PRIME FISHING GROUNDS BECOMING OFF-LIMITS.

Byline: Keith Lair Staff Writer

The highlight of a fishing trip with guide Mike Gardner to the ports of Long Beach and L.A. is fishing underneath the mammoth tankers and container ships.

``It's pretty neat,'' Gardner said.

The Placentia angler likes to fish the inside of harbors for sand bass, calico bass, halibut and squid. He uses light tackle and targets smaller fish in his catch-and-release angling.

He also tours piers, especially at the old Long Beach naval base. It's a prime habitat for fish.

But Gardner's fishing grounds, and hundreds of anglers who fish the same habitat, have changed. Gardner said the entire port was closed to fishing for two weeks, until reopening last Thursday. Fausto Capobianco of the Port of Long Beach said the port was never closed to fishing.

Instead, the Long Beach Police Department has instigated boat patrols and is enforcing laws that have always been on the books. David Marander of the police department said the department recently purchased boats for the patrols.

``It's like my neighbor parking his car in front of a fire hydrant,'' says Capobianco, who lives in Pasadena. ``It's not a problem until a policeman drives by and writes a ticket.''

Capobianco said anglers have never been permitted to fish along the piers or in shipping lanes unless they have prior permission from the harbor chief. There has been no permits granted since Sept. 11. NOAA maps of the harbor already outline restricted areas.

``This changes what I do and where I go,'' Gardner said. ``To a certain extent, post 9/11, I understand what they are doing.''

But Gardner said patrol boats come at anglers with automatic weapons and in paramilitary gear.

Marander said anglers are being warned to leave the area. No citations have yet to be issued.

``This is typical in enforcement in that it has taken longer to get up to speed,'' Marander said. ``Airports were the immediate emphasis and now we're following up with other concerns.''

Eventually, signs at boat ramps and buoys will keep anglers out of restricted areas.

``The police patrols have stepped up and they know what they are doing now,'' Capobianco said. ``At first, I don't think they were patrolling as well as they intended. Now, the police are up to speed.''

Capobianco said security and angler's safety is the reason why fishing under piers is prohibited.

``Our only intent is to keep areas of the harbor secure and for safety of the anglers,'' he said. ``We have no problem with anglers. I don't think anglers knew they were breaking the rules. We're just telling them what the rules are.''

Gardner says he'll fish along the Long Beach and L.A. breakwaters more. He'll go to areas inside L.A. Harbor, to Alamitos Bay and along the pipeline just out of Huntington Harbour to fish, too.

``I'm losing spots where you could catch 100 fish in one day,'' he said.

For the most part, only anglers on boats are affected. There are some restrictions on fishing off land and piers, but they do not have the wide restrictions that boat anglers are now undergoing.

``It's not like a fishing pole is a bomb,'' Marander said.