Warm Water Helps Keep the Fishing Hot

October’s ocean sportfishing has been the best in nearly a decade.

The bluefin tuna run at the outer banks continues, with a good showing of fish weighing 50 pounds or more.

Anglers fishing on the three-quarter and half-day boats have been returning from horseshoe kelp with impressive catches of barracuda to eight pounds and yellowtail 15 pounds and up.

Redondo Sportfishing’s Dan Armstrong reports the bonito moved from rocky point to deeper water and the fleet has been catching some fish heavier than 10 pounds.

Department of Fish and Game biologists attribute the excellent fishing to unusually warm water temperatures.

At the request of dedicated rock cod anglers, South Bay landings will soon be scheduling deep water trips.

The Outerlimits from L.A. Harbor Sportfishing returned from Cortez Bank over the weekend with a good catch of tuna and yellowtail.

Mike Tagm of Gardena caught a 42-pound bluefin tuna and a 28-pound yellowtail.

San Pedro fishermen Frank Ibarra and Michael Dorbah landed 41 and 42-pound bluefin tuna.

L.A. Harbor’s Pacifica worked Tanner Bank and returned Monday with 26 bluefin tuna.

John Dicemann of Long Beach won the jackpot on the two-day trip with a 77-pound, 3-ounce bluefin tuna.

Won Kim of Redondo Beach hooked a big calico bass fishing aboard the Matt Walsh at horseshoe kelp.

Kim was using a small sardine bait and catching legal size calico bass and barracuda.

He made a cast from the stern of the boat where bass were boiling and he set the hook on what turned out to be a trophy-size calico bass.

He was reeling the fish toward the surface, but as soon as the bass sighted the boat it peeled line and went down to the kelp. Captain Don McIntyer, standing by with a net, urged Kim to reel in slowly. McIntyer said if the fish was not lost, he would like to donate it alive to the Cabrillo Marine Museum.

Kim agreed and after 15 minutes, the bass came out of the kelp and was reeled in. The hook was carefully removed and the fish was placed in a bait tank.

The museum’s tank truck met the Matt Walsh and transported the 9-pound, 3-ounce calico bass to the museum. Larry Fukuhara, museum director, said the fish is being placed in a display tank and is one of the largest calicoes they have had for viewing.

Diver Stephan Alford of Malibu was declared the winner of the 14th annual Hermosa Beach dive on the opening day of the lobster season. Alford brought up an 8 1/2-pound lobster from 30 feet.

South Bay Catches--Tom Santos of Hawthorne, fishing at Cortez Bank aboard the Blackjack, caught the whopper of the week, a bluefin tuna that weighed 50 pounds.

Howard Cabe of Marina del Rey returned from an eight-day trip aboard the American Angler off Cedros Island and caught a 43-pound yellowfin tuna.

Jane Brown of West Los Angeles, fishing aboard the Spitfire in Santa Monica Bay, caught a 42-pound white sea bass.

Joe Awesome of Torrance, fishing at Cortez Bank aboard the First String, caught a 38-pound bluefin tuna.

Hiram Levy, fishing aboard the Hitless Miss at horseshoe kelp, hooked a yellowtail and the Palos Verdes fisherman bounced his 23-pounder to the deck as a shark was about to nab it.

Fish Reports--White sea bass have put in an appearance at Santa Monica Bay along with yellowtail. Catalina and San Clemente Islands continue to be good for kelp paddy yellowtail and calico bass.

At Marina del Rey Sportfishing: The Spitfire fished the bay for 80 bonito, 40 calico bass, 16 sheephead, five white sea bass and two yellowtail.

The Happyman, on a half-day trip, returned with 35 bonito, 25 calico bass and 10 cabezon.

The Del Mar rock cod trip to the deep hole had a catch of 201 rock cod, 50 red snapper and two lingcod.

At Redondo Sportfishing: The Sea Spray worked outside rocky point and had a catch of 210 bonito, 120 sculpin and 26 calico bass.

The Blackjack took a two-day trip to Cortez Bank and anglers sacked 60 sheephead, 20 yellowtail and seven bluefin tuna.

The City of Redondo, on a half-day trip, returned with 76 bonito and 16 calico bass.

The Redondo Special half-day trip resulted in a catch of 110 bonito, 20 calico bass and 15 sculpin.

The barge Isle of Redondo had a weekend catch of 1,171 mackerel, 56 rockfish and 16 sculpin.

At 22nd Street Landing: The First String worked Catalina for 71 bonito, 24 barracuda and six yellowtail.

The Monte Carlo, on a half-day trip, returned with 34 bonito, 33 calico bass and two yellowtail.

The New Image trip to horseshoe kelp resulted in a catch of 98 bonito, 39 sculpin, 11 calico bass, nine barracuda and a yellowtail.

At L.A. Harbor Sportfishing: The Sportking fished Catalina for 178 blue perch, 67 bonito, 48 calico bass, 21 barracuda and seven yellowtail.

The Matt Walsh, on a half-day trip, returned with 133 bonito and 12 barracuda.

The Outerlimits worked San Clemente Island for 111 calico bass, 21 yellowtail and 15 whitefish.

The Pacifica, on a two-day trip to Tanner Bank, returned with 18 bluefin tuna and 12 yellowtail.

The Shogun returned from a trip to San Clemente Island with 57 rockfish, three bluefin tuna and a yellowtail.

The Annie B barge had a weekend count of 1,851 mackerel, 230 bonito and three calico bass.

At Long Beach Sportfishing: The Victory’s trip to horseshoe kelp resulted in a variety catch--98 bonito, 73 barracuda, 40 calico bass, three yellowtail, two white sea bass and two halibut.

The Southern Cal, on a half-day trip, returned with 59 barracuda, 33 bonito and three yellowtail.

The Aztec two-day trip to Cortez Bank and San Clemente Island had a catch of 100 whitefish, seven bluefin tuna, seven yellowtail and three skipjack.