FISHING NOTES : Surface Catches Have Cooled Off, but Rock Cod Is Still Hot

Winter weather conditions have slowed surface fishing, but rock cod action hasn’t been affected.

South Bay anglers have been bagging cod limits in 200 to 600 feet of water using three-pound weights.

Long Beach anglers Tom Murphy and Bob Tyler, who fish at least once a week on the Southern Cal from Long Beach Sportfishing, test their angling skills in friendly competition with each other.

Murphy says that when he comes up with a heavy fish and is sure it will be the jackpot winner, Tyler brings up a bigger one.

Tyler, laughing, says it is his strategy. He goes down with a five-hook ganion and leaves it on the bottom while he baits up another ganion. After cranking up his catch from the deep, rather than lose time, he detaches the whole ganion and puts on the extra baited one to go back down quickly.

He proceeds this way until his limit is aboard.

Tyler fishes next to Murphy and four out of five trips he wins the jackpot.

Several other anglers who are often on the cod trips all agree they limit out on most trips and easily fill their freezers with tasty bottom fish.

Jerry Kruse of Long Beach returned from a 16-day, long-range trip aboard the Polaris and won the jackpot with a 114-pound yellowfin tuna.

Nelson Dooley of Long Beach was also a long-range jackpot winner fishing aboard the Qualifier 105 when he landed a 154-pound, 7-ounce yellowfin tuna.

South Bay Catches: Pam Pena of Torrance, fishing aboard the Sea Spray while drifting at twin roads, caught the whopper of the week, a 31-pound halibut.

Bob Tyler of Long Beach, fishing at Catalina Island aboard the Southern Cal, won the jackpot with a 25-pound lingcod.

Harry C. Wang of West Los Angeles caught an 18-pound yellowtail fishing at Catalina aboard the Outerlimits.

Don Haynes of Lawndale, fishing from his boat Fisheret in Santa Monica Bay, caught a 10-pound, 4-ounce halibut.

Fish Reports: Weather has been a factor but when boats do go out, anglers’ catches have been rated good.

At Marina del Rey Sportfishing: The Spitfire’s anglers scored with 240 sculpin, one halibut and one sole.

The Betty O rock cod special worked the short banks and anglers caught 200 rock cod and two halibut.

At Redondo Sportfishing: The Sea Spray, fishing twin roads, returned with 25 sand bass, 18 halibut and 15 sculpin.

The Blackjack fished cherry bank and anglers sacked 160 rock cod and nine cow cod.

The Redondo Special on a half-day trip for rock cod in shallow rocks returned with 300.

At 22nd Street Landing: The Monte Carlo fished the rockpile and chalked up 87 sculpin, 57 rockfish and seven sheepshead.

The Diawa, on a trip to the cherry bank with live squid, sacked 375 rock cod and six cow cod.

At L.A. Harbor Sportfishing: The Shogun worked San Clemente Island and anglers caught a variety--156 calico bass, 110 blue perch, 54 rockfish, 47 sheepshead and 10 yellowtail.

The Outerlimits checked out Catalina and returned with 145 calico bass, 110 rockfish and 66 sheepshead.

The Annie B barge had a weekend count of 620 jacksmelt and 430 kingfish.

At Long Beach Sportfishing: The Southern Cal half-day trip to the horseshoe kelp had a catch of 46 whitefish, 41 sculpin and 39 rockfish.