FISHING : Captain Logs 3,000th Trip on Matt Walsh

Tuesday morning was a milestone for Capt. Ray Duane, 50, as he departed for his half-day trip on his boat Matt Walsh, operating out of L.A. Harbor Sportfishing.

It was Duane’s 3,000th half-day trip on the popular sportfisher in the past 10 years.

As a boy, Duane often went fishing with his father on boats and piers from Santa Monica Bay to Dana Point during weekends and vacations.

Duane served in the Navy, then worked at General Motors for five years. But having been exposed to outdoor recreation, he soon realized that he just didn’t belong in an inside job.

He found an opening as a deckhand and gained experience, and after two years he obtained his captain’s license.

He worked as relief skipper on the boats Rebel and Sea Horse until December, 1981.

Then Duane’s lifelong ambition to own his own sportfisher was realized when he became the owner of the Matt Walsh, which was running out of L.A. Harbor Sportfishing.

“Each half-day trip is a challenge because of the short fishing time for this type of a schedule,” Duane said. Most fishing is done at the local Horseshoe Kelp area, over sandy areas and outside oil rigs.

He recalls that one of his most exciting and productive fishing trips was in 1984, on a 9 a.m.-to-3 p.m. trip several miles out from Palos Verdes, checking out kelp paddies for yellowtail.

“This trip was one of the best ever on the Matt,” Duane said. “We returned late with 165 yellowtail and one stray 66-pound albacore.”

What makes the 51-year-old Matt Walsh so popular as a half-day sportfisher is its wide, roomy beam, which makes it easy to fish on.

“We get many vacationers in the summer months who prefer shorter fishing time so they can keep their schedule of events while on vacation,” Duane said.

The Matt was refurbished last year and has a full, seated galley, which it lacked in the past.

Outstanding catches of sand bass are supplying anglers with 10-fish limits from Rocky Point to outside Horseshoe Kelp.

Santa Monica Bay halibut fishing is showing improvement as several flatties above 15 pounds were caught over the weekend.

Catalina Island remains the hot spot for barracuda. White seabass are being caught when squid is available for bait. Yellowtail fishing has been only fair.

San Clemente Island calico bass fishing remains excellent.

Rosie Cadman at the Avalon, Catalina, weigh station reports that Avalon fisherman Chris Knott, fishing in front of the pier, weighed in a 19 1/2-pound white seabass and that Avalon anglers have been catching many at the Avalon Bank.

Another rare species of fish has been donated to the Cabrillo Marine Museum.

Last Friday, John Endirian of the boat Fortuna sent the museum an angler fish, a member of the sea devil family.

According to Mike Schaadt of the Marine Museum, this specimen is about 18 inches long. It is whale-shaped, and the tip of its lower jaw has a “fishing pole,” which gives it an advantage when seeking food.

These fish have been taken with deep-sea fishing gear by scientists from depths as great as 5,000 feet.

The angler fish is still being studied, Schaadt said, and is expected to be put on public display within a week.

South Bay Catches: Raul Lopez of Lawndale, fishing off Catalina aboard the Betty G using live squid, caught the whopper of the week, a 38 1/2-pound white seabass.

Andy Gilman of Long Beach, fishing off Catalina aboard the Toronado, caught a 32-pound halibut.

Leroy Henderson of West Los Angeles caught a 28-pound white seabass from the Outerlimits off Catalina.

Scott Milner of Long Beach, fishing at Horseshoe Kelp aboard the Southern Cal, caught a 26-pound yellowtail.

Hoko Yama of West Los Angeles reeled in a 21 1/2-pound halibut while fishing off Ocean Park reef aboard the Spitfire.

Lonnie Moody of Torrance, fishing off Catalina aboard the Blackjack, caught a 13 1/2-pound yellowtail.

Freshwater Notes: Fishing Lake Casitas, Mike Herron of San Pedro caught a 9-pound, 8-ounce catfish.

Clay Leroy of Hermosa Beach landed an 8-pound trout at Santa Ana Lakes.