FISHING : South Bay Anglers Are Doing Their Part to Save Giant Seabass

Since 1982, the California Department of Fish and Game has prohibited the taking of giant seabass, more commonly known as black seabass. So many of the fish were being caught by anglers and divers that it was in danger of becoming extinct.

South Bay anglers have recently been hooking-up with the black seabass.

On a recent trip to San Clemente Island aboard L.A. Harbor Sport fishing’s Shogun, an angler fishing the bottom with live squid hooked a seabass. Captain Rich Rogers said it took 20 minutes before this powerful fighting fish was brought to the surface.

Deckhand Andy Lamp removed the hook and placed the fish into the bait tank. Lamp and Rogers then revived the fish through a process known as deflating the bladder.

The deflation of a seabass is done by inserting a small hypodermic needle into the side wall of the abdomen of the fish. The sides of the fish are then compressed and the gas rushes out of the end of the needle.

Black seabass and most bottom fish that come up from depths suffer bloating of the gas bladder. The process of deflating the bladder has been used with success during Fish and Game operations.

The half-day boat Matt Walsh had five small black seabass brought up 120 feet while on a rock cod trip last week.

All the fish were under 20 pounds and alert deckhands sent them back down safely.

Henry Church of San Pedro was fishing last week from his small boat off of Palos Verdes when he had a heavy strike and set the hook.

Church, who was using light tackle, took 20 minutes to deck a 20-pound black seabass.

But because the fish was caught in shallow water, he did not have to deflate it.

Black seabass can live 70 years, grow as long as eight feet and can weigh as much as 500 pounds.

Anglers tuning up for halibut derbies have been catching legal-size halibut in Santa Monica Bay.

Sonny Benette at Marina del Rey Sportfishing reports that 26 legal-sized halibut were caught the past weekend with the flatties weighing up to 11 pounds.

Freshwater Notes: Fishing Lake Piru, San Pedro fisherman Bob Lackey caught a 7-pound striped bass.

South Bay Catches: Dennis Bode of Lomita, fishing off San Clemente Island aboard the Chrisma, caught the whopper of the week a 27 1/2-pound white seabass.

Pam Belling of Redondo Beach, fishing aboard the Sea Spray in Santa Monica Bay, caught a 22-pound halibut.

Hazel Gordon of Harbor City, fishing at rocky point aboard the Hitless Miss, caught a 19-pound white seabass.

Bill Powell of Long Beach, fishing at the horseshoe kelp aboard the Victory, caught a 15-pound sheephead.