FISHING / DAN STANTON : Tuna Continue to Move Closer to South Bay Waters

The continued El Nino is credited with making this the best year for fishing since 1983.

Yellowfin and bluefin tuna, dorado and skipjack have been moving closer to South Bay waters as the area fleet continues to find fish within a day’s travel.

Even during 1983, regarded as a record year because of another El Nino, anglers were pressed to find fishing this good in August.

A large concentration of tuna has been found as close as 80 miles out in 70- to 73-degree water.

The 22nd Street Landing boat Islander returned early Tuesday with a limit of fish for its 26 anglers.

Brad Dew of Long Beach caught a 22-pound dorado. Long Beach fisherman Steve Johnson landed a 20-pound dorado.

The catch for the two-day trip was 132 tuna, 110 skipjack, 71 dorado and 35 yellowtail.

The Los Angeles Harbor’s Shogun returned Monday night with 211 yellowfin tuna, 148 skipjack, 34 yellowtail and 22 dorado.

The trip’s jackpot winner was Jerry Jones of Harbor City with a 28-pound yellowfin tuna. Scott Wilson of Long Beach caught a 25-pound tuna.

Other jackpot contenders were Don Ames of Redondo Beach with a 24-pounder and Aron Monte of San Pedro with a 22-pounder.

Santa Monica fisherman Brian Bennett caught 10 skipjack, eight yellowfin and two dorado.

Anglers aboard the 22nd Street Landing boat First String returned from a one-day trip with 76 yellowfin, 63 skipjack and 18 dorado.

Jane Hays of Long Beach caught her first-ever tuna, which weighed 28 pounds. The largest dorado on the trip was landed by John Schowenberg of Long Beach. It weighed 21 pounds.

The 22nd Street Landing boat Freedom was searching for tuna on an overnight trip when Marina del Rey angler Tony Sapien landed an unusual catch.

After catching a tuna, Sapien changed jigs and tossed his lure toward a school of fish.

As soon as his jig hit the water, it was struck by a marlin.

The fish circled the boat several times during the 34-minute battle before the crew was able to hoist it aboard. The marlin weighed 165 pounds.

Rosie Cadman reports that 24 marlin have been brought to the Avalon scale.

Last weekend, a 323-pound swordfish caught by Terry Martin aboard the boat Gambler was brought to the Avalon scale.

The weekend’s largest marlin was a 171-pounder caught by Ted Wallace of Long Beach.

Warm water temperatures inside the harbor helped make for a successful day of fishing Sunday for anglers aboard the Annie B Barge.

Anglers caught 440 Spanish mackerel. Herbert Lewis of Long Beach caught the largest--a 7 1/4-pounder.

The Spanish mackerel often searches for food inside breakwaters and piers.

The Isle of Redondo Barge has been catching stray skipjack along with some Spanish mackerel.

Legal-size catches of halibut on the barge have also been reported.

David Ziemer of Redondo Beach caught a 32-pound halibut--the largest reported on the barge this year.

Local update: Catches of sand bass during daylight hours have also been impressive, with several limits reported.

On twilight trips, anglers have been catching 10-fish limits along with barracuda weighing up to 10 pounds.

Island update: South Bay overnight boats that are not on tuna runs have been finding calico bass and yellowtail in kelp paddies.

Some tuna have also been caught off the west end of Catalina Island.

Most of the fish are small and average from 10 to 15 pounds.

South Bay catches: Steve Tamura of Gardena, aboard the Pacific Queen 90 miles off Point Loma, battled an 83-pound bluefin tuna for 90 minutes to earn whopper of the week honors.

James Von of Torrance, aboard the Toronado 40 miles off San Clemente Island, caught a 40-pound bluefin tuna.

Harvey Brooks of Carson, aboard the Hitless Miss off the rigs, pulled a yellowtail from the kelp that weighed 38 3/4 pounds.

Brian Fujimoto of Wilmington, aboard the Diawa on a trip off San Clemente Island, caught a 30-pound yellowfin tuna.

Denise Barboia of Long Beach, fishing off of Catalina aboard the Toronado, caught a 28-pound yellowtail.

Reminder: Because of demand, area sportfishing landings are urging anglers to reserve tuna trips. Some schedule changes are possible as the fish move closer to the area.