Fishing : Big Yellowtail and Marlin Continue to Strike Those Hooks in Local Waters

Anglers are flexing their muscles as summer fishing continues for heavy exotics. Impressive catches of yellowtail and marlin have been registered by South Bay fishermen.

The half-day boat Redondo Special was returning to King Harbor, and while the crew was washing down the boat four large fish were churning the water.

The deckhands baited up and tossed lines as the fish came within gaff reach. With the fish refusing bait, deckhand Rich Ricks reached down, free gaffed and brought one aboard.

It was identified as a skipjack and weighed in at 20 pounds. Dan Armstrong in the Redondo Pier’s sportfishing office said some skipjack in the four-to-five-pound class have been landed on the pier and harbor rocks but none as large as this one.

The Toronado out of Long Beach Sportfishing on a trip to Catalina Island last weekend was on a move past the east end of the island when a kelp pattie with birds working around it was spotted.

Long Beach anglers Dennis Busse and Buster Bustamonte hooked up on first cast and landed two yellowtail. Joe Hoffman of Long Beach lost his yellow.

Then Hoffman tossed a mackerel and a marlin came up and ran with the bait. The fish jumped 18 times as Hoffman with his 40-pound test line pumped and followed his fish around the deck 10 times. The boat moved to the fish and, after 20 minutes, three gaffs and the boat’s winch brought the striped marlin aboard.

The sportfishing boat Pacifica, out of Long Beach, was on a three-day trip 95 miles south of San Diego looking for elusive albacore and landed five that weighed only five pounds. However, 23 yellowtail made up the catch with Gardena angler Paul Johnston landing a 28-pound jackpot fish.

Dennis Karma and Eric Lunenschloss from Redondo Beach went shark fishing early Tuesday morning aboard Karma’s boat, Maverick.

The two anglers put out trolling lines five miles outside Palos Verdes on a slow troll when both lines got shark bites. One hit so hard it broke the boat’s rod holder. Karma hand-lined the hooked shark and pulled it aboard. It was a blue shark that weighed in at 115 pounds.

The fish was dressed out and 19 shark steaks were donated for a fish fry.

It’s the fight--not the catch--that counts in the sixth annual Cancer Society’s marlin shoot-out Friday through Sunday. The tournament is a tag and release event with fishing restricted to the waters within an area 70 miles off Catalina Island.

For information, call Gloria Ruston, (714) 751-0491.

South Bay Catches:

Gus Hornett of Hermosa Beach, fishing aboard the Blackjack at Catalina, caught the whopper of the week, a 36-pound yellowtail.

Steve Summers of West Los Angeles, aboard the Toronado at Catalina, won the jackpot when he pulled a 25-pound yellowtail out of the kelp.

Ken Itomora of West Los Angeles, on the Freedom at Catalina, caught a 19-pound white sea bass.

Eric Koyonagi of Gardena, fishing at the Oil Rigs aboard the Queen of the Sea, caught a 14-pound yellowtail.

Fish Reports:

At Marina Del Rey Sportfishing: The Spitfire fished the bay and anglers caught 111 sand bass, 49 sculpin, 12 barracuda and one halibut.

The Happyman on two half-day trips returned with 320 sand bass, 90 bonito and one halibut.

The Del Mar fished the Rockpile and returned with 140 sculpin, 30 bonito, nine sand bass and one barracuda.

The Betty O rock cod special fished Redondo canyon and anglers caught 310 rock cod and one cow cod.

At Redondo Sportfishing: The Sea Spray tried Rocky Point and anglers connected for 106 sand bass, 68 bonito, 61 barracuda and one yellowtail.

The Redondo Special headed to Twin Roads on a half-day trip and sacked 142 sand bass, 35 bonito and 11 barracuda.

The Blackjack worked Catalina for 150 rockfish and 22 yellowtail.

The City of Redondo fished Twin Roads as anglers on a half-day trip caught 164 sand bass and 33 bonito.

The barge Isle of Redondo had a weekend count of 4,590 mackerel, 453 bonito and 85 rockfish.

At 22nd Street Landing: The First String targeted Catalina and anglers sacked 118 barracuda, 62 bonito, 45 calico bass, seven sheepshead and two yellowtail.

The Monte Carlo worked Rocky Point on a half-day trip and returned with 90 bonito, 39 sculpin and 22 barracuda.

At L.A. Harbor Sportfishing: The Sportking fished the rigs and anglers chalked up 265 barracuda, 30 bonito and 18 calico bass.

The Matt Walsh on a half-day trip to the Rockpile found the bonito eager to bite; anglers sacked 74, plus 24 sand bass.

The Outerlimits headed to San Clemente Island with squid and caught 120 calico bass, 67 sheepshead, 35 sculpin and 17 whitefish.

The weekend catch on the Annie B barge was 907 mackerel, 883 jacksmelt, 11 sand bass and one halibut.

At Long Beach Sportfishing: The Victory fished Catalina and anglers chalked up 363 bonito, 56 barracuda and 54 calico bass.

The Southern Cal half-day trip to Horseshoe Kelp resulted in a catch of 122 calico bass and nine barracuda.