of the young captains operating sportfishing boats today are former deckhands that he and fellow veterans Cookie Cook, 72, and Russ Izor, 66, have trained to find fish.

McLean, 68, said that he will run Long Beach sportfishing boats as a relief skipper rather than retire.

“I would miss the excitement of fishing stories from my friends.”

Still biting: A shortage of anchovies over the Fourth of July weekend failed to slow the sand bass and barracuda action. Jigs and scampis were productive substitutes.

Bob Perley of Torrance, fishing at Catalina Island aboard the Indian, caught the whopper of the week, a 32-pound halibut.

Valley-area notes: Bass fishing is starting to heat up as Port Hueneme Sportfishing reported limits over the Fourth of July weekend.

The San Fernando Saltwater Fishing Club chartered the Encore last week and all 31 members caught calico bass limits. Bert Simons won the jackpot with an eight-pound specimen.

Mike Hafner of Chatsworth, fishing at San Clemente Island aboard the Oceanside 95, won the jackpot with a 34-pound white sea bass.

Fred Valencia of Burbank, fishing at Catalina aboard the Pacifica, caught a 19-pound white sea bass.

Sam Tiefer of Studio City, fishing aboard the Redondo Special at Rocky Point, won the jackpot with a 19-pound yellowtail.

Billy Palmquest of Van Nuys, fishing aboard the Chieftain near oil rigs, caught a limit of barracuda and won the jackpot with an 11-pounder.

Fish reports:

At Port Hueneme Sportfishing: The Ellie M anglers landed 200 calico bass.

The Erna B caught a variety of bass--249 calicos and 21 sand bass.

At Ciscos Sportfishing in Oxnard: Tropicana anglers caught eight sea bass that weighed 18 to 25 pounds.