FISHING : Tagging Program Draws to a Close

The results of the third year of the sand bass tag and release project are being compiled by Mac Oliphant, a marine biologist with the Department of Fish and Game.

Despite several early season disappointments, Oliphant said it has been a successful year.

Twelve trips were completed, resulting in the tagging of 560 bass. Although the tagging was done over a greater span of time than in the past, the number of fish released was down from the 1990 number of 900.

Captain Russ Izor, who works closely with Oliphant and the Los Angeles County Fish and Game Commission, said tag counts were down because fish were not biting on nights he scheduled boats and volunteer anglers.

The largest tag trip occurred during daylight hours when anglers aboard the Islander of 22nd Street Landing agreed to contribute part of their catch to the project.

A total of 260 fish were caught. Of those, 160 short and legal bass were tagged.

Oliphant said the results to date of tag recoveries is 20. The longest distance traveled before recovery was four miles.

In the past week, barracuda have been biting from rocky point to horseshoe kelp, with fish averaging six pounds.

Off Catalina Island, yellowtail fishing remains unchanged as the fish are not eager to bite.

Barracuda and calico bass make up most of the catches.

Rosie Cadman at the Avalon weigh station reports that the season’s total marlin weigh-in has reached only 12, with four fish brought to scale the past weekend.

Amador Berliner, fishing from his boat the Vega, weighed in a 145 1/2-pounder. Ron Dye caught a 143-pounder from his boat, the Betty Jean. Fred Youngdahl, fishing from his boat Gun Slinger, also caught a 143-pounder. The fourth was a 111-pounder caught by Charles Denzie aboard his boat Finative.

L.A. Harbor’s Shogun returned from a three-day trip, going 200 miles out for tuna. They returned with 55 bluefin and 17 yellowfin, plus skipjack and dorado.

Norm Schindler won two of three daily jackpots with a 47- and 43-pound bluefin tuna. Jim Marshall claimed the other jackpot with a 146-pound tuna.

It was full limits of calico bass for three San Pedro anglers.

Fishing out from the Point Vicente kelp beds, Bruce Root was joined in his 18-foot skiff by Gene and Garth Mildner. Within two hours, the anglers had limits of calico bass weighing as much as eight pounds each.

Root said they used small herring and cut bait and had to pull most of the fish out of the kelp.

South Bay Catches--Russ Izor, on a two-day trip aboard the Excel, caught the whopper of the week, a 60-pound bluefin.

Cecil Knapenberger of Harbor City, fishing aboard the Outerlimits off Catalina, used cut squid to catch a 22-pound halibut.

John Bolts of Long Beach, fishing at rocky point aboard the Victory, landed an 18-pound halibut. Juan Flores of Torrance caught a 16 1/2-pound halibut while fishing aboard the Sea Spray at rocky point.

Daisy Smith, fishing from the Hitless Miss at horseshoe kelp, caught a 16-pound yellowtail.

Don Jones landed a 15-pound yellowtail off Catalina while fishing aboard the Betty G.

Freshwater notes--Eric Hodges of San Pedro caught a 19-pound catfish using cut mackerel at Irvine Lake. Hodges said it took him 10 minutes to bring the fish up from the bottom.