Betty O Sport Fishing

The Betty O turns 90 years old tomorrow! On December 15th, 1921, the boat was officially delivered to Chicago businessman William Wrigley by the boat's builder, William Mueller, in Wilmington, California. She was built as a double - decker with the intention of carrying sightseers on evening flying fish tours from Avalon to the Isthmus of Catalina Island. She is named after Wrigley's baby granddaughter, Betty Offield,, and joined a Mueller - built tugboat, the Jimmy K, named for Betty's young brother, Jimmy K Offield. The boat, the story goes, was christened with prohibition champagne in a bottle swung on the ways at Wilmington by the builder's daughter, Miss Augusta Mueller. Tomorrow the boat's crew plans a day fishing trip departing at 8 AM with on board toasts and the cutting of a birthday cake.

Fidel & 10 year old daughter Leslie make a formidable fishing team. They are both patient and crafty anglers, and are showing off a pair of quality lingcod caught the weekend after Thanksgiving on the Betty O. On this past Sunday, both caught limits of rockfish. On the trip back to the harbor, Leslie spotted a lost boogie board floating a mile SW of Venice Beach, which the boat's crew recovered and presented to her (like new) - an early Christmas gift/next summer toy!

13 year old Riley B. Of Los Angeles shows off a vermillion rockfish caught the last Sunday in October on the Betty O. She was accompanied on the fishing trip with her father, Derek, and sister, Danielle. The threesome also caught limits of bocaccio rockfish and nice numbers of speckled rockfish.

Liam and Oliver, aged 12, show off one of more than two dozen giant squid that the youths landed while fishing the Betty O Sunday with Oliver's dad, Daniel Reyes of Orange County, CA..

100 lb (estimated) black seabass caught by Zig Fayant of Palms on the Betty O Thursday. The fish was hooked on a live squid on 12 lb test on a #6 treble hook and fought for 3/4 of an hour before surfacing. Crewmember Garett Yamaki carefully kept the fish alongside the boat and punctured the outer belly skin with a needle to deflate the trapped air from the body cavity and allow the fish to swim back down to the depths It was caught in 60 ft of water off Santa Monica.

Sandbass chewing the live squid baits off El Segundo for visiting kids from Casa Pacifica, hosted by the Marina del Rey Anglers and the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Foundation Tuesday morning on the Betty O.

14 year old Zach Lynch of Mychal's Learning Center in Los Angeles shows off a nice white seabass he landed Tuesday afternoon on the Betty O on a youth fishing trip. Mate Matthew McClendon helps display the fish.

One year ago Heidi Romos and her youth group from Los Angeles paid us a visit for a morning fishing trip. Heidi made the news that day by catching a 30 lb halibut on an itty bitty live anchovy. The big fish ended up being dressed out as so many hot lunches served back at the group's own campus to her young colleagues and staff. This week she and her group paid us another visit, and she wasted no time landing this fine sandbass on a live sardine. This time, however, the bass was promptly released unharmed after being posed in this snapshot. Nice work!

The kids are on board! We are taking youth groups fishing on the Betty O during the summer weekdays through mid-August. Here a young angler with the Norwalk (CA) Sheriff Deputy's Youth Activities League proudly shows off his sand bass caught a few days ago. The fish was released unharmed moments later. The youth fishing trips are catch-and-release, and instructional mentoring is provided by the Marina del Rey Anglers.

9 year old Vince Stone of Los Angeles shows off a nice vermillion rockfish he landed on Monday, June 27th, using boat tackle and drift fishing a live anchovy for bait. Vince was accompanied by his parents, who also caught lots of rockfish toward the family dinner. Summer weekdays on the Betty O can be a great combination of light crowds, mild weather, and steady bite - perfect for a family outing. - Captain Mike Reinsch

Miss Gadzhyan shows off her first fish of the day on a family outing on the Betty O, a hefty vermillion rockfish. She fooled the fish with a live sardine a few minutes ago under cool, overcast skies.