BY BOB SEMERAU
WON Staff Writer
SAN PEDRO —The annual Western Outdoor News San Pedro Lobster Combo charter usually gets after rockfish in the afternoon, then bugs when it gets dark. Our old buddy, El Nino, had other plans in store for the popular SoCal challenge.
This year three boats, Triton, Sport King, and Gail Force, left from the rebuilt docks at Ports O’ Call Village, San Pedro, at the scheduled noon departure time, heading up coast a short ways in hopes of some topwater action.
“We’ve been seeing lots of activity on yellowtail and yellowfin just a half hour out of the harbor,” called Capt. Shane Kelly aboard Triton.
Aboard Triton, the boat I covered for the competition, anglers struggled, pitching 1-1/2-ounce Colt Snipers since the boat had few anchovy in the tank, instead mostly massive sardines.
Sport King had ‘chovie. WON associate Robert Groeber reported, “After fishing several dry kelps Captain Ortiz found one holding fish, we loaded up on smaller grade yellowfin, some bullet tuna, and even a micro yellowtail.”
As anglers checked-in on the boats, each received swag bags provided by event sponsors. Inside each bag was 300-yard spool of Izorline 50-pound mono, Costa wiping cloth, Gamakatsu hook packs, a P-line Laser-Minnow jig, and a nifty discount for vacation destinations.
Fishing alongside Catalina Island near Emerald cove, the 55-foot sportfisher, Gail Force, set up with only minimal success. “The birds were all over us, with cormorants and gulls dive-bombing the fly-lined sardines,” reported WON associate, Tony Robinson.
With Catalina Island’s shadow growing long across the water, the competing boats moved to certain spots to drop the first of three sets for the lobster hoop nets. Deck hands had loaded bait boxes earlier, securing them into each of the 10 lobster traps, called pots or hoop nets, now ready to be cast over the side.
After the first “set” boats moved off to fish deep into the darkness before returning to “pot one” for collection of the delicious bugs.
Arriving at the first spot numbers were called for the anglers aboard each boat and the work got under way. Deck hands set up the haul lines into pullies and anglers began to bring in their catch. Triton had fairly good numbers through the three sets finding 118-bugs in the hoops with 30-legals in the mix. Frequent WON charter angler Kevin Jordan bagged the largest spiny lobster for Triton, then waited to see of his beast would hold up for the $270 prize money.
Gail Force anglers pulled in 144-bugs including 28-legals. Once the boats were back at the docks, Triton’s big bug, taken by Jordan, held up against the best aboard Gail Force.
As the hoop nets came over the rail the crew carefully checked the carapace against a regulation lobster gauge to ensure the catch met the 3 1/4″ minimum length. Legals were awarded to anglers and shorts quickly returned to the water.
Standing out from the competition, Sport King anglers scored like royalty, first on yellowfin and later lobster.
WON’s Groeber reported that 16-year-old, Doug Alpert, bagged the boat’s jackpot fish, a larger-of-the-bunch yellowfin. But angler Ian Bartholomew had a hooping good time with plenty of legals and a massive spiny to sweep the decks and win it all.
Along with a sizable lobster dinner, Bartholomew took home $270 cash, a pair of P-Line Adaro pliers, a $50.00 AFTCO gift card, a hat from Costa, and a huge 500-yard spool of Berkley ProSpec Chrome mono, for the win.
Contacts:
LA Waterfront Sportfishing www.laharbor.net
550 S Harbor Blvd, San Pedro, CA 90731 Phone 310-844-3814
