A BIT OF HEAVEN IN TWILIGHT ZONE : EVENING FISHING TRIPS PROVE TO BE GREAT ESCAPE FOR 9-TO-5 CROWD.

Byline: Brett Pauly

You could hardly call Chris Othieno a fair-weather fisherman.

He'll load his bass sticks and plastic lures on a charter boat any time he has the chance.

But he does have his wish list:

``They have to get on the fish quick,'' said the Hawthorne cable-television technician. ``I'm not impatient. I just don't like boat rides.

``I don't want it to be as hot as a midday trip.

``And I want to be able to pull up to the dock right after work and go fishing - immediate satisfaction.''

For Othieno and many of his workaday brethren, the answer is the twilight charter.

From May through September - or whenever the weather cools the fishing significantly - area landings offer shorter evening trips that cater to the 9-to-5 crowd, anglers hoping to escape the sun and those who can't commit an entire day to the brine.

Boats leave port between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. and usually spend three to five hours on the water. The season corresponds to daylight-saving time - more sunlight, more time to fish.

Charters are offered as long as the weather allows. As the fishing slows down with the fall, landings consolidate their trips and the twilight charter is the first to go. Clientele demands dictate operations, and some outfits have already ceased sundown outings. But plenty of others are still drawing customers, and may continue to do so into October.

``Boss knows we got to get off on time,'' said Rudy Lopez of Gardena, who joins co-worker Othieno each payday after their 7:30-to-4:30 shift aboard the Spitfire out of Marina del Rey Sportfishing. ``It's tradition. This is my heaven.''

Jim ``Catfish'' Nobles can be spotted on twilight charters up to three times a week in the summer. Apart from targeting sand bass and other topwater species, the retired bakery-truck driver goes after mackerel to replenish the store of baitfish he favors to lure the freshwater game for which he is nicknamed.

``It's cool. You don't get the glare from the sun. You see the beautiful sunset and moonrise. And you see the lights of the city,'' Nobles said. ``What more could you ask for?''

If there's a choice between juggling a commute and his saltwater rod, Pomona angler James Taylor chooses the latter after his workday in Santa Monica.

``Why spend the time in traffic when I could be fishing?'' Taylor said Friday aboard the well-lit Spitfire between trips to the baitwell to retrieve pinhead (exceedingly small) anchovies, baby squid and strips of cut mackerel. ``This gives me energy. This revives me so I can face the drive home.''

Ralph Quackenbush was looking for an appropriate fishing experience that would keep the interests of his two young sons. It proved to be the twilight charter.

``It's the shortest trip around,'' said the Rancho Palos Verdes angler. ``I think it's perfect.''

Four-year-old Charlie Quackenbush and his brother, Christopher, 7, landed their first saltwater fish - sand bass for both - Friday on the Spitfire.

Matthew Abdul of Encino calls it his quick fix - he arrives at the fishing grounds in speedy fashion and the relief from the smog couldn't be faster.

But for all the expeditiousness of the evening sojourns, it elevates the expectations of the captain to produce.

``You only have four hours in the trip, and you do have to find the fish quickly. It's more pressure with the time factor,'' said Tony Hamilton of Northridge, skipper of the Spitfire.

Fortunately for Hamilton, he claims fishing at night is as good if not better than during the day.

Of course, he's opening a can of worms, because other skippers swear the bite turns off with the sunlight.

Scientifically, it's far from a day-and-night issue, according to UC Santa Barbara marine biologist Milton Love.

There is no way of telling which time is better for fishing, he said. No scientific studies have been done on the topic on the California coast.

``In general, sportfishes tend to be less active when it's dark,'' Love said. ``But, who knows, it may vary daily for all we now.''

Hamilton also counts himself lucky that the attitudes of twilight anglers seem to be more forgiving than his daytime patrons who dedicate more time and energy to their ventures.

``The guys who get off work are just out to have a good time,'' he said. ``They are just out to enjoy themselves, relax and let off some steam. They don't get home too late, and they still will be able to go to work in the morning.''

It's a camaraderie Othieno can identify with.

``You're fishing with guys who work for a living, so already you've got something in common,'' he said.

And is there any better way to wind down from work?

``Are you kidding me?'' he pondered. ``We need more twilight runs. It's like the NBA: It's fantastic.''

WHERE TO GO

Following are area landings that offer twilight-fishing charters:

Marina del Rey Sportfishing, [phone]. Nightly, 5:30-9. $20.

Redondo Sportfishing, Redondo Beach, [phone]. Friday, Saturday, 6-10. $20.

Skipper's 22nd Street Landing, San Pedro, [phone]. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 6:30-11:30. $22.

Belmont Pier Sportfishing, Long Beach, [phone]. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 6-11. $22.

Long Beach Sportfishing, [phone]. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 6-11. $22.

Seal Beach Sportfishing, [phone]. Nightly, 6-11. $20.

Cisco's Sportfishing, Oxnard, [phone]. Nightly, 5:30-10:30. $22.

Gold Coast Sportfishing, Oxnard, [phone]. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 5:30-11.

Ventura Sportfishing, [phone]. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, 5:30-11. $20.

Harbor Village Sportfishing, Ventura, [phone]. Nightly, 5:30-10:30. $22.

Sea Landing, Santa Barbara, [phone]. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 5:30-9:30. $22.

MEMO: Outdoors Editor Brett Pauly's column appears Thursdays in the Daily News.

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Box

PHOTO (colo`r) Los Angeles' Julio Jimenez is one of ma ny anglers who cherish the cool temperatures of twilight fishing.

Brett Pauly / Daily News

Box: IF YOU`RE GOING (see text)