FISHING : Anglers Load Up as Albacore and Tuna Runs 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.