FISHING : Halibut Derby Officials Are Expecting Over 2,000 Entries

Registration is under way for the sixth annual Santa Monica Bay Halibut Derby on April 4-5 in Santa Monica.

Derby Chairman John Bourget said 2,000 anglers are expected to fish in this year’s event, which will offer $25,000 in cash and prizes.

This year’s prize for catching Big Bertha, one of five specially tagged halibut, is $1,000. The five halibut will be released on the night of April 3 at five South Bay locations.

Anglers who catch halibut 24 inches or longer will receive a ticket for a drawing for fishing trips to Alaska and Mexico. Prizes will also include South Bay fishing trips and numerous tackle items.

Bourget is starting a halibut tagging project, and anglers are urged to join the program, which is open to derby participants and all others who fish for halibut.

Starter kits, which include a tagging device, tags and simple instructions, will be available.

Fish caught with tags at the derby should be brought to Robert Lavenberg, curator of fishes at the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum, who will be at the weigh-station. Fishermen who catch halibut at any other time during the year are requested to record the results at sea and send them to Lavenberg, who will analyze the data.

Bourget said that derby proceeds will be donated to the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Monica and the museum’s halibut hatchery project.

The museum has released 50,000 hatchery-raised halibut into local waters.

Derby entrants can fish in the event continuously from 5 a.m. Saturday to 5 p.m. Sunday. The weigh-station will be open each day until 5 p.m.

Entry forms are available at most South Bay tackle stores and sportfishing landings and must be received by midnight Tuesday. Information: (310) 450-5131.

As a result of last weekend’s storm, bait was in short supply and fishing was slow.

Catches consisted primarily of calico bass, halibut, sculpin and white seabass.

Island boats failed to find much surface action as rough seas forced the fleet to more tranquil waters surrounding the islands.

South Bay anglers who were fishing in Mexican waters returned with impressive catches. During an 18-day trip aboard the Polaris Supreme that was fishing off Clarion and Soccoro islands, Kub Ito of Harbor City caught a 325-pound yellowfin tuna.

A San Pedro fisherman on the trip, Joe Beck, caught a 153-pound yellowfin tuna.

South Bay Catches: Dan Fouts of Torrance, aboard the Redondo Special near Rocky Point, used an anchovy to catch the whopper of the week--a 44-pound white seabass.

Kevin Abell of Long Beach, aboard the Phathom off Catalina Island, caught a 25-pound halibut.

Chris Argo of Long Beach, aboard the Spitfire at Venice Reef, caught a 19 1/2-pound halibut.

David Lewis of Lomita, aboard the Hitless Miss at the Rock Pile, caught a 17-pound sheephead.

Ted Hale of Long Beach, aboard the Southern Cal at Horseshoe Kelp, caught a 15-pound sheephead.