FISHING / DAN STANTON : Sand Bass Tag-and-Release Project Begins Its 4th Year

The fourth year of the sand bass tag and release project is under way.

Captain Russ Izor, who launched the project three years ago with the cooperation of the Los Angeles County Fish and Game Commission, recently completed two tagging trips. The trips resulted in 516 sand bass being tagged and released.

Department of Fish and Game biologists are hopeful that information collected from the study will help answer questions about the migration patterns of sand bass.

The success of any tagging program depends on whether anglers catching tagged species write down data about the size and weight of the fish and were it was caught.

The information, along with the tag, should be sent to the Department of Fish and Game, 330 Golden Shores, Long Beach 90802.

Anglers who return a tag with information will be sent a $5 recovery reward.

With tuna being caught over a wide area, the South Bay fleet continues to return from overnight trips with impressive catches.

Tuna have been found 60 miles offshore to 10 miles east of Catalina Island. Private boats working close to Catalina have also been catching dorado.

The Los Angeles Harbor boat Shogun returned Tuesday night from a trip 60 miles offshore with limits of game fish. The jackpot was shared by two West Los Angeles anglers. Toby Valdes caught a 28-pound yellowfin tuna and Vito Cimmarusti caught a 22-pound yellowtail.

Mike Baker of Torrance caught 10 yellowfin and a yellowtail. The total catch was 124 yellowfin, 224 skipjack, seven yellowtail and six dorado.

Long Beach Sportfishing’s Toronado returned from a trip Monday. The 35 anglers aboard caught 200 skipjack, 85 yellowfin, 30 dorado and a bluefin tuna.

The jackpot fish was caught by Long Beach fisherman Clark Rowton, who had a 22-pound yellowfin.

Ivan Southerland of Long Beach caught a 20-pound tuna. Other area anglers catching tuna included Mark Rexeira of San Pedro, Walter Krevter of Palos Verdes and Larry Rickens of Inglewood.

Marlin continue to be caught offshore of Catalina. Rosie Cadman said 37 marlin have been brought to the Avalon scale. That total does not include several smaller fish that were tagged and released.

Brett Clark of Westchester caught a 207-pound marlin last week off the west end of Catalina.

Long Beach angler Linda Adriany, who was aboard the Triton, caught a 175-pounder. Hector Contres, who was aboard the Brandywine, caught a 125-pounder.

John Rudder of Redondo Sport Fishing reports that Redondo Beach angler Jeff Gray caught a 12-pound calico bass during a trip aboard the Sea Spray.

Gray caught the bass off Rocky Point using light tackle and an anchovy for bait.

King Harbor Marlin Club member Wolfgang Nachsel competed in a Hawaiian billfish tournament last week and caught an albacore. After the tournament, Nachsel went fishing aboard a private yacht.

Using a mackerel for bait, he got a strike and soon found his reel spooled of line. Nachsel battled the fish for more than 20 minutes before bringing a 57-pound billfish to the deck.

Nachsel’s albacore was the first one caught this year by a club member.

Local update: A scarcity of bait has slowed local sand bass action.

Barracuda are still being caught with jigs and small sardines from Horseshoe Kelp to Malibu.

Island update: Private boats that have been trolling between Catalina and San Clemente islands have been catching tuna and yellowtail.

South Bay sportfishing fleets are finding schools of fish 40 to 60 miles offshore.

South Bay catches: Paul Fabian of San Pedro, aboard the Shogun about 80 miles offshore, caught the whopper of the week--a 38-pound yellowfin.

Tom Heatman of West Los Angeles, aboard the Freedom offshore of San Clemente Island, caught a 31-pound yellowfin.

Paul Hernandez of Long Beach, aboard the Shogun offshore of Catalina, caught a 24-pound yellowtail.

Steve Ferlando of San Pedro, aboard the First String at 60-mile bank, caught a 19-pound yellowfin.

Sally Goodrich of Wilmington, aboard the Hitless Miss at the rigs, caught an 18 3/4-pound dorado.

Ryan Peterson of Long Beach, aboard the First String at 60-mile bank, caught an 18-pound yellowfin.