FISHING NOTES : King Salmon Spotted, But Don’t Put Them on Menu Yet

Chances for a king salmon run look promising.

Over the weekend Redondo Sportfishing’s half-day boat the Redondo Special was fishing for rock cod at Rocky Point’s short bank when flurries of salmon started to chase baited hooks.

Jim Holmes of Long Beach was peeling out his line when a salmon struck his bait. He set the hook and reeled in a king salmon that weighed 12 pounds.

An unidentified angler caught a silver that weighed 10 pounds on the same trip.

However, Dan Armstrong at the landing’s office said it is too early to tell if there will be a spring run of the fighting salmon at local fishing grounds.

Skiff fisherman Bernie Meeks of Torrance was trolling past the barge and caught a silver that weighed 8 1/2 pounds. Robert Reyes of Marina del Rey also caught a silver salmon. It weighed in at 12 pounds.

Conditions are improving for a white sea bass run, reports Catalina Isthmus resident Doug Oudin.

Fishing at the west end of the island on his boat the No-Mo, his friend Lou Latka tossed a squid and worked his bent rod for 10 minutes before he brought to gaff his first white sea bass. It weighed 10 pounds.

Oudin caught three white sea bass that averaged 12 to 14 pounds.

Three Avalon residents headed to the west end of the island in their skipjack to get in on the sea bass bite. Bill Saldna hoisted aboard a 20-pounder. Nicholas McElroy landed a 19-pounder and David Elroy caught a 14-pounder.

Tom Heferan of West Los Angeles returned from a 16-day trip to Mexico aboard the Qualifier. He used an anchovy, hooked a yellowfin tuna and after an hour and 15 minutes he brought aboard the jackpot fish that weighed 163 pounds.

South Bay Catches:

Martin Cleveland of West Los Angeles, fishing aboard the Sea Jay at the outer islands, caught the whopper of the week with his 35-pound lingcod.

Don Warren of Long Beach, fishing at Catalina Island aboard the Southern Cal, won the jackpot with a 23 1/2-pound cow cod.

Tom Morton of Harbor City, fishing aboard the Hitless Miss at Santa Barbara Island, caught a 21-pound cow cod.

Rodrigo Mosquera of Torrance, fishing aboard the Blackjack at Cherry Bank, caught a 21-pound cow cod.

Richard Cox of Torrance, fishing aboard the Sea Spray, won the jackpot with a 10 1/2-pound lingcod.

Fish Reports:

A shortage of bait slowed the halibut bite in Santa Monica Bay over the past several days.

Bottom fishing continues to be excellent at local and outer island waters.

At Marina del Rey Sportfishing: The Spitfire fished the bay and returned with a catch of 50 sculpin, five sole and four halibut.

Anglers on the Happyman on a half-day trip to Venice Beach sacked 85 sculpin and one halibut.

The Betty O rock cod special fished Shallow Rocks and returned with 60 rock cod and one sheephead.

At Redondo Sportfishing: The Sea Spray, fishing the Rocky Point short bank, chalked up 87 rockfish, seven cow cod and two lingcod.

The Blackjack’s Cherry Bank trip resulted in a catch of 390 rock cod.

The Redondo Special on a half-day trip to El Segundo Beach returned with 50 rock cod and one halibut.

At 22nd Street Landing: The Diawa worked San Clemente Island and anglers sacked 165 rock cod.

The Freedom checked out Catalina Island and anglers garnered 170 whitefish and 52 sheephead.

At L.A. Harbor Sportfishing: The Shogun had a variety catch at San Clemente Island: anglers sacked 140 whitefish, 101 rock cod, 65 sheephead and 40 calico bass.

The Outerlimits fished the west end of Catalina and returned with 182 blue perch, 142 calico bass and 63 sheephead.

The Annie B barge had a weekend catch count of 410 kingfish, 351 jacksmelt and two big sand sharks.

At Long Beach Sportfishing: The Southern Cal on a half-day trip to the Rock Pile returned with 65 rock cod, five lingcod and five cow cod.