FISHING : White Seabass Are Providing Anglers Plenty of Action

A large concentration of white seabass from Point Fermin to Rocky Point have South Bay anglers reeling in some big catches.

Although season catches are up, anglers are still finding it difficult to catch a three-fish limit.

Party boats and skiff anglers, fishing near shore kelp and rocks, are hooking up but haven’t been able to hold the bigger fish.

Anglers aboard the L.A. Harbor boat Matt Walsh and Long Beach Sportfishing’s Victory report catches of as many as 15 white seabass.

Sid Kronenberg of Culver City, fishing aboard the Matt Walsh, hooked four fish and lost all but one. But the white seabass he did catch weighed 29 pounds and won the jackpot.

Charlie Coultas of Carson, fishing aboard the Victory, caught a white seabass that weighed 25 1/2 pounds.

Boat captains urge anglers to bring heavy and light tackle because in addition to white seabass, anglers have been catching limits of good-sized calico bass by using squid for bait.

All South Bay sportfishing landings have two-day Cortez Bank trips each weekend through the winter months.

The L.A. Harbor Sportfishing’s Pacifica returned Monday morning from fishing the Cortez and Tanner banks.

Anglers caught 19 yellowtail, and all the fish weighed over 30 pounds. The fish were caught with squid and jigs.

The Cortez Bank is known for its abundance of rockfish, and anglers on the trip reached their limit with a total catch of 330.

The trip’s jackpot went to Jack Dresser of Long Beach.

Long Beach Sportfishing’s Toronado also had success at Cortez Bank, with Jung Pack of Long Beach winning the jackpot with a 42-pound yellowtail.

San Clemente Island remains a good location for calico bass and yellowtail.

The back side of Catalina Island is a hot spot for yellowtail and white seabass.

South Bay anglers also continue to have success fishing in Mexican waters.

Peggy Hartley of Inglewood returned Monday from three days of fishing at Mexico’s Buena Vista and caught a limit of bluefin tuna, the largest of which weighed 57 pounds.

Hartley also fished a day off San Jose Cabo and caught and released several dorado, including a 42-pounder.

Bill Duckett of Carson returned from fishing off San Quintin in Mexico, where he caught a limit of yellowfin tuna weighing from 25 to 30 pounds.

Cavin Baker of Long Beach, fishing from his skiff off San Martin Island in Mexico, caught his limit of bluefin tuna, the largest weighing 25 pounds.

Frank Hall of San Pedro, fishing near Angel Island in Mexico, caught a three-day limit of yellowtail, with all the fish weighing more than 25 pounds.

South Bay Catches: Albert Grossman of Wilmington, fishing aboard the Hitless Miss at Horseshoe Kelp, used a squid-baited blue and white jig to catch the whopper of the week--a 43-pound white seabass.

Skip Skow of Torrance, fishing off San Clemente Island aboard the Grands, caught a 31-pound yellowtail.

Jong Kong of Venice, fishing aboard the Del Mar, caught a 27-pound halibut.

Fishing at Rocky Point aboard the Matt Walsh, Bob Stillson of Torrance caught a 17-pound white seabass.

Jin Cho of San Pedro, fishing off Catalina aboard the First String, caught a 15-pound cabezon.