FISHING / DAN STANTON : Anglers Go to Great Depths for Rockfish

With a drop in water temperature, the area sportfishing fleet is beginning to search deep water in hopes of catching rock cod and rockfish.

There are more than 50 species of rockfish, including lingcod, salmon grouper and cow cod. The area fleet is expected to fish depths of 150 to 800 feet off Santa Catalina, Santa Barbara and San Clemente islands and will also work Osborne Bank.

Some area boats had success last week. The 22nd Street Landing’s New Hustler II worked Cherry Bank and returned with 270 rock cod and eight cow cod.

Long Beach Sportfishing sent the Aztec to San Nicholas Island and it returned with a catch of 300 rock cod and five ling cod.

Los Angeles Harbor’s Sportking worked offshore of Catalina and returned with 105 rock cod, 40 salmon grouper and seven lingcod. The First String returned from Catalina with 225 rock cod and eight cow cod.

Anglers with jackpot fish were Cho Namil of San Pedro with an 18 1/2-pound cow cod, Peter Villanueva of San Pedro with a 17-pound cow cod and Bob Ziemer of Long Beach with a 15-pound lingcod.

The area sportfishing landings also plan to continue half- and three-quarter-day runs for surface fishing. Last weekend, calico bass and bonito action was rated good as anglers averaged half to full limits.

Eight members of the King Harbor Marlin Club returned from a two-day rock cod trip aboard the Condor.

The anglers worked the San Miguel Island area and caught limits of various rockfish.

Lou Merrill was the first-day jackpot winner with a 20-pound lingcod. The second-day jackpot was won by Ray Hawkes, who also had a 20-pound lingcod.

Six other club members caught limits both days.

Catalina squid update: Los Angeles Harbor’s Pacifica, using squid for bait, worked an area off the east end of the island. Anglers aboard the boat caught three yellowtail.

Captain Guy Ashley said indications are that as soon as squid becomes regularly available, anglers should be able to catch white sea bass and yellowtail.

South Bay catches: Dave Serano of Long Beach, aboard the New Hustler II, caught the whopper of the week--a 24-pound cow cod.

Craig Toda of Redondo Beach, aboard the Pacifica offshore of Catalina, caught a 22-pound halibut.

Terry Franklin of Wilmington, aboard the Hitless Miss at Horseshoe Kelp, caught a 17-pound halibut.