Pair of Lawndale Anglers Trick Blue Shark and Rescue a Big Halibut
James Scott and Steve Larkin of Lawndale were drifting for halibut 500 yards off Point Dume in their boat the Ghetto Queen when Scott hooked a 23 1/2-pound flat fish on 15-pound test line with cut squid. As he reeled in his catch, several blue sharks appeared near the boat.
Larkin cast a baited line to keep the sharks off Scott’s catch. One blue bit the hook and took off, peeling 100 yards of line.
Scott brought his halibut to the surface and had a net in hand when one of the sharks bit off the tail of the catch while taking the line to the bottom. But Scott brought the halibut back to the surface and into the net ahead of another hungry shark.
Larkin, meanwhile, battled the blue on his line. After 17 minutes he raised the shark to the surface. Scott stood ready with a gaff, but the catch snapped the line just before surfacing. The blue escaped, just another big one that got away.
They estimate that the hooked blue weighed about 80 pounds.
John Darro of the Torrance Rod and Reel Club returned last week from a halibut trip to Homer, Alaska, where he won a 25-minute battle with a 76-pound halibut.
Russ and Edna Trager of the King Harbor Marlin Club had an unusual double hook that lasted 35 minutes in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California. Russ landed a 120-pound marlin and Edna brought in a 115-pound catch.
Don Haynes, a member of the same club left Redondo Pier aboard his boat the Fisherette and returned with a 63-pound thresher shark caught on cut mackerel.
Walter Lehman of San Gabriel, fishing on The Victory, won the jackpot with a 19-pound yellowtail.
The Venice Anglers Club holds its third annual shark derby Saturday and Sunday. Anglers are confined to Santa Monica Bay areas between Palos Verdes Point and Point Dume. Target species are blues, threshers and makos. Fishing starts at 12:01 a.m. Saturday and ends at 5 p.m. Sunday. For information call Mark Aguilar 306-3476.
Mike Zamboni of Long Beach caught the whopper of the week, a 32-pound halibut, while fishing for bass at Horseshoe Kelp aboard the Southern Cal. Mickey Mario of West Los Angeles, aboard the Crest at Catalina Island, hooked a 31-pound white sea bass. Joe Bonagoz of Harbor City caught a 27-pound flattie while fishing on the Monte Carlo. Hyonch Rackinskie of West L.A. took the ride to the Annie B Barge and hooked the first halibut of his life. It weighed 20 pounds. Ed Sanders of Gardena was aboard the Queen of Sea when he landed an 18-pound yellowtail.
Fishing reports:
Deep-sea action remains unchanged. Catalina catches of barracuda continue with anglers averaging eight fish per rod.
At Marina del Rey Sportsfishing, the Spitfire racked up 150 sand bass, 120 bonito and four halibut. The Betty O rock cod special had 375 groupers. The Happyman’s two half-day trips netted 335 sand bass, 65 bonito, eight barracuda and five halibut.
At Redondo Sport Fishing, the Sea Spray fished Rocky Point and chalked up 328 sand bass, 68 bonito, seven barracuda and a halibut. The Redondo Special hooked 130 sand bass, 35 bonito and 27 barracuda on a half-day trip. The Blackjack headed to Catalina and had successes of 97 sand bass, 62 bonito, 23 sheepshead and a pair of halibut.
At 22nd Street Landing, the First String went to Horseshoe Kelp for 73 barracuda, 41 bonito, 62 calico bass and seven sheepshead. The Monte Carlo hit a school of calico bass at the Rock Pile. Anglers landed 107, plus 11 sand bass on the half-day trip.
At L.A. Harbor Sportfishing, the Sport King trip to the oil rigs paid off with 250 calico bass, 175 bonito, 20 rock fish and 15 barracuda. The Matt Walsh took a half-day trip to Horseshoe Kelp for 62 calico bass, 23 bonito and 15 barracuda.
The Outer Limits headed to San Clemente and hauled in 107 calico bass, 73 sheepshead, 21 whitefish, 13 bonito and a trigger fish. The Shogun also went to the island and chalked up 230 calico bass, 55 bonito, 20 sheepshead and five whitefish. The Annie B. Barge count for the weekend was 710 mackerel, 210 kingfish, 15 bonito and five sand bass.
The Victory out of Long Beach Sportsfishing went to the Flats and ran into a wide-open bass bite. Anglers sacked 462, plus 35 bonito and 31 barracuda.
The Toronado at Catalina hauled in 101 bonito, 85 calico bass, 50 sculpin, seven sheepshead and a pair of yellowtail. The El Dorado also went to the island and logged 121 barracuda and 42 calico bass. The Southern Cal half-day trip to the Flats returned 185 sand bass, 11 barracuda and two halibut. The Chieftain ventured to Horseshoe Kelp on a twilight trip and anglers sacked 63 barracuda and 55 calico bass.
