FISHING : Toronado Anglers Were Kept Busy Battling Barracuda

Despite poor weather conditions, fishing in South Bay waters was excellent last week.

Anglers working areas from Rocky Point to Santa Catalina Island had little difficulty catching limits. The Long Beach Sportfishing boat Toronado found a large supply of legal-size barracuda, and anglers were able to catch 196.

Five white seabass were also caught, but several others were lost when the fish were able to break free from the light tackle the anglers were using.

Anglers aboard the Redondo Sportfishing’s Blackjack returned from a rock cod trip off Santa Barbara Island with their limits. West Los Angeles fisherman Al Elliot reeled in a 19-pound cow cod, one of the largest that has been caught this year.

The 22nd Street Landing’s Freedom fished off Santa Barbara Island, and anglers returned with limits of rock cod and lingcod.

The jackpot winner was Long Beach fisherman Jim Harrison, who caught an 18-pound lingcod.

The 10 anglers aboard the L.A. Harbor half-day boat Matt Walsh last weekend needed only two hours to catch limits of calico bass. The fish weighed an average of five pounds.

Torrance fishermen Bob Alvarez and Phil Friedman were trolling six miles off Rocky Point aboard Alvarez’s skiff Choveta when they spotted birds feeding in the area.

Although they had no bait, the fishermen tossed jigs into the area the birds were occupying and were able to catch barracuda. They returned to King Harbor with a 10-fish limit. The biggest fish weighed eight pounds.

The Santa Monica-based environmental group Heal the Bay has formed a branch in the South Bay.

The new branch will be covering an area from Playa del Rey to Long Beach.

The group’s activities include monitoring water pollution and watching for fishing violators.

Individuals who might be interested in the group can attend a meeting at 7 p.m. Monday at the King Harbor Sports Center, 819 N. Harbor Blvd., Redondo Beach.

A ceremony was held last week when the one millionth child passed through Cabrillo Museum in San Pedro.

Fifth-grader Jesus Macias from Fremont School was the one millionth visitor, and he received a plaque. All the other students in the group also received gifts, as did teachers from the school.

From Sunday to June 15, the limit on white seabass is one. The fish are spawning, and officials are worried that taking too many white seabass could hurt the population.

On June 16, the limit returns to three.

Torrance fishermen Bill Northington and Jerry Foote won the team competition at the Marina del Rey halibut derby last weekend. They combined to catch 41 pounds, three ounces of halibut.

The men won an all-expense-paid trip to Costa Rica.

South Bay Catches: Daryl Andressi of San Pedro, aboard the Wahine II off Catalina, caught the whopper of the week--a 28-pound white seabass.

Cho Bogler of West Los Angeles, fishing off Venice Reef aboard the Del Mar, caught a 27 1/2-pound halibut.

Bob Witkowski of Long Beach, aboard the Toronado off Santa Barbara Island, caught an 18-pound lingcod.

Rob Dowd of Harbor City, aboard the Matt Walsh at Horseshoe Kelp, caught an 18-pound sheephead.

John Bantor of Long Beach, aboard the Southern Cal off the oil rigs, caught a 15-pound cabezon.