FISHING NOTES : Yellowtail Action Might Be Heating Up

Prospects for a local yellowtail run look promising. There are schools of yellowtail at the rigs and at rocky point that have started to bite.

The first signs of a summer run came over the weekend as the First String from 22nd Street Landing fished off Catalina Island for barracuda in the morning then headed across to fish for sand bass at the rigs.

On the first stop, the yellowtail surfaced when anglers used jigs and small mackerel for bait. Before the fish quit and the sand bass took the bait, 16 yellowtail were caught.

Tim Messmer of Gardena, caught a 20-pound fish. Corby Jackson of San Pedro, caught a 15 and 20-pounder. Another 20-pounder was caught by Kirk McClenahan of San Pedro, who had to pull it out of the kelp.

Andy Khuljis of San Pedro, hooked what he thought was a big yellowtail. After a 15-minute fight, a 13 1/2-pound bonito surfaced.

Joseph and Kathy Jaconi Jr. of Rolling Hills returned from three successful days of fishing at Cabo San Lucas. Kathy caught a marlin each day. The largest was 205 pounds, which took her an hour and 25 minutes to bring to the boat as she was using only 50-pound test line.

The Jaconis three-day total catch was five marlin and eight dorado with all the marlin released except the 205-pounder.

Returning from a recent long-range fishing trip to Baja, Mike Thor of Torrance, caught a 48-pound, 4-ounce dorado. Mike Ross of Long Beach, caught a wahoo that weighed 45-7.

Jim Butler of Carson, was fishing inside the breakwater for perch when he had a hard strike. He set the hook and reeled in a halibut that weighed 14 pounds.

Butler said he was using a three-hook perch rig that he had constructed and was surprised to come up with the flattie on the bottom hook and two perch on the upper hooks.

Albacore have been reported 150 miles off Point Loma.

South Bay Catches: Ben Brown of Torrance, fishing aboard the Shogun at the rigs, caught the whopper of the week, a 28-pound yellowtail caught on anchovy.

Charles Hardwood of Harbor City, fishing aboard the Hitless Miss at the rigs, caught a 26-pound yellowtail.

Salvador Duran of Long Beach, fishing off Catalina aboard the Aztec, caught a 25-pound yellowtail.

Roger Ummard of Venice, fishing at rocky point aboard the Redondo Special, caught a 22-pound yellowtail.

Fish Reports: Bonito have been showing in local waters and limits of sand bass have been caught on most trips.

Barracuda and yellowtail off Catalina have been biting in the early morning.

At Marina del Rey Sportfishing: The Spitfire fished the sand flats and returned with 182 sand bass, 25 bonito, six barracuda and a halibut.

The Happyman, on a half-day trip, returned with 130 sand bass and 100 bonito.

The Sumo fished the bay and anglers caught 125 sand bass and 65 bonito.

The Betty O worked the shallow rocks and chalked up 120 rock cod.

Redondo Sportfishing: The Sea Spray fished rocky point for 93 sand bass, 48 bonito, two halibut and a barracuda.

The City of Redondo half-day trip resulted in a catch of 75 sand bass and three bonito.

The Redondo Special, on a half-day trip, returned with 140 sand bass, 33 bonito and seven barracuda.

The Blackjack fished off Catalina and anglers caught 172 bonito, 38 barracuda and nine yellowtail.

The Isle of Redondo anglers caught 1,750 mackerel, 46 bonito and 16 barracuda.

At 22nd Street Landing: The First String fished horseshoe and landed 77 calico bass, 54 sand bass and 31 barracuda.

The Monte Carlo, on a half-day trip, returned with 117 calico bass, three bonito and two yellowtail.

At L.A. Harbor Sportfishing: The Sportking, on a twilight sand bass trip to the flats, returned with 720 sand bass, 35 barracuda and seven bonito.

The Matt Walsh half-day trip to horseshoe kelp returned with 37 sand bass, nine calico bass and a barracuda.

The Outerlimits fished off Catalina and local waters for a catch of 206 calico bass and 200 sand bass.

The Shogun worked Catalina for 157 calico bass, 17 barracuda and three bonito.

The Annie B Barge had a variety catch of 1,231 jacksmelt, 923 kingfish, six bonito and a halibut. One black sea bass was released.

At Long Beach Sportfishing: The Victory returned early from a trip to the flats as anglers caught 726 sand bass and 21 barracuda.

The Southern Cal, on a half-day trip to horseshoe kelp, returned with 161 calico bass, 41 sand bass and 15 whitefish.

The Aztec Catalina trip resulted in a catch of 220 calico bass, 31 barracuda and six halibut.