FISHING NOTES : Surface Catches Have Cooled Off, but Rock Cod Is Still Hot

Winter weather conditions have slowed surface fishing, but rock cod action hasn’t been affected.

South Bay anglers have been bagging cod limits in 200 to 600 feet of water using three-pound weights.

Long Beach anglers Tom Murphy and Bob Tyler, who fish at least once a week on the Southern Cal from Long Beach Sportfishing, test their angling skills in friendly competition with each other.

Murphy says that when he comes up with a heavy fish and is sure it will be the jackpot winner, Tyler brings up a bigger one.

Tyler, laughing, says it is his strategy. He goes down with a five-hook ganion and leaves it on the bottom while he baits up another ganion. After cranking up his catch from the deep, rather than lose time, he detaches the whole ganion and puts on the extra baited one to go back down quickly.

Tyler fishes next to Murphy and wins four out of five jackpots.

Jerry Kruse of Long Beach returned from a 16-day trip aboard the Polaris and won the jackpot with a 114-pound yellowfin tuna.

Nelson Dooley of Long Beach was also a long-range jackpot winner fishing aboard the Qualifier 105 when he landed a 154-pound, 7-ounce yellowfin tuna.

South Bay Catches: Pam Pena of Torrance, fishing aboard the Sea Spray while drifting at Twin Roads, caught the whopper of the week, a 31-pound halibut.

Bob Tyler of Long Beach, fishing at Catalina Island aboard the Southern Cal, won the jackpot with a 25-pound ling cod.

Harry C. Wang of West Los Angeles caught an 18-pound yellowtail fishing at Catalina aboard the Outerlimits.

Don Haynes of Lawndale, fishing from his boat Fisheret in Santa Monica Bay, caught a 10-pound, 4-ounce halibut.