The Charity Angle
California fishers have long taken from the sea, but this weekend they plan to give something back as part of the Southland’s biggest saltwater anglers tournament, the annual Santa Monica Bay Halibut Derby.
More than 1,600 fishers, 450 boats and hundreds of halibut will take part in the two-day event, which supports fishing programs for underprivileged Los Angeles County youngsters.
The derby also gives money to several halibut research projects conducted by the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History.
Some anglers come for the camaraderie, some in hopes of landing the fattest fast-flapping flatfish and the grand prize--an all-expenses-paid fishing trip to Alaska, where the halibut are bigger and more abundant. And others come, well, just for the halibut.
“The derby gives us fishermen the opportunity to raise money for kids who have never seen the ocean and who may never otherwise have an opportunity to fish,” said derby founder John Bourget.
“It gives us a chance to introduce them to a sport we love and a lifelong hobby.”
As part of the derby, fishing enthusiasts troll the waters of Santa Monica Bay on sportfishing charters, private power boats and dinghies.
Anglers set their sinkers and rods between Point Dume and the Palos Verdes Peninsula in hopes of landing a halibut, the majority of which are caught within view of the shore.
All legal-size halibut, which must be at least 22 inches long, are weighed and measured at tournament headquarters in Marina del Rey.
Last year, nearly 300 fish were caught, but in order to top the derby size record set in 1989, anglers will need to land a halibut that weighs more than 45.1 pounds.
When Bourget founded the derby more than a decade ago, about 300 anglers participated. But in recent years, the tournament has more than quadrupled and now attracts fishermen and women from places such as Arizona and Washington state.
Over the years, derby efforts have raised more than $210,000 for summer youth fishing programs with money collected from a $70 tournament entry fee.
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The funds provide several youth groups, including the Santa Monica Bay Boys and Girls Club, with money for all-day fishing trips. The club takes groups of 40 youngsters on fishing trips twice each summer.
Many who participate in the excursions have never seen the ocean and would otherwise never be exposed to the sport.
“It opens up a whole new world of opportunity and hope for them,” said Scott Robinson, associate executive director of the club. “They really benefit from the experience.”
Money raised from the derby is also used for several halibut research projects conducted by the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History Department of Fishes.
The museum runs a hatchery project at the Southern California Edison Power Plant in Redondo Beach, where scientists study the early life stages of California halibut along with spawning and migration patterns.
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Unlike their Alaskan counterparts, which can grow as large as 600 pounds, California halibut typically range between 20 and 40 pounds.
Halibut, according to hatchery directors Jim Rounds and Robert Lavenberg, are among the most populous fish in the Santa Monica Bay. The researchers estimate that there about 200,000 halibut in the bay.
As part of their $70,000-per-year research program, they ask anglers who catch a halibut maller than 22 inches to tag the fish with a museum pin and identification number before they toss it back into the sea. In the last five years, more than 30,000 fish have been tagged, giving researchers a strong idea of the Santa Monica Bay’s water quality, the areas where the fish are moving and how many are out there.
“There’s a lot of protein in halibut and most people think its a pretty tasty fish,” said Lavenberg. “It’s one of most important species in the Santa Monica Bay.”
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The Beat
Today’s centerpiece focuses on the 11th annual Santa Monica Bay Halibut Derby scheduled for this weekend. The derby raises money to take underprivileged kids on fishing trips and to fund halibut research programs sponsored by the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum. For information: (310) 450-5131.
