FISHING : Anglers Battling Seabass, Yellowtail Off Islands

White seabass and yellowtail were in abundance for anglers fishing off Catalina and San Clemente islands last weekend and barracuda action also improved.

The 22nd Street Landing boat Freedom had a one-day count of 42 white seabass. The L.A. Harbor boat First String and Long Beach Sportfishing boat Victory had counts in excess of 200 barracuda. Big barracuda weighing up to eight pounds have been caught on twilight trips.

Sand bass continue to bite with anglers on South Bay three-quarter day and half-day boats catching limits.

Mike Goggen of Harbor City, fishing aboard the Sportking on a twilight trip for sand bass, hooked a fish that went down to the bottom.

Goggen said he was using only 20-pound test line, which made it difficult to move the fish. After a 15-minute battle, the fish came to the surface. It was a bat ray that captain Cookie Cook estimated to weigh over 100 pounds. The fish was released.

Larry Fukuhara, the program director of the Cabrillo Marine Museum, reminds grunion hunters that the last two grunion programs for this year will be Friday and July 28.

Free films and lectures will be presented, then participants go to the beach to hunt or view the spawning grunion.

A valid California fishing license is required only if you gather grunion. No license is required for those wishing to view the grunion spawning.

Information: Cabrillo Marine Museum at (213) 548-7552.

San Pedro fisherman Frank Hall returned last weekend from a six-day fishing trip to the Bay of Los Angeles in Mexico.

Hall said it was one of his better trips, as he caught 15 yellowtail weighing up to 18 pounds.

Hall said the catch of the trip was a grouper that weighed 40 pounds.

Richard Moore of Malibu, recently returned from the East Cape region north of Cabo San Lucas where he caught a black marlin that weighed 628 pounds.

Scott Thomas of Hermosa Beach, fishing off Cabo San Lucas, caught an 90-pound sailfish and an 80-pound yellowfin tuna.

Mike Thomas of Santa Monica, fishing off Cabo San Lucas, caught two yellowfin tuna that weighed 80 and 50 pounds.

South Bay Catches--Dan Fernandes of Hawthorne, fishing aboard the Shogun off Catalina, used a jig and squid to catch the whopper of the week, a 50-pound white seabass. It took Fernandes only 15 minutes to boat the fish.

Jo Jo Machado of Avalon, fishing from his boat Vana Vana, used a small mackerel for bait and landed a 49-pound white seabass.

Dan Iliustre of San Pedro, fishing off Catalina aboard the Freedom, caught a 33-pound white seabass.

Jim Gates of Long Beach, fishing aboard the Toronado off the east end of Catalina, caught a 20-pound white seabass.

Brenda Sorenson of Lomita, fishing aboard the Hitless Miss at horseshoe kelp, caught a 19 1/2-pound yellowtail.

Gloria Shaw of Torrance, fishing at rocky point aboard the City of Redondo, caught a 13-pound halibut.

Freshwater Notes--Shawn Tomiyaso of Hawthorne fished Irvine Lake and caught five catfish that weighed a total of 18 1/2 pounds.

Yosito Kakayama of Torrance caught a 6 1/2-pound catfish at Irvine Lake.

Mike Heron of San Pedro, caught an nine-pound catfish at Lake Casitas.

Any tags from the sand bass and halibut tagging program should be returned to: 330 Golden Shores, Long Beach, 90802.