FISHING NOTES / DAN STANTON : Anglers Find Yellowtail, Bluefin Action Heating Up

Bluefin catches have been increasing, and San Clemente Island yellowtail fishing was the big news of the weekend.

The Outerlimits on a two-day tuna trip returned with 12 tuna and 73 yellowtail. It was the first South Bay Sportfishing boat out of L.A. Harbor to score with the exotics.

Capt. Gary Norby said conditions have been ideal and chances look good for a close-in run of the tuna.

Norby took his boat 100 miles out, but on his return last Sunday near San Clemente Island an angler decked a 32-pound bluefin.

All 14 anglers on board caught yellowtail under the kelp patties using squid for bait. The tuna were caught with jigs.

Anglers catching two or more tuna were Michael Tagami of Gardena and Erick Hodges of San Pedro.

Jackpot winners with 48-pounders were Patrick Gorman and Greg Myers, both of Long Beach.

Using light tackle, San Pedro fisherman Rick Raithel failed to reel in a tuna, but he sacked the most yellowtail--10 of them, weighing 20 to 30 pounds apiece.

Mark Arve, 11, missed the tuna but landed six yellowtail. His father, Joe, caught three.

Yashaw Summi of Redondo Beach returned from a five-day trip aboard the Royal Star and caught a 74-pound yellowtail tuna.

Stas Vellonakis of Redondo Beach, on a five-day trip aboard the Royal Polaris, caught eight bluefin tuna and was the jackpot winner with a 48-pounder.

Glen Veda of Long Beach, on a three-day trip aboard the Royal Star, hauled in a jackpot 38-pound bluefin tuna.

More than 250 anglers participated Sunday in the third annual Venice Anglers Shark Tournament.

First prize of $2,500 went to Gordon Grant of El Segundo, who caught a 122-pound mako shark while fishing near Redondo Canyon.

Jeff Rowland of Hawthorne was trolling outside Palos Verdes when he landed the second-place fish, a 91-pound mako. He won a fishing trip to Cabo San Lucas.

The San Pedro YMCA annual summer fishing trip aboard L.A. Harbor’s Annie B barge was a huge success for 160 youngsters who caught a variety of mackerel, kingfish and some lizard fish.

Fishing awards went to Sean Julkich of San Pedro and Michael Given of Rancho Palos Verdes.

South Bay Catches: Allen Rivers of West Los Angeles caught the local whopper of the week, fishing Santa Monica Bay aboard the Happyman. He decked a 32-pound halibut.

Brad Yoshita of Carson, fishing at Catalina Island aboard the Shogun, caught a 24-pound yellowtail.

David Lee of Torrance, fishing aboard the Sportking at the rigs, caught a 23-pound yellowtail.

Garth Mildner of San Pedro, fishing on the half-day boat Matt Walsh, caught a 15-pound white sea bass.

Frank Shock of Long Beach, fishing aboard the Victory at the rigs, caught a 19-pound yellowtail.

John Lee of Redondo Beach, fishing aboard the City of Redondo, caught a 10-pound halibut.

Fish Reports:

Sand bass continue to pace the local fishing with calico bass starting to bite at Rocky Point and the horseshoe kelp.

At Marina del Rey Sportfishing: The Spitfire fished the bay, and anglers caught 240 sand bass, 40 bonito, 16 calico bass and one halibut.

The Happyman on a half-day trip returned with 125 sand bass, 80 bonito and one halibut.

The Betty O rock cod trip to the shallow rocks resulted in a catch of 210 rock cod, two cow cod and one lingcod.

At Redondo Sportfishing: The Sea Spray fished Rocky Point and chalked up 244 sand bass, 65 bonito and nine barracuda.

The City of Redondo on a half-day trip returned with 290 sand bass.

The Blackjack worked Catalina Island and anglers sacked 148 barracuda, 97 calico bass and two yellowtail.

The Redondo Special on a half-day trip caught 148 sand bass and 21 bonito.

The Barge Isle of Redondo’s wide-open mackerel bite continues with a count of 3,200 plus 123 bonito.

At 22nd Street Landing: The First String trip to the horseshoe kelp resulted in a catch of 64 barracuda, 23 calico bass and three yellowtail.

The Monte Carlo on a twilight trip scored with 139 sand bass, 31 barracuda and 25 calico bass.

At L.A. Harbor Sportfishing: The Shogun worked San Clemente Island and anglers sacked 175 calico bass and 43 yellowtail.

The Sportking fished the rigs for 190 sand bass, 19 bonito, 23 barracuda, 11 calico bass and one halibut.

The Matt Walsh on a half-day run to the horseshoe kelp caught 67 calico bass and two bonito.

The Annie B barge caught 455 mackerel, 320 jacksmelt and one bonito.

Long Beach Sportfishing: The Victory had a variety catch. Anglers hauled in 210 calico bass, 59 barracuda, 44 sand bass, one yellowtail and one white sea bass.

The Southern Cal half-day trip to the horseshoe kelp returned with 189 calico bass and 18 barracuda.