FISHING : South Bay Anglers Win Team Event at Halibut Derby
Two South Bay anglers won the team event at the Santa Monica Halibut Derby last weekend.
Bill Northington of Redondo Beach and Jerry Foote of Torrance combined to catch 10 halibut. They will receive a percentage of the proceeds from the team purse entries at the awards banquet on Saturday.
Northington caught seven of the team’s 10 fish and won the derby’s individual award. Northington also finished second in the team event with Jim Lawerree of Lomita.
Fishing aboard Northington’s boat Hot Bite, the team released 89 fish, keeping only the largest 10.
The derby’s award for the largest fish went to Mike Wilcox of Norwalk, who was fishing aboard the Sea Spray out of Redondo Sportfishing.
Wilcox was using a live squid as the boat drifted between the Hermosa and Manhattan Beach piers when he hooked a 33-pound halibut. He battled the fish for five minutes before bring it to gaff.
Wilcox’s winning prize is a trip to Alaska to fish for halibut.
John Glackin of Redondo Beach, skipper of the Sea Spray, said Wilcox frequently fishes aboard Redondo Sportfishing boats.
Glackin said that during the two-day event, 32 legal-size halibut were caught aboard his boat and fish under the 32-inch derby size were released.
Derby chairman John Bourget said the fifth annual event was a huge success, with 1,893 anglers and 500 boats catching and weighing 443 legal-size fish.
A South Bay angler was awarded an-all tackle record from the International Game Fish Assn.
Gardena fisherman Barry Morita, fishing off Cedros Island in Mexico in November, was using 20-pound test line when he caught a 49-pound pinto bass.
Morita had the fish weighed and the line certified and was informed April 9 by IGFA that his bass was an all-tackle record.
Phil Friedman, the voice of 976-TUNA, was aboard the Phantom with four South Bay fishermen on a special white sea bass charter. Every fish caught on the trip weighed over 40 pounds.
Craig Jacobs of Torrance caught the largest, a 46-pounder; Bob Alverez of Torrance, a 43-pounder; Phil Friedman of Torrance, a 42-pounder, and Redondo fisherman Russ Caldapella caught a 41-pounder.
There have been numerous sightings by skiff fishermen of breezing schools of salmon four miles out from L. A. Harbor. None were hooked by fisherman trolling for them as the fish were on the move.
Redondo Sportfishing’s Isle of Redondo barge has resumed operations for the spring and summer fishing seasons.
The barge is the South Bay’s only deep water fishing barge offering anglers a variety of surface and bottom fish.
South Bay Catches--Arnie Searing of Long Beach, fishing aboard the Toronado off Catalina Island, caught the whopper of the week, fighting a white sea bass for 22-minutes. It weighed 52 pounds.
Gary Norby of San Pedro, fishing aboard the Outerlimits off Catalina, caught a 45-pound white sea bass.
Chris Williams of San Pedro, fishing aboard the Shogun, caught a 41-pound white sea bass.
Bud Long of Torrance, fishing aboard the Grande off San Clemente Island, caught a 20-pound yellowtail.
