FISHING NOTES : Exotics Start Hitting Those Hooks in Bunches at San Clemente Island

San Clemente Island is providing anglers with the wildest exotics bite of the year.

Substantial numbers of yellowtail were found this past weekend by two L.A. Harbor Sportfishing boats, the Outerlimits and the Shogun.

According to Gary Norby, captain of the Outerlimits, “these yellows have been here all winter on every trip. We have observed them while fishing for bass and rock cod. Now the fish are feeding and with perfect water conditions and a good supply of squid we can catch them on a day-to-day basis.”

Sixty-one were caught over the weekend and another 14 Monday.

Freckles Upan of Carson was the top fisherman, catching six. Connie Conklin of Long Beach hooked several and lost them. But not giving in to the fighting fish, she hooked two more and landed the jackpot with a 21-pounder.

A drastic change was noted inside L.A. Harbor at the Annie B barge.

Fishing at night last Friday and Saturday, 48 anglers were witness to tons of anchovies coming up to the barge’s lights, followed by schools of Spanish jack.

Barge master Paul Berube called the jacks’ appearance unusual. “This is the first time we have had these fish invade the barge, either day or night.”

Anglers were hooking up with these fighters and bouncing three-to-six-pounders onto the deck.

Berube said it’s possible these fish moved into the harbor after the oil spill off Orange County.

Stassi Vellonakis of Redondo Beach returned from an 18-day, long-range trip fishing Alijos Rocks in Mexico and caught a 213-pound yellowfin tuna.

Mark Hori of Manhattan Beach returned from a recent trip to Cabo San Lucas, where the King Harbor Marlin Club member, using six-pound test line, landed a 25-pound dorado after a 30-minute fight.

South Bay Catches: Felipe Burton of Santa Monica, fishing aboard the Happyman at Venice Beach, caught the whopper of the week, a 32-pound halibut.

Dan Herrera of Hawthorne, fishing aboard the Amigo, won the jackpot with a 23-pound lingcod.

Moe Cohen of Westchester, fishing aboard the Hitless Miss at Rocky Point, used live squid and caught a 22 1/2-pound white sea bass.

Scott Fuginami of Gardena, fishing aboard the Shogun at San Clemente Island, won the jackpot with a 20-pound yellowtail.

Tex Lucas of Wilmington, fishing at Catalina Island aboard the Southern Cal, won the jackpot with a 17-pound cow cod.

Fish Reports: Local fishing has improved for rockfish and halibut. Catalina Island has been good for calico bass and blue perch.

At Marina del Rey Sportfishing: The Spitfire’s anglers sacked 200 sculpin and 89 sand bass fishing at Venice reef.

The Happyman on a half-day trip to the bay returned with 40 sculpin and 10 halibut.

The Betty O rock cod special fished shallow rock piles and anglers sacked 450 rock cod and one cow cod.

At Redondo Sportfishing: The Sea Spray fished Redondo Canyon and anglers sacked 612 rock cod and one lingcod.

The Redondo Special on two half-day rock cod trips chalked up 380 rock cod and one lingcod.

The Blackjack worked Cherry Bank for a catch of 525 rock cod and six lingcod.

At 22nd Street Landing: The Monte Carlo’s Catalina rock cod trip resulted in a catch of 259 and two lingcod.

The Freedom fished San Clemente Island and anglers got a variety--137 calico bass, 69 sheephead, 55 blue perch and one yellowtail.

At L.A. Harbor Sportfishing: The Outerlimits’ San Clemente Island trip resulted in a catch of 38 yellowtail, 101 calico bass, 35 sheephead and 29 whitefish.

The Shogun fished San Clemente Island and anglers sacked 140 calico bass, 90 sheephead, 22 yellowtail and 18 whitefish.

The Annie B barge had a weekend count of 956 jacksmelt and 135 Spanish jack.

At Long Beach Sportfishing: The Southern Cal worked the horseshoe kelp for 60 whitefish and 45 rockfish.