FISHING / DAN STANTON : Warm Currents Bring Widespread Bonito Catch

South Bay anglers were provided with plenty of action from Santa Monica Bay to San Clemente Island during the three-day holiday weekend.

For the first time this summer, warm water currents helped bring bonito to the area.

The bonito are being caught over a wide area from Santa Monica Bay to the offshore rigs.

Paul Boesche of Redondo Sportfishing reports that anglers have been catching limits of bonito on half-day and three-quarter day boats for more than a week.

Sonny Benette of Marina del Rey Sportfishing said that anglers also have been catching barracuda and halibut.

Benette said angler Christina Daniel caught a 24-pound halibut aboard the Spitfire. Jack Hurst landed a 22-pounder fishing aboard the Happyman.

Long Beach Sportfishing’s Phantom fished rocky point on Monday and anglers returned with limits of bonito.

A yellowtail weighing 38 pounds, a jackpot winner, was caught by Lou Marquez. He caught the fish near the ocean floor using a blue and white jig.

L.A. Harbor Sportfishing’s First String and Shogun scored with exotics during the holiday weekend.

The First String fished off San Clemente Island and Captain Pat Conklin said this was the first time in several trips that the yellowtail were caught in good numbers.

Conklin said that although many anglers had hook-ups, only three fish were landed as they were breaking free after running into the kelp.

Good-size barracuda and bass were also caught.

The Shogun returned from its three-day trip fishing 200 miles out and returned with skipjack, yellowtail, bluefin and yellowfin tuna.

The trip’s jackpot winners were Torrance fishermen Gary Tanoyneo and Isao Hatashetti with 32- and 23-pound yellowtail.

The only yellowfin tuna caught on the trip was by Ruth McBride. She caught a 35-pounder while trolling.

Rose Cadman at the Avalon weigh station reports that one of the largest marlin of the season was caught this past week. Rocky Gosselin of Avalon, fishing off Avalon Bank, decked the 164-pound fish in 35 minutes. Cadman said the total marlin weighed at Avalon to date is 19. At this time last year, more than 100 had been brought to the scale.

Members of the King Harbor Marlin Club had some good catches last week.

Ray Hawkes caught the first albacore of the year while fishing aboard the Marauder at the Sea Mount area. The fish weighed 12 pounds 8 ounces.

Wolfgang Schell, fishing off Mexico, landed a 90-pound sailfish. Rick Henderson, also fishing in Mexican waters, caught a 50-pound dorado.

All fish caught by members help earn points toward year-end awards.

The club also encourages members to release the many species of fish they catch each year.

Joe and Mark Arno of Gardena, fishing at the rigs Monday from their skiff Me-Too, caught a limit of bonito in less than an hour. Later they moved to the horseshoe kelp, where Mark Arno caught a 10-8 barracuda.

David and Alice Clarke of Wilmington were trolling in their skiff out from horseshoe kelp when they had a double hook-up. Despite crossed and tangled lines, they landed bonito weighing 7 1/2 and 6 3/4 pounds.

South Bay catches--David Kragness of Long Beach, fishing off San Benitos Island aboard the Shogun, caught the whopper of the week, a 48-pound bluefin tuna.