They Found a Spot Where Tuna Are Hot

What started as a basic fishing trip to the islands turned into one of the better tuna trips of the year for the local fleet, and it appears a tuna season is finally under way.

Pat Conklin of L.A. Harbor Sportfishing’s First String, carrying 30 passengers from an Eagle Claw fishing school prepared more for calico bass and rockfish, responded to reports of tuna at an offshore bank about 60 miles southwest of San Pedro and found the fish Sunday morning.

Ron Kovach, in charge of the school, said the passengers were fishing the high spot for rockfish for nearly three hours before the tuna showed, crashing the surface after bait fish. Everyone reeled in and four trolling rigs were put out. All four lures were hit almost immediately.

“They were skipjacks to 15 pounds and then the yellowfin followed,” Kovach said. “A lot of the guys weren’t really prepared. We had a lot of guys get spooled on 12- and 15-pound test.”

The First String went back to the area Monday and its 40 passengers boated another 51 yellowfin and 61 skipjack, most fish weighing 10-25 pounds. Conklin said the fishing was “as good as you’d want it,” with fish hitting bait and iron lures.

The fishing slowed Tuesday, merely because the weather was so rough it made it hard for the boats to stay on the fish. Still, the Toronad out of Long Beach Sportfishing reported having caught nine fish by 11 a.m. Conklin couldn’t be reached as of Tuesday afternoon.

Jim Peterson, owner of L.A. Harbor Sportfishing, said the landing will run daily trips to the area until the tuna disappear. Long Beach will run regular trips as well.

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California’s second “Free Fishing Day,” offering people a chance to go fishing without buying a license, will be Sept. 24, and the Department of Fish and Game has come up with an angle to lure new faces into the sport.

“Family Fishing Day” is scheduled at El Dorado East Regional Park in Long Beach from 8 a.m. to noon. The DFG and city of Long Beach will lend equipment to a limited number of participants and experts will be available for hands-on instruction.

Cost is $5 a car, with the first 100 car-poolers getting in free.

Free fishing days are held twice annually in California.

Briefly

BAJA FISHING--Blue marlin are scattered outside Cabo San Lucas, with some closer than they have been all year. An angler from Connecticut caught and released three marlin in one day aboard the Tracy Ann. The fleets reported some fish to 500 pounds, but most ranged from 150-300 pounds. Dave McCoy of Long Beach caught a 456-pound black marlin aboard the Pisces’ Karina. There is an abundance of dorado and tuna offshore as well. An Arizona angler aboard the charter yacht Rapfsody caught an 85 1/2-pound bull dorado. Wahoo fishing is fair at best.

East Cape: Tuna and dorado are striking feathers with surprising consistency. The tuna are running 25-50 pounds and the dorado 20 pounds. Blue marlin and striped marlin are occasionally striking larger lures or being baited farther offshore.

La Paz: Yellowfin tuna 50-100-pounds are still bending rods south of Espiritu Santo Island, and the Mosquito fleet is targeting them daily. Bob Butler’s panga fleet is running outside of Cerralvo Island and encountering more dorado than it knows what to do with. “It’s the best I’ve seen it in 25 years,” Butler said.

San Diego long-range--The overnight fleet is still waiting for an improved tuna bite, and the multi-day boats are still finding plenty of tuna to tackle. The American Angler returned Sunday from a six-day trip halfway down the Baja California peninsula and its passengers bagged their limits in two stops. “We got there (at the Uncle Sam Bank) at 4:30 and picked up 200 before dark, and the next day we got the rest,” said Dan Sansome, owner of the vessel. “We released more than 100 tuna.” They also picked up 200 dorado from under floating kelp paddies on the way down and 140 yellowtail at San Benito Island on the way back.

FRESHWATER--The annual Mammoth Lakes Fall Trout Derby will take place Saturday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Trophy-sized trout will be stocked in all lakes before the event and this year Convict Lake and Crowley Lake, as well as the lakes within Mammoth Lakes proper, are eligible sites. There will be awards for the largest fish, but most prizes will be won in a drawing at the end of the tournament. There is no fee. Details: (800) 367-6572. . . . A float-tubers-only tournament will be held at Crowley Lake on Sept. 24-25. Cost is $20. Details: (714) 546-4370. . . . Full Moon Madness, held each full moon at Irvine and Corona lakes, will be repeated Saturday, offering fishermen a chance to take advantage of the night catfish bite. Both lakes will reopen at 6 p.m. and close at 2 a.m.

HUNTING--Deer seasons are coming to a close, but seasons for mountain quail, blue and ruffed grouse, ptarmigan and tree squirrels got under way Monday. The DFG is offering a free 10-hour course that will enable prospective hunters to obtain their mandatory hunter safety certificates. The course will be held Saturday at 6:30 a.m. at Raahauge’s Pheasant Hunting Club in Norco. Details: (800) 773-4868. . . . Duck, whitewing and mourning dove hunting dates in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico, have been set. Whitewing dove opens Oct. 22, closing Feb. 25, 1995; mourning dove opens Nov. 5 and closes Feb. 5, and duck opens Nov. 5 and closes March 6. The area around Los Moches is renowned for its outstanding whitewing dove and duck hunting and experts say conditions are excellent. Details: (818) 707-7393.

MISCELLANY--Gov. Pete Wilson is expected to sign into law soon a measure that will make it legal--beginning Jan. 1--for anglers in inland lakes to use two fishing poles. A special stamp will be required, however, at a cost of $7.50. The DFG says revenue generated might total as much as $2 million annually, but it remains to be seen whether anglers are willing to shell out the extra cash, considering what many feel is an already high price for a basic annual fishing license, $25.40.