White Sea Bass Catch Proves Well Worth the Bumpy Crossing

As the wind whipped the ocean into a froth last Sunday, a few boats made the bumpy crossing to the back of Santa Catalina Island.

“They stayed out there and stuck it out,” said Dan Stanton, a spokesman for L.A. Harbor Sportfishing. “And they got ‘em.”

What they got were white sea bass, one of the most popular game fish in Southern California and the hottest thing around when the fish choose to stay awhile.

Fortunately for fleets from Newport Beach to Redondo Beach, they have so chosen. The winds have also let up and anglers have been lining up.

“Our boats are already sold out (for today),” Stanton said early Tuesday.

On Tuesday, every boat at the island was into fish by mid-morning, and some were returning by early afternoon with limits. Not that a limit is hard to come by during a hot bite: It’s one fish per person.

But considering that the fish are running between 20 and 45 pounds, nobody’s complaining.

Two of the biggest fish taken in the last three days were caught by Irma Klink of San Pedro, a 45 1/2-pound white sea bass, and Debbie Muller of Long Beach, a 42-pounder.

*

Given the abundance of fish at Catalina and the abundance of squid--their favorite food--keeping them there, the timing was ideal for White Sea Bass Weekend, an event aimed at getting spawning-sized fish for a soon-to-be-completed hatchery in Carlsbad.

Except for the weather, that is.

More than 150 private boaters had signed up, but the winds reduced the number to 50, which were tossed about like the S.S. Minnow.

“It was victory at sea,” said Bill Shedd, co-founder of the United Anglers of Southern California and chairman of the white sea bass project.

Still, the anglers were able to catch 19 fish and transfer them to the research vessel, Sea World.

Of those, 13 survived the trip to Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute in San Diego, where they are being held with other brood stock until the completion of the hatchery in early summer.

Said Shedd: “Accomplishing this with 30-knot winds and horrible weather proves that this concept really works. I mean, one fish is capable of producing thousands of eggs so. . . .”

So there figure to be more White Sea Bass Weekends.

*

Catching a swordfish is rare for even the most serious angler. Catching two in one day is unheard of.

Until now.

Clarence Fox of Napa reportedly landed broadbills of 240 and 130 pounds while fishing last Friday 30 miles off the coast of San Jose del Cabo, a small town north of Cabo San Lucas.

“In all my years’ experience in Cabo San Lucas sportfishing, I can’t remember a single angler having ever taken a pair of swordfish in a single day,” said Larry Edwards of Cortez Yacht Charters in Lemon Grove.

Fishing is generally poor in the Cabo area but there has been a run on swordfish, if it can be called that. About a dozen have been hooked or landed in the last week.

*

For those wondering how significant the contributions of hunters are toward conservation efforts: During the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep’s annual auction recently, high bid for a tag to kill one Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in Montana was $281,000.

A desert sheep tag from Arizona sold for $233,000, and one from New Mexico sold for $123,000. Of the money raised at the auction--including that from other tags sold--$1.3 million will be donated for state wildlife agencies with wild sheep ranges.

According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, hunters nationwide contribute $3 million a day toward wildlife conservation efforts and contribute more than $14 billion to the national economy each year.

*

The Boat Owners Assn. of the United States is hailing a law that will go into effect May 1, requiring that wearable life jackets be provided for all persons on boats of 16 feet or smaller.

Currently, boat owners are required only to carry Coast Guard-approved flotation devices, such as seat cushions or ring buoys.

More than 300 people die every year in accidents involving small, open boats. Of those, 90% are not wearing life jackets.

“Many of those who died in boating accidents might be alive today if they had simply worn a life jacket,” said Richard Schwartz, president of BOAT/U.S.