FISHING NOTES : Tagging Helps Study Movement of Halibut

Some interesting findings about the movement of halibut have been noted since the Department of Fish and Game started tagging the fish in August 1990.

Through July, a total of 3,401 halibut have been tagged in South Bay fishing areas. According to Department of Fish and Game biologist David Ono, records show 174 tags have been returned. Of that total, 16 of the fish were caught in Santa Monica Bay.

The shortest distance traveled was 19 miles. Other fish have been prone to travel.

A halibut tagged off Malibu was recovered at San Simeon, a distance of 214 miles.

Another one tagged off Marina del Rey traveled 178 miles to Point Sal in Santa Barbara County.

One tagged halibut off Manhattan Beach was caught at Gaviota, a distance of 117 miles.

DFG biologist Raymond Ally said the most efficient way to tag large numbers of halibut was to send DFG personnel out on sportfishing passenger boats. Most of the tagging was done from boats operating out of Redondo and Marina del Rey sportfishing landings.

Anglers are urged when catching fish wearing a tag to remove the tag and send it to the DFG with area caught and date.

Send all tags to: Department of Fish and Game, 330 Golden Shores, Long Beach, 90802.

For each tag returned the angler will receive $5.

As quickly as they arrived last week, squid became hard to locate as sportfishing boats went as far as Santa Barbara Island in search of the bait.

The yellowtail and white seabass fishing slumped over the weekend off Catalina Island.

The barracuda bite at Catalina is good in the early morning hours with anglers averaging about eight per rod.

Sand bass continue to be caught at local sandy fishing grounds.

Anglers using small mackerel for bait have caught some yellowtail and white seabass at rocky point and the rigs, but counts were low and fish were small.

Gordon Grant of Venice repeated his feat at the Venice anglers shark derby.

Grant, who won last year’s derby, caught a 62-pound 6-ounce mako shark to win the tournament for the second consecutive year. He won $2,500 and a one-week trip to fish in the club’s wahoo tournament off Cabo San Jose in October.

Mike Gonta of Redondo Beach finished second with a 46-7 mako shark.

Only 20 sharks were weighed in by the 150 anglers participating in the two-day derby.

The summer-long Sportfishing Assn. Derby leaders with qualifying fish from the South Bay are:

* Edward Vasques of Redondo Beach, who caught a 37-pound white seabass;

* Carson fisherman Tom Gaston, who caught an 8-pound, 2-ounce barracuda;

* Torrance fisherman Richard Libertine, who caught a 7 1/4-pound bass.

South Bay Catches--Art Rayburn of Long Beach, fishing off Avalon Bank in his boat the Island H, caught the whopper of the week when he boated a 31 1/2-pound white seabass.

Dan Fouts of Redondo Beach, fishing aboard the Blackjack off Santa Barbara Island, caught a 25-pound white seabass.

Gary Spooner of Carson, fishing off Catalina aboard the Pacific, caught a 23-pound ling cod.

Esequiel Ibarra of Venice, fishing aboard the Spitfire off Ocean Park Reef, caught a 25-pound halibut.

Joe Kamada of Torrance, fishing at rocky point aboard the Redondo Special, caught a 19-pound white seabass.

Ryan Burr of Avalon, fishing in his skiff off Avalon Bank, caught a 15-pound 1-ounce yellowtail.