FISHING NOTES : Santa Monica Halibut Derby Offers $25,000 Top Prize to Lucky Angler

There will be many angling strategies Saturday and Sunday as an armada of more than 1,500 anglers compete to find one of the five Big Bertha halibut wearing a special tag that will be worth $25,000 in the Santa Monica Halibut Derby.

The five fish have been tagged and will be released from the halibut hatchery at King Harbor preceding the derby.

The two-day annual tournament is a charity event.

Derby chairman John Bourget said all of the profits will go to support the Santa Monica Boys Club, the halibut hatchery and Santa Monica Activities League.

Bourget said anglers should not remove the tags from the halibut if they are caught. He said they should instead bring the fish to the weigh station. If the numbers on the tag match those registered for this year’s derby, the angler will get to choose from among five envelopes, one of which is worth $25,000.

There will also be daily cash awards for big fish, with first place worth $200, second $100 and third place $50.

Each legal fish 22 inches or longer weighed in at the official weigh station will be entered into a special drawing for cash prizes, tackle and long-range fishing trips.

The winners’ names will be drawn at the derby banquet April 14 at the Marina Hotel in Westchester.

The entry fee is $35. For further derby information, call (213) 450-5131.

The Outerlimits from L.A. Harbor Sportfishing found schools of yellowtail under kelp patties at San Clemente Island over the past weekend. Anglers started casting squid-baited jigs, and the catch count reached 27, with as many big ones breaking up tackle.

Les Carlzen of Lomita was the jackpot winner, catching three that went 15 to 22 pounds.

Mike Root of West Los Angeles had three that went from 12 to 16 pounds.

Scott Fujima of Carson had a jackpot contender that weighed in at 20 pounds.

Jim Ricotta of West Los Angeles missed out on the jackpot but caught two 16-pounders.

“Sportfishing for Fun and Sun,” a two-day Science at the Seashore workshop covering basic instruction in saltwater fishing, will be offered by the Cabrillo Marine Museum on Saturday and Sunday. The workshop is geared to beginning and novice fishermen.

Larry Fukuhara, program director for the museum and an avid fisherman, will be the instructor.

For additional information, call the museum at (213) 548-7563.

South Bay Catches: Jess Cruis of San Pedro, fishing aboard the Diawa at San Nicholas Island, caught the whopper of the week--a 26-pound lingcod.

George Skipner of Redondo Beach, fishing at Twin Roads aboard the Sea Spray, won the jackpot with a 25-pound halibut.

Mike Blue of Long Beach, fishing aboard the Aztec at San Nicholas Island, caught a pair of heavy weights on the same ganoin, two cow cod that weighed in at 18 pounds each.

Marsha Van Gorder of Harbor City, fishing at Rocky Point aboard the Hitless Miss, caught a 14-pound white sea bass.

Fish Reports: Heavy fishing pressure for halibut continues with bait now in good supply.

Outer-island fishing with squid remains unchanged with rock fish and a flurry of yellowtail on the menu.

At Marina del Rey Sportfishing: The Spitfire anglers fishing the bay for halibut landed 10, plus 10 sole and three sand bass.

The Happyman on a half-day trip to the bay returned with six halibut and 25 sculpin.

The Betty O rock cod special anglers cranked in from the deep rocks 271 rock cod and one sole.

At Redondo Sportfishing: The Sea Spray fished Rocky Point with success as anglers sacked 175 rock fish and 126 sculpin.

The Blackjack worked Santa Barbara Island for 390 rock cod and seven lingcod.

22nd Street Landing: The Diawa trip to San Clemente Island resulted in a catch of 150 rock fish and eight yellowtail.

The Monte Carlo fished the Rock Pile and returned with 150 rock fish and 28 sculpin.

At L.A. Harbor Sportfishing: The Outerlimits fished the kelp at San Clemente Island and garnered limits of calico bass and 21 yellowtail.

The Shogun fished San Clemente and anglers sacked a variety of 250 whitefish, 225 rock cod, 96 sheepshead and lingcod.

At Long Beach Sportfishing: The Victory fished horseshoe kelp and chalked up a count of 111 whitefish, 51 sculpin and 30 calico bass.

The Aztec fished Cherry Bank and returned with 445 rock cod, 12 lingcod and two cow cod.