FISHING NOTES : Warm Water Lures Fish From King Harbor to Rocky Point

There may be a chill in the air but the ocean is warming up.

A massive area of warm water has surfaced from King Harbor south to Rocky Point.

At Redondo Sportfishing Pier there has been a wide-open bonito bite since last weekend for pier anglers and those fishing the rocks.

Warm water flowing from the Edison Plant heated the ocean’s temperature in the harbor, which was already warmer than normal for this time of year. This unquestionably attracted the bonito.

The pier’s fishing space was tight as anglers hooked fish on nearly every cast.

Two pier regulars, Ken Schultz and Barney Cohen of Redondo Beach said it’s is just like the good old days when they had wide-open fishing for all species of surface fish.

Cohen said: “When we caught the five-fish limit, instead of hooking more just to release them for sport we put the rod up and gave the space to two youngsters.”

Mono Green of San Pedro was at the pier Monday and caught her five-fish limit of bonito in 10 minutes. Green changed her fishing gear to a halibut rig, inserted a squid on her hook and brought up a halibut that weighed six pounds.

Five South Bay anglers who returned from Mexico after fishing aboard the private yacht Instinct reported outstanding success using kelp patties to lure yellowtail.

Rick Lyman and Pete Hoffman of Manhattan Beach caught easy limits. Phil Friedman, Bob Alvarez and Leon Campazzie of Torrance also bagged limits.

Skipper Mitch Fowikes said this was the best trip of the fall. All fish weighed 15 pounds or more.

South Bay Catches:

Joe Lepe of West Los Angeles, fishing in Santa Monica Bay on the Spitfire, caught the whopper of the week, a 36 1/4-pound halibut.

Ed Hopkins of Mar Vista, aboard the Betty O at the Rockpile, won the jackpot with a 22-pound lingcod.

Bob Kernes of Long Beach, using cut squid at Rocky Point aboard the Victory, won the jackpot with a 20-pound white sea bass.

Garth Mildner of Long Beach, fishing at Rocky Point on the Matt Walsh, caught a 18-pound white sea bass.

Jay Drimer of Lomita, aboard the First String at Rocky Point, brought a 13-pound white sea bass out of the rocks.

Pat Shoales of San Pedro, fishing aboard the Top Gun, caught a 12 1/2-pound white sea bass at Rocky Point.

Eric Fugimoto of San Pedro, on the Diawa at the oil rigs, caught a 12-pound white sea bass.

Fish Reports:

Rocky Point white sea bass fishing is improving every day with more legal fish being landed. The bonito bite is wide open.

Rock cod at the outer islands are providing fishermen with limits on most trips.

At Marina del Rey Sportfishing: The Spitfire worked outside Santa Monica Pier and scored with 280 sculpin, 48 sand bass and 17 halibut.

The Happyman on a half-day trip returned with 50 sand bass, 35 sculpin and 13 halibut.

The Betty O rock cod special went deep to crank in 325 red rock, one lingcod and one cow cod.

At Redondo Sportfishing: The Redondo Special on two half-day runs to Rocky Point returned with 510 sculpin and 69 bonito.

The City of Redondo on two half-day trips to Rocky Point caught 220 sculpin, 75 bonito and 47 rockfish.

The Blackjack rock cod trip to Cherry Bank chalked up 270 rock cod and eight cow cod.

At 22nd Street Landing: The First String worked Rocky Point for a variety--38 calico bass, 25 sand bass, 21 bonito, 15 sculpin and five white sea bass.

The Monte Carlo fished the rigs on a half-day trip and chalked up 117 sand bass, 18 calico bass, two halibut and two white sea bass.

At L.A. Harbor Sportfishing: The Matt Walsh half-day trip to White’s Point produced 34 calico bass, 29 sculpin, eight rockfish, four cabezon and one sheepshead.

The Annie B barge had a weekend count of 350 kingfish, 210 jacksmelt, five bonito and one halibut.

At Long Beach Sportfishing: The Victory fished outside Rocky Point and anglers chalked up 162 calico bass, two halibut, two lingcod and one white sea bass.

Freshwater Notes:

At Irvine Lakes--Sardci Morceil of San Pedro used power bait to land a 7 1/2-pound trout.

Terry Matsui of Hawthorne caught five trout, the limit.

Al Harris of Carson used night crawlers to land two trout that weighed 7 1/2 and 8 1/2 pounds.

Barry Subia and Robert Murez of Torrance bagged 6 1/2-pound trout.

At Pyramid Lake--Culver City anglers Mike Maxiok and Ed Pasjax, using rubber trout for bait, caught 11-to-14-pound stripers.