FISHING : Early Summer Action Heats Up for Barracuda, Sand Bass and Yellowtail

Early summer sportfishing action is under way with barracuda, sand bass and yellowtail providing the bulk of action.

Day and twilight party boats fishing from Santa Monica Bay to horseshoe kelp have had the best success.

Anglers have been catching full-day limits and boats have been returning to landings ahead of schedule.

Yellowtail off Catalina Island and white seabass action is improving with the return of live squid for bait.

Mark McKinsey and Bill Campbell of Torrance, fishing aboard the Top Gun off Catalina, caught a three-fish limit of white seabass and then sent live squid to the bottom to try for halibut. Both fishermen were able to catch 21-pound halibut.

Erika Zimmer, 11, of San Pedro, fishing Monday aboard the half-day boat Matt Walsh, caught a 9 1/2-pound barracuda.

What does a charter boat captain do on his day off?

Keith Brewer, who skippers the Pacifica of L.A. Harbor Sportfishing, put his 14-foot Zodiac in the water Monday and headed outside the harbor breakwater to fish.

Brewer, fishing with crew member Patsy Kennedy, drifted along the breakwater wall and tossed jigs. Brewer and Kennedy each returned with a 10-fish limit of calico bass weighing from four to eight pounds.

Clyde Rainwater and Catharine Thompson of the King Harbor Marlin Club returned from a weekend of fishing off Loreto, Mexico.

Thompson used 40-pound test line to catch the largest fish of the trip, a 105-pound sailfish. She battled the fish for only 25 minutes.

Thompson also caught five dorado, which she released.

Rainwater caught seven dorado, keeping only the largest, which weighed 22 1/2 pounds.

The first annual Sportfishing Assn. of California derby saw 342 anglers enter catches during the first week of the 16-week event.

Ed Vasques of Redondo Beach, who caught a 37-pound white seabass on the half-day boat City of Redondo, won the opening-week seabass whopper award.

The second week of the contest has ended and results are being compiled.

Last weekend Norovo Yamanaka of West Los Angeles, fishing aboard the Redondo Special at rocky point, caught a 12-pound salmon.

Salmon are still in the area of rocky point and the barge, but remain elusive and continue to move north.

Four hundred area youths experienced the thrills of fishing for the first time Monday aboard the Annie B Barge.

The Los Angeles Rod and Reel Club’s 42nd annual trip was a huge success as fishing was rated good.

Three West Los Angeles boys won trophies. Ryan Taylor caught a seven-pound halibut, Jason Dickson a three-pound sculpin and Sal Garcia the most fish--eight.

Local Catches--Chris Williams of San Pedro, fishing aboard the Outerlimits off Catalina, caught the whopper of the week, a 38-pound white seabass.

Ken Wong of West Los Angeles, fishing aboard the Dreamer off Catalina, caught a 37-pound white seabass.

Brian Smith of Long Beach, fishing aboard the Toronado off Catalina, caught a 30-pound white seabass.

Bob Sweet of Redondo Beach, fishing at horseshoe kelp aboard the Victory, caught a 25-pound yellowtail.

John Lowry of West Los Angeles, fishing aboard the Islander off Catalina, caught a 19-pound white seabass.

Bill Duckett of Gardena, fishing aboard the Outerlimits, caught an 18-pound white seabass.