FISHING : Fish and Game to Pay $5 for Halibut Tags
Cast a line, catch a tagged halibut, get a reward.
“A halibut tagging research project is under way,” said Ray Ally, marine biologist at the Department of Fish and Game in Long Beach.
Fish and Game is offering $5 for a returned tag.
Ally, who is in charge of the tagging program, said that, with the cooperation of the South Bay sportfishing fleet and those fishing as far north as Santa Barbara, scientific aides will accompany boats on halibut trips through May.
When an angler catches a halibut under the 22-inch legal size, the aide places a marked tag in the fish and notes the date and location. He can compare the information if the halibut is caught again.
Ally emphasized that statistics are important to the Fish and Game tagging management program.
If an undersized tagged fish is caught, the tag should be cut off and the fish returned to the water. If a legal fish is caught, anglers should remove the tag before the fish is sacked or cleaned.
The first tagging was done last week on Long Beach Sportfishing’s Southern Cal. Several fish were tagged and released.
Tags with all information should be sent with name, address and tag number to the Department of Fish and Game, 330 Golden Shores, Suite 50, Long Beach 90802. For information, call 590-5118.
“What a find,” exclaimed Cabrillo Marine Museum biologists Mike Schaadt and Jeff Landesman as they displayed their newest specimen: a rare anglerfish found by fisherman Greg Boy of Palos Verdes 20 miles from San Clemente Island.
Schaadt said anglerfish live in waters thousands of feet deep in total darkness, beyond the range of sunlight. They got their name from an appendage above the head that glows and acts as a lure. When other fish of the deep come to investigate, they become a quick meal.
The fish is on display at the Cabrillo Museum aquarium from Tuesdays to Sundays.
The King Harbor Marlin Club’s 17th annual banquet will be held Jan. 27 at Charlie Brown’s in Torrance.
A silent auction, open to the public, will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. to support the gill net initiative. Items ranging from fishing tackle to trips will be auctioned.