FISHING / DAN STANTON : 2 Unusual Catches Now Shown at Marine Museum

South Bay half-day boats took part in two unusual catches last weekend.

The L.A. Harbor Sportfishing’s Matt Walsh was on a trip to the Rocky Point area fishing for calico bass when John Polmino of San Pedro brought up a popeyed catalufa from the rocky bottom.

Long Beach Sportfishing’s Southern Cal was at the rigs when Lou Speyer of Long Beach caught a 20-pound 15-ounce cabezon.

Catalufa, a shy, nocturnal fish, grow to 9 1/2 inches. They are bright red, which makes them virtually invisible as they stalk small fish and crustaceans on rock reefs. They are found in waters off Malibu to Peru.

The cabezon is bluish marble in color and inhabits rocky reefs near shore to 250 feet out. The meat from the fish turns white when cooked.

The female cabezon lays between 50,000 to 100,000 eggs in nests spread eight to 10 feet apart. The male guards the nests and drives intruders away by changing colors.

Speyer’s fish was just short of the International Game Fish record of 23 pounds, which was caught on Aug. 4, 1990.

These popular sportfish range from Baja California to Central California.

Both fish were transported to the Cabrillo Marine Museum where they are on display.

South Bay anglers continue to catch quality fish off area islands.

The Redondo Sportfishing boat Blackjack, on a day trip off San Clemente Island, returned with 57 yellowtail. Anglers used live squid for bait in one of the largest one-day catches of yellows for a Redondo Sportfishing boat this year.

A jackpot 27 1/2-pound yellowtail was caught by Kelley Croft of Santa Monica.

White seabass at rocky point continue to bust up tackle and several anglers are catching limits of calico bass.

On Sunday, anglers aboard the L.A. Harbor boat Matt Walsh were catching white seabass while fishing for calico bass. Yang Sing of Gardena won the jackpot with an 18-pound seabass.

Day trips to Cortez Bank by the 22nd Street Landing boat Islander and L.A. Harbor boat First String failed to locate tuna, but the boats returned with good counts of rockfish and yellowtail.

David Lane of San Pedro was fishing for halibut aboard the Annie B Barge in fog on Saturday night. He was using squid for bait and sent his line to the bottom, where he got a strike.

The fish started to run and peeled almost all of his 30-pound test line from his reel. After a 45-minute fight that took him from one end of the barge’s 100-foot platform to the another, two deckhands were able to lower a net into position to bring the fish aboard.

To the surprise of Lang, who thought he had hooked a halibut, the deckhands lifted a 65-pound bat ray to the deck.

South Bay anglers returned from long-range trips with yellowfin tuna.

Bill Gehring Jr. of Torrance, aboard the American Angler at Alijos Rock in Mexico, caught a 49-pound yellowfin.

Brian Smith of Long Beach, aboard the Pegasus 140 miles out from Point Loma, caught a 30-pound yellowfin.

South Bay Catches: Danny Park of West Los Angeles, aboard the Shogun off San Clemente Island, caught the whopper of the week, a 35-pound yellowtail.

James Galvin of San Pedro, fishing off San Clemente Island aboard the New Image, pulled a 33-pound yellowtail out of the kelp.

Ron Matherson of West Los Angeles, fishing aboard the Pacifica, caught a 23-pound yellowtail.

Barbara Agee of Carson, aboard the First String off Catalina Island, caught a 22-pound yellowtail.