FISHING / DAN STANTON : Anglers Keep Busy by Catching Halibut

With plenty of squid for bait, local anglers had a successful week.

Sonny Bennett at Marina del Rey Sportfishing reports that halibut in Santa Monica Bay are biting as if it were springtime.

Although catches of halibut in the winter are not unusual, the water conditions have improved the chances of anglers attempting to catch keeper fish.

Catches of note: George Macko of Santa Monica, aboard the Happyman, caught a 32-pound halibut. Kuno Young of West Los Angeles, aboard the Spitfire, landed a 25 1/2-pound halibut.

At Redondo Sport Fishing, half-day boats have been returning to dock with an average of 10 yellowtail a trip.

An angler who caught a 65 1/2-pound seabass last week is awaiting confirmation from the International Game Fish Assn. that his catch is a world record on 15-pound test line.

The yellowtail bite offshore of Santa Catalina Island has slowed and overnight boats started working the San Clemente Island area last weekend.

Anglers aboard the 22nd Street Landing boat Mustang returned with a catch of 13 yellowtail.

The Los Angeles Harbor boats Shogun and Top Gun returned with limits of calico bass, sheephead and sculpin.

Long Beach Sportfishing’s Phathom returned Sunday with a 50-pound white seabass caught by Steve Rosenbloom of Long Beach. It was the largest seabass brought to the Long Beach Landing’s scale this year.

South Bay catches: John Tinnell of West Los Angeles, aboard the Spitfire at Venice reef, caught the whopper of the week--a 45-pound white seabass.

Pierre Gastongua of Long Beach, aboard the Crystaliner, caught a 35-pound white seabass. Bill Warne of Torrance, aboard the Condor offshore of San Miguel Island, caught a 21-pound cow cod.