FISHING : Club’s Four-Day Trip to Mexican Waters Is Called a Success

The South Bay Tuna Safari Club’s fifth annual tuna trip was a huge success.

Twenty-five club members returned Monday to 22nd Street Landing aboard the Islander from a four-day trip off San Marin Island in Mexico.

The trip’s jackpot winner was Hawthorne resident Joe Austin, who caught a tuna that weighed 20 1/2 pounds.

Second was Gardena resident Rico Curtis, who decked a 19 3/4-pound tuna.

San Pedro residents Ernie Aguilar and Tony Varela also caught tuna.

Ron Niddes caught yellowtail and dorado. All 25 anglers returned with a limit of skipjack.

Islander captains Marc Pissano and Paul Strasser said a tank of sardines and an abundance of anchovies used for chumming the fish contributed the trip’s excellent catch.

The total catch was 300 skipjack, 14 bluefin tuna, four dorado and three yellowtail.

L.A. Harbor’s First String returned Sunday from a two-day trip to Cortez Bank scouting for tuna.

Although no tuna were caught, captain Pat Conklin said conditions remain perfect for a good tuna bite.

The anglers fished the bottom and returned with limits of rockfish and a bonito that weighed over 12 pounds. Six hundred fish were caught, including good-size sheephead.

Locally, barracuda have scattered and catch counts are down.

Over the weekend, bonito and halibut made up most of the catches.

The 10th annual King Harbor Marlin Club and Marina City Anglers tournament was held last weekend.

Thirty-one boats participated, but only one marlin was caught. Ken Carey, fishing from his boat Cash and Carry out from Avalon Bank, caught a 123 1/2-pounder.

Carey’s catch helped the King Harbor Marlin Club win the event for the third consecutive year.

Rosie Cadman of the Avalon weigh station said marlin fishing remains slow. Besides Carey’s fish, only two other marlin were brought to scale over the weekend. Ken Marcland, fishing from his boat Cal Style, caught a 187-pounder and Bob Gregg, fishing from his boat Jeffy, caught a 137-pounder.

Michael Haladoff of Lomita returned last week from a 2 1/2-day albacore trip aboard the Ranger 85 out of Berkeley.

Haladoff said his group fished 100 miles out from Borego Bay and he caught 14 albacore, the largest weighing 41 1/2 pounds. Haladoff said many larger fish were caught.

South Bay Catches--Terry Sawa of West Los Angeles, aboard the Del Mar in Santa Monica Bay, caught a 38-pound halibut, the whopper of the week.

Dan Giordano of Venice, fishing aboard the Sea Spray, caught a 32-pound white seabass at rocky point.

Barry Gardner of West Los Angeles, aboard the Betty O at the shallow rocks, caught a 30-pound lingcod.

Jack Hurst of Culver City, aboard the Happyman in Santa Monica Bay, caught a 22-pound halibut.

Dean Raymand of Wilmington, aboard the Hitless Miss at horseshoe kelp, caught a 16 1/2-pound yellowtail.