FISHING : Anglers Load Up as Albacore, Tuna Action Continues to Come Closer

Anglers are loading their sacks as the terrific run of albacore and tuna is within a one-and two-day reach of South Bay sportfishers.

The big outbreak of albacore started last month, prompting local sportfishers to schedule three-to-five day trips.

Now the big bite is just 90 miles out and has surpassed last year’s catch counts.

The El Dorado from Long Beach Sportfishing found solid action south of San Clemente Island. Capt. Cookie Cook said he made 30 jig stops on the two-day run and anglers caught tuna up to 60-plus pounds.

Cook, 72, who has been on many tuna trips in the past 40 years, noted that he hadn’t seen the abundance of tuna like this for many years.

Every stop resulted in consistent hookups. The only puzzle he can’t solve is the albacore average of only eight pounds.

Yellow fin and blue fin tuna mixed with the albacore are heavyweights.

Leroy Januwc of San Pedro was a jackpot winner with his 65-pound yellow fin tuna.

Ben Villaionoz of Redondo Beach decked a 53-pound yellow fin tuna. John Meinich, also of Redondo Beach, decked a blue fin tuna weighing 44 pounds. The total catch was 200 albacore, 106 blue fin tuna and 72 yellow fin tuna.

Manhattan Beach angler Ted Mancki, fishing in the second annual Oceans Shootout in San Diego, took grand angler honors fishing aboard the Apollo with a 110-pound bigeye tuna.

Dean Drulias of Rancho Palos Verdes just returned from Cabo San Lucas with a 255-pound blue marlin.

Darrell Fleming of Wilmington, trolling aboard the Ghetto Queen for marlin at Avalon, had a marlin jumper hit his mackerel. It escaped as a school of sharks attacked the bait. Pulling his trolling line, Fleming brought aboard a 77 1/4-pound mako shark.

The Cabrillo Beach launch ramp has been closed until spring, 1990. Work is starting on new floats and dredging of sand that has built up at the ramp.

An alternate ramp for South Bay small boat anglers is the Redondo Beach ramp site.

South Bay Catches: Jeff Kaye of West Los Angeles, fishing aboard the Freedom on a two-day tuna trip, caught the whopper of the week with his 100-pound bigeye tuna.

Rico Curtis of Gardena, fishing aboard the Pacifica, won the jackpot with his 28 1/2-pound yellowtail.

Jorge Perez of West Los Angeles won the jackpot fishing aboard the City of Redondo at Rocky Point with his 25-pound yellowtail.

Fish Reports: Local action continues for bass and bonito. Some big bonito going up to eight pounds are being caught on half-day boats.

At Marina Del Rey Sportfishing: The Spitfire tried the Sunset Beach area and found a good sculpin bite as anglers sacked 430, plus 28 bonito, six calico bass and one halibut.

The Happyman on two half-day trips chalked up 75 sculpin, 46 bonito, three barracuda and two halibut.

The Betty O rock cod special fished the Rock Piles and anglers garnered 250 rock cod, one lingcod and one cow cod.

At Redondo Sportfishing: Anglers on the Sea Spray trip to Rocky Point caught 200 bonito, 112 calico bass, eight barracuda and one lingcod.

The City of Redondo on two half-day trips returned with 342 bonito, 105 bass and seven rockfish.

The Redondo Special on two half-day trips to Rocky Point had a catch of 83 bonito, 73 bass, 43 rockfish and two sheepshead.

The Isle of Redondo barge continued a wide open mackerel attack with anglers landing 2,120 plus 242 bonito and 45 assorted rockfish.

At 22nd Street Landing: The First String headed to Catalina Island and had a variety catch of 172 rockfish, 72 bonito, 63 calico bass and five sheepshead.

The Monte Carlo half-day run to the horseshoe kelp resulted in a catch of 64 bonito, 15 bass, six cabezon and four sheepshead.

At L.A. Harbor Sportfishing: The Outerlimits on a two-day albacore trip returned with a catch of 47 yellow fin tuna, 25 albacore, 21 skipjack and nine blue fin tuna.

The Shogun on a two-day albacore trip had a catch of 23 skipjack, 13 albacore, 12 blue fin tuna and three yellow fin tuna.

The Sportking fished Rocky Point and anglers sacked 201 bonito, 63 calico bass and 19 barracuda.

The Matt Walsh half-day trip to horseshoe kelp chalked up 59 calico bass, 23 bonito, 14 sculpin and four halibut.

At Long Beach Sportfishing: The Victory trip to the oil rigs connected for 234 bonito, 15 barracuda and three yellowtail.

The Toronado on a two-day albacore trip returned with 40 skipjack, two yellow fin tuna and one albacore.

The Pacifica two-day albacore trip resulted in a catch of 35 skipjack, seven albacore and one yellow fin tuna.