FISHING NOTES : Marlin Takes on 2 Boats, 3 Fishermen

It wasn’t any holiday weekend for fish as the denizens of the deep gobbled up bait.

Otto Kowal of Long Beach and 7-year-old son Mickey were fishing from their skiff at Horseshoe Kelp over the holiday weekend for an hour without a bite, so Kowal raised anchor and made the run to Catalina Island within an hour through calm seas and no wind.

His only stop there was the east end quarry. He was fishing a cast away from kelp when a marlin jumped over the bow of the small boat, missing the two by inches.

It happened as the boy was reeling in a bass and the marlin followed it to the surface.

“We both were using only 10-pound test line and could never hold that hungry jumper with light tackle,” Kowal said.

Switching to a rock cod rod and reel, he made several casts using bait and a jig. The fish hit. While Kowal tried to reel it in after peeling most of the line, the marlin started to move the boat toward another angler in a small rubber raft.

Erik Landsfield of Carson was hooked up and following his fish as Kowal’s skiff approached. When the two were only a yard apart they discovered the marlin had been snagged by Landsfield and had tangled with Kowal’s line.

After an hour the tired marlin was brought to the surface.

The three anglers also limited out on bass and had an 11 1/3-pound sheepshead to show for their holiday.

South Bay Catches: Scott Thomas of Hermosa Beach returned from fishing at Gordo Bank in Cabo San Lucas with the whopper of the week: After a 35-minute fight he decked a 90-pound sailfish.

Roger Specht of Redondo Beach, fishing aboard the El Dorado, won the jackpot with a squid-baited hook. He landed a 36 1/3-pound halibut at Catalina Island.

Marge Twillinger of Torrance, aboard the Sea Spray off Venice Beach, won the jackpot with a 26-pound halibut.

Donald Khill of Long Beach, fishing at Osborne Bank on the Phila Dona, caught a 25-pound ling cod.

Jimmy Lesaine of Long Beach, aboard the Aquarius, snagged a 13-pound ling cod.

Fish Reports: Local fishing has been good for sculpin, perch and halibut. Rock cod boats have scored with good catches of cow cod and ling cod at Cherry Bank.

At Marina del Rey Sportfishing: The Del Mar fished Santa Monica Bay and returned with 231 sculpin, 17 sand bass, 14 bonito, two halibut and one sole.

The Happyman on a half-day trip scored with 125 sculpin, 50 sand bass, nine halibut and five bonito. One black sea bass was released.

The Betty O rock cod special fished the canyon Rockpile and chalked up 320 rock cod, two sole and one ling cod.

At Redondo Sportfishing: Sea Spray tried the Venice Beach area and scored with 710 sculpin and 74 rockfish.

The Redondo Special on a half-day trip caught 460 sculpin and 12 rockfish.

The City of Redondo half-day run to Twin Roads produced 490 sculpin and 12 sand bass.

The Blackjack headed to Cherry Bank and anglers sacked 142 red rock cod, 254 whitefish and 47 sheepshead.