FISHING : Tuna, Skipjack Start to Move to Local Waters

Sportfishing boats continue to find success in the kelp 10 to 14 miles offshore. Anglers report catching several species of fish.

Dorado and yellowtail counts continue to climb and now tuna and skipjack have been on the move.

The Department of Fish and Game, which keep records from party boats’ daily catch counts, reports that more than 6,000 dorado have been caught since a run started last week.

The Dream Street Foundation of West L.A., which provides summer camp programs for boys and girls with life-threatening diseases, introduced 60 youngsters to ocean sportfishing.

Capt. George Xenio donated his boat, the Victory, the crew and all the fishing equipment for the trip. Conditions were perfect as a run of big barracuda and bonito kept the youngsters busy for three hours. The trip’s organizer, Linda Giella, said it was an experience that youngsters will never forget.

John Maur of San Pedro reeled in several bonito that weighed up to eight pounds and Crystal Flores of Carson reeled in a 10-pound barracuda.

An official international game fish scale has been installed at the Union 76 fuel dock in Marina del Rey. Marina del Rey anglers installed the weigh station that will be open to all anglers. Ron Worthington will be the official weigh master.

Jean Milener, 11, of Carson has been deep sea fishing since he was 5 and had never caught an exotic fish until last weekend. Fishing aboard L.A. Harbor’s Sportking, Milener hooked 10 fighting dorado that weighed up to 15 pounds.

Redondo Sportfishing’s Blackjack was at the 209 spot fishing the floating kelp for dorado and yellowtail when angler Ernie Kaplan of West Los Angeles noticed a marlin jumping nearby.

Using 15-pound test line and a small sardine for bait, he cast toward the marlin and hooked it. Kaplan headed the fish toward the boat and within 15 minutes brought it to gaff. It weighed in at 90 pounds.

King Harbor Marlin Club members with some impressive catches this past week were Frank Matsuhara, fishing on the Rowena III 28 miles out from San Diego. He caught a yellowfin that weighed 34 pounds 7 ounces. Bob Stephens, fishing 10 miles out from King Harbor for sharks, caught a 71-pound mako.

Santa Monica Bay angler Brian Merrell reeled in a 30-pound leopard shark.

David Zeitlin of West Los Angeles was fishing Santa Monica Bay for halibut and caught the whopper of the week--a 35-pounder. Roger Kurmoto of Torrance, fishing aboard the Shogun off Santa Catalina Island, caught a 28-pound yellowtail.

John Gomez of Venice, fishing aboard the Toronado, caught a limit of dorado and 20 and 23-pound yellowtails

Colonel Warren of San Pedro, fishing aboard the First String, caught six dorado and a 22-pound yellowtail. David Zajac of Manhattan Beach, fishing aboard the Redondo Special, caught a 20-pound halibut.

Burt Curtis, 10, caught a 16-pound dorado on his first fishing trip aboard the First String. Bob Gunderson of Hermosa Beach, fishing at the rigs aboard the Hitless Miss, caught a 12 1/4-pound bonito.

Local fishing for bonito and barracuda in all areas is rated good. Sand bass catches slowed during the days with the twilight trips being the best bet.

At Marina del Rey Sportfishing: The Spitfire, on a twilight trip to the flats, returned with 145 sand bass and 36 bonito.

The Happyman half-day trip resulted in a catch of 145 bonito and seven barracuda.

The Betty O rock cod trip to the rocky reefs returned with 145 rock cod, two cow cod and a ling cod.

At Redondo Sportfishing: The Seaspray worked rocky point and anglers sacked 175 bonito, 42 sand bass, four barracuda and a yellowtail.