how to catch false albacore from shore
An approaching or passing hurricane can push the albies back offshore, away from the swells that will develop along the beach. Scroll up for specific gear recommendations. For this reason they will need to be followed. On the Cape, we are blessed with some of the best fishing in the East Coast. Place an accurate cast and reel as fast as possible. Thrill-seeking fly anglers interested in pursuing albies, stripers, redfish, or speckled trout should contact Captain Gary Dubiel of Spec Fever Guide Service ( www.specfever.com ; (252) 249-1520). I hooked into my first albies last week pretty much by dumb luck fishing on a buddy’s boat out of Brielle. The world record albie weighed 36-pounds and was caught at Washington Canyon, New Jersey. Deadly Dick - The "classic" lure for funny fish. They feed on sand eels, squid, and spearing/silversides making the island an ideal place for them. A little later in October, albies show along the south shore of Long Island and the Jersey Coast. But with a few pointers and knowing a little bit about this fish you can reduce you cast to catch ratio and become more successful. The first arriving false albacore in late August and early September are most often the largest fish that migrate through New Jersey waters. Cast it out and skirt the popper across the top of the water. Check out shorecatch.com for further information or email jimfreda@optonline.net. Since false albacore are a pelagic species, meaning open ocean, they will take up residence on the inshore lumps, ridges, and wrecks anywhere from 1 to10 miles off the beach. Often they will reappear within sight down the beach. Articles. This is when our annual migration of baitfish takes place along the New Jersey beachfront as the daylight hours shrink and water temperatures drop. The best way to catch albies is from a kayak. DeGennaro hooks the spearing with a 1/0 Gamakatsu live-bait hook through the lips and out the rigid part of the skull for skipping. The longer rod makes it easy to clear the front of the kayak when albies switch directions. Be alert when drifting baits back in the slick as the take will come instantly without warning. Trying to chase albies up and down the beach will only result in getting you a good workout. Most fish will be fairly high in the water column and the lures do not need to get down very far. If baits are in the surf zone they will come in quickly, attack the baits, and turn back to deeper water. There are number of metals on the market that will cast well in spite of their small size. This metal is long and slim and will give very good distance with each cast. For this reason, they should be returned to the water quickly after they are caught and a picture is taken. I will then spice this slick up by tossing live or dead baits into the water. If the baits are on the larger side such as mullet, peanut bunker, striped anchovies, snapper blues, sardines and squid, try Popovics’s Bucktail Deceivers or Hollow Fleyes along with Tabory’s Snake Flies, Skok’s Mega Mushy, and wide-bodied Lefty’s Deceivers, Half-and-Halfs, or slab flies. Not to mention how dangerous it could be. This bunker chum will begin to lay the scent in the water. A pelagic fish, albies have streamlined bodies, and are built to attack prey in short bursts of speed. Other flies to carry include Clousers, small Lefty’s Deceivers, Geno’s Baby Angel, Skok’s Mushmouth, Farrar’s Softex, Joe Blados’ Crease Fly, and bunny flies. Your email address will not be published. When a boat next to you hooks into an albie drop back and give them room to fight their fish. Even though the false albacore that we see here in the Northeast are not monster specimens like those that appear in Carolinas later in November, there is nothing diminutive about them when it comes to their fighting ability. One of the problems in sizing down is that distance is often sacrificed as these small artificials can be hard to cast. They are a beautiful fish to photograph as their iridescent tuna-like colors will make for a vivid shot. false albacore from shore. In fact, going back to 2018 the false albacore provided quite a few opportunities for surfcasters in Ocean and Monmouth County, but for the boat guys along much of the Jersey shore it was like fishing in an aquarium. [Article: How to Catch Bonito and Albies From Shore]. Many times it becomes a waiting game as the fish can easily be seen just outside the breakers where the boat anglers are hooking up. Sign up for our FREE Fishing Reports Today! If you are looking to catch albies, then I would encourage you to try the areas mentioned in the above video. [Video: Drone video of albies blitzing on bay anchovies]. These pelagic speedsters can quickly strip a hundred yards of line in a reel-screeching run before you can wrap your head around what is happening. If you love trolling, then false albacore will be an easy target, and will provide all the fun you could ever ask for. If the tidal current is moving from bow to stern I will tie the chum bucket off the bow of my boat so the chum drifts back and down under the stern. The albies will then hit the trailing artificial. We will inadvertently hook these fish while targeting tuna anywhere from 10 to 50 miles out. Other than this location my advice would be to seek out the longest beach jetty that you can find and stay put. Fishing Line: Don’t overthink the fishing line. More often than not, albies are feeding below the surface. Capt Jim Freda is author of Fishing the New Jersey Coast and co-owner of Shore Catch Guide Service, Manasquan, NJ. For that reason, it’s worthwhile to make some blind casts. Light tackle and flyrod enthusiasts love fishing for false albacore in Cape Cod’s waters. False Albacore is a very popular fish for the recreational fisherman. Weighted soft-plastic Tsunamis baits will also cast very well and catch albies. They're also called little tunny. When buying boat fishing tackle for albies, a lightweight setup is a must-have. The popper will give you the distance you need to cast and also get the attention of the albies by the commotion that it causes. Although most kayaks are extremely safe and stable, always wear a life vest. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!! Hooking into and landing these hard tails is considered a prized catch because getting one to bite can be difficult at times, even though you’ll be retrieving your lure or fly right in front of and through the blitzing fish. False albacore, nicknamed "apple knockers" by old-timers because they arrive when apples ripen and drop, are accurately named little tunny and were once considered a trash species. A small weight can be added to your leader so these baits drop down below the surface into the slick. In essence you are following the bait as the albies stay with it. by Brendan Richards. Both these fish can be targeted by beach anglers at the Coast Guard Channel and Sandy Point. Not only is it a sporty fight, a kayak won’t spook a school of albies feeding on the surface. Cut the engine and allow the boat to drift into the fish. Lastly, buy a safety flag with a built-in LED light so boaters can see you, especially during low light hours. Place an accurate cast and reel as fast as possible. Many times false albacore and bonito are mixed in with striped bass and bluefish. The lure will skip on the surface and imitate a small baitfish scrambling to stay alive. But the catching is the hard part as many times surf anglers may never get a shot at these fish at all. In combination with my personal experience and review of scientific research, here are 7 tips to help you catch false albacore. Sometimes albies recklessly feed on small baitfish and will eat almost anything. Don’t worry too much about lure color. (These fish feed primarily by sight and are scarce in stain… Any of these things can be a special delight to those who enjoy the fall season. Fall at the Jersey Shore signifies a lot of different things to a lot of different people. The parade just keeps slowly moving to the south. You will also always need to be prepared if you can’t net baits. 20-pound braided fishing line with a smooth finish is great for longer casts. These albies range in size from 6 to 12 pounds. If spearing are your chum of choice, then use these slim baitfish as your hookbaits. Photo by Laptew Productions. The Latest Saltwater How to Catch Bonito and Albies From Shore. With so many options to choose from, buying a yak can be difficult. Sign up for our FREE Fishing Reports Today! It would include yielding to other boats around you that are already working an existing pod of fish. When running and gunning along the New Jersey beaches, you will most likely have some company. To some degree this is true. Your email address will not be published. I would also recommend twelve to twenty-pound braid, directly tied to a three to a six-foot leader of the same strength. Your email address will not be published. False albacore are actually members of the mackerel family and not the tuna family so they have a blood-red, oily meat that is normally not eaten. Along the New Jersey coast, the Shark River, Manasquan River and Barnegat Inlet jetties offer excellent locations for anglers to perch and wait for the albies to move in. Here are a few tips to get started. The last couple of years the light tackle action has been pretty solid. Also don’t race another boat to a pod of breaking fish either. They can be caught from boat and shore with lures and even on … [Video: How to Catch Albies and Bonito from a Kayak]. The false albacore (Euthynnus alletteratus) goes by many names—little tunny, fat albert, bonito, spotted bonito—but whatever anglers call it, the species is prized for its blistering runs and sheer power.The smallest member of the Scombridae family, the false albacore is not a “true” tuna, of the genus Thunnus, and is, in fact, more closely related to the mackerels. “Yes, you can eat albies,” says On The Water Executive Editor, Kevin Blinkoff. Have yet to try for sheepshead, but was also thinking about how fun it would be to catch an albie. Within days, the little tunny spread throughout Nantucket Sound, the Vineyard Sound, Cape Cod, and the Elizabeth Islands. Late summer and early fall are the best times to fish for albies. Don’t crash their party just because you’re not in one. Fish the Froth: False albacore are easier to catch when the water is rough. The first arriving false albacore in late August and early September are most often the largest fish that migrate through New Jersey waters. As water temperatures drop from 72 to 64 degrees during September and into October this albies will ravenously feed on the abundance of small baitfish that are present. Flat-calm seas are not ideal for albie fishing. Keep it tight: Albies have a very crafty trick of ripping off line and suddenly doubling back toward the … Although albies resemble tuna fish, they’re more closely related to the mackerel family, and are often misidentified for bonito. People travel far and wide chasing rumors, reports and secret tips. Required fields are marked *, Copyright © 2021 On The Water, LLC. During these tides the albies will move right into the inlet and circle back out to the outside only to retrace this path after a short period of time. They can be caught from boat and shore with lures and even on the troll. The first 3 things you need to have is light rods, heavy line and lots of muscle. So I will also always have with me five pounds of fresh frozen spearing that I will purchase from my local tackle shop the night before. But more often than not, they’re not feeding on the surface. Picking the best albie lure is overwhelming. Despite their small size, many anglers consider albies to be the hardest fighting inshore fish. Most albies weigh 4 to 12 pounds, but some have been known to grow well over 20-pounds. Being mobile is key because albies do not stay in one area for an extended period of time. To fishermen, the fall means it is time for blitz season to begin. This same type of feeding behavior will also be evident along the beach if and when albies crash the surf zone. As these fish pop up within eye shot of the boat, you will need to determine the direction that they are pushing and then get ahead of the pod. Both bonito and false albacore are hard to catch, but thrill fishermen with their furious runs, stripping line from light tackle and giving anglers a memorable fight. Thanks for the great article. It goes without saying that running and gunning does require a certain amount of boating etiquette. False albacore sometimes stick around Cape Cod & the Islands into the month of November. Surf fishing for false albacore, a small member of the tuna family. Five pounds will usually be enough to last for just about three hours of chumming. Outside of my home port of Will’s Hole Marina located at the base of the Manasquan Inlet there are quite a few locations that are within easy reach and quick to get to. Sign Up. False albacore will key in on this and be drawn to the inlet mouths as a result. Pictured above: Jersey shore albies regularly move within casting distance of the beach, where even shore-bound fly-casters can get a shot. Trolling for false albacore. Many times, fly fishers will outfish anglers with spinning gear simply because of how well the fly matches and imitates the appearance, profile and color of the actual baitfish. If the fast retrieve doesn’t work, slow it down, and allow the lure to work below the surface. An ideal situation for catching from the boat is when the albies are up on the surface corralling the bait into giant balls. When the little tunny start feeding on the surface and are within casting distance, take a few extra seconds to place a precise and accurate cast. Albies can be caught casting, trolling and fly-fishing Many times the initial run will have you thinking whether or not you have enough line or backing on your reel. A false albacore “blitz” is a memorable experience. Know Where The Fish Are. One Monmouth County jetty where albie seekers camp out is the T-jetty in Allenhurst. Many of these inshore lumps will rise to bottom depths of 45 to 50 feet with surrounding bottoms of 65 to 70 feet. Video: Drone video of albies blitzing on bay anchovies. Since baits will be holding in these areas, albies will be also. But if you are a light-tackle enthusiast or saltwater fly fisher, you probably have a different scenario in mind when you look forward to fall. Lure selection for these speed-demon fish is not elaborate. Hunting false albacore and related funny fish on the kayak is one of the greatest local inshore challenges and thrills. For this reason they will typically stay off the beach. For some, it’s less-crowded beaches offering a lot more real estate, to others it’s the traditional Saturday afternoon football rivalries, or maybe the aroma of an evening wood-burning stove. Since sound travels at a speed of approximately 3300mph in water it will get to the fish much quicker than either of you ever will. Surf fishing for false albacore and striped bass. Think of places like islands, jetties, inlets, lighthouses, and harbor entrances. They primarily eat small baitfish like silversides, peanut bunker, and bay anchovies. A 3000 sized fishing reel keeps it light and fun. Surprisingly, false albacore are not typically harvested for the table, and they have no value in the commercial fishing industry. Sign up for our FREE Fishing Reports Today! If the fast retrieve doesn’t work, slow it down, and allow the lure to work below the surface. Because of their pelagic nature, albies don’t like to see or feel sand under their bellies. Hairball Charters adheres to the NMSF tuna regulations: no limit. Here, you can drift along with the pod usually hooking into one fish after another. This forces anglers to decide between staying put or chasing the action down the beach. Bogan had an 8-pound bonito win a pool last weekend. These baits can be present around my slip or in the river as I head out to the ocean. We break them down in the Fishing Kayak Buyer’s Guide. This combination of chum and baits will be draw the albies up from below and bring them into casting range. After you experience your first albie on light tackle or a fly rod, catching just one will never be enough. I recommend a four-rod spread, but if the albies are thick you won’t be able to get them all out before a rod goes off again. Since inlets act as bait highways they will push baits out during the outgoing tides. We will find the greatest concentration of these fish along our beaches out to 10 miles during the month of September. 0 Posts . A half to three quarters full five gallon pail of fresh spearing netted in the morning or the night before will do the trick. That is one of my favorite sounds. Short for false albacore, “albies” are the trickest northeast inshore saltwater fish to catch, but are well worth the effort. White, green, and olive are common colors and will catch fish. Limits. Look for terns and seagulls diving on the water’s surface; this is a good sign that albies are tearing through a school of baitfish. Short for false albacore, "albies" are the trickest northeast inshore fish to catch, but are well worth the effort. Without a doubt, you will have much more success hooking into albies by boat than you will on a beach. Fishing for false albacore is incredibly fun. The fishing is different, but can be just as frenetic. Many anglers catch false albacore by trolling for them. However September is in my opinion the best month for chasing albies. To fish these lumps and ridges, the technique that I will employ is chumming. Pair the fishing rod with a lightweight 3000-sized fishing reel, braided fishing line, and a fluorocarbon leader. Circle hooks will work well for this method as the first reel screeching run of the albie will set the hook when you pull back on the rod. Fishing for false albacore can be a great deal of fun but requires some planning on your end to ensure a successful trip. Add to this the visual component of being able to see your quarry before the strike and your adrenaline levels will surge to a boil. From sea bass to bluefin tuna, we have it all. The Blind Nut Catches the Albie The false albacore are so close to the beach that surf fishermen catch them from the rocks. When casting to albies with artificials the rule of thumb will be the old adage, “match the hatch.” Many spin fishermen target albies with striped bass plugs and metal lures that are too big to match the small baits that the albies are feeding on. It triggers something ferocious in both bonito and albies. Tins and bucktails are used to catch albies and stripers while surfcasting. All Rights Reserved. Albies favor stable surf and sea conditions, bright sunny days, and clean, clear, warm water. When this happens you know for sure that your offering is going to be taken with a vengeance. False albacore arrive later in the summer, towards the end of August, and run late into October. Moreover, a high pitch marine kayak safety whistle is a must-have for emergency situations. False albacore can be caught both inshore and offshore during daylight hours. With that being said, you’re probably wondering, “Where is a good place to catch false albacore?”Albies do not hang out around traditional fishing structures like reefs and bridges. When live peanuts can’t be obtained I will chum with fresh or frozen spearing instead. Knowing this, you will want to set up camp at the end of an inlet jetty. You can also substitute a small fly in place of the soft plastic if you like. But there is no other species that brings out fishing fever more than atlantic bonito and false albacore in the late summer and fall. By the middle to end of October, when water temperatures dip below the mid-60-degree range, the run will wind down and only scattered schools will remain. Since I have a 28 Parker Sport Cabin this is the optimum condition for clients to be fishing from my boat. Focus on these fundamentals to catch an albie or bonito from shore. These places naturally have lots of current, and during primetime albie season, they will sporadically pop-up on the surface. But if the bait scatters, so will the albies. More often than not, albies are feeding below the surface. My first option is to chum with live peanut bunker if I can net them before I leave the dock. Gear to Catch False Albacore. For the most part, you will need to size down your offerings to smaller metals, small plastics, or poppers with thin profiles. When you have the right combination of baits and chum drifting in the water it is not uncommon to see the albies flash by instantly picking the baits off one by one as soon as they start to sink below the surface. The common characteristic of all quality albie and bonito haunts is deep, moving water of at least average clarity. Albie Challenge: Sup Speedsters In these days of social distancing, here’s how to try the ultimate sport for false albacore and bonito. I’ve seen frustration build in many boaters when they are not catching, which can drive them to running the boat directly into or through the feeding fish to get their next shot. Finally, albies have good eyesight, and a 15-pound fluorocarbon leader will reduce the ability of the fish to see the line. Next you need to look for water to be in the 78-50 degree range and remember that the colder the water the bigger the fish, sometimes weighing up to 4-5 pounds. “It wasn’t just edible. The size 3/4 long and size 1 long are the sizes to get. I like to fish these flies on a St Croix Legend Elite 9-foot, 10-weight rod coupled with the Jack Charlton Mako 9500 or 9550 Inshore large arbor reel. Saltwater; Freshwater; Boating; Though it may resemble the phoenetic spelling of sleep, it’s the alarm clock of fall, ringing in the arrival of false albacore, the speed junkies of salt, New England’s most beautiful saltwater fish, and one of the most entertaining to catch … Here’s how I like to attack and target this fish from the boat or beach. Keep it simple and buy two styles of lures. All Rights Reserved. There are, however, several beach locations where albies regularly move in to feed. This works especially well in deeper water, further offshore. These fish will then only feed on the surface in short bursts before sounding, repeating this over and over in one general area. Blind casting is a general term used when you’re fishing, but not seeing activity on the surface. Try a 7-to-8-foot medium-power spinning rod meant for 8 to 17-pound fishing line, or 10 to 20-pound line. This involves anchoring up on the spot and chumming with live or frozen baits. Catching an albie from the beach or jetty is the ultimate experience for a surfcaster. All along the coast, false albacore (technically, little tunny — also known as albies, bonito, fat albert, hardtails and funny fish) have been blowing inshore anglers' minds, particularly those light-tackle advocates who favor sight-casting rather than trolling or bait fishing. Other silver metals that would also be good choices are the 60 gram Stingo PBJ, Acme Need-L-Eel in the ¼- or ½‑ounce size, a ½- to 1-ounce Crippled Herring 1/2-1 ounce with a single hook, ½-ounce Hopkins, ½-ounce Tsunami Slimwave, and the 1-ounce Luhr Jensen Stinger. The bonito and false albie fishing has really picked up in the last two weeks. Neither location is thought of as a typical spot, so I think that it is safe to say that it is possible to catch a false albacore from virtually any stretch of shoreline. September’s baitfish bring blitzing false albacore tight to the beaches. Required fields are marked *, Copyright © 2021 On The Water, LLC. A rig that I learned from some old timers that never fails to produce when using spinning tackle is to take a red and white wooden snapper popper and tie it directly to your main running line, attach to that a 4-foot piece of 15-pound-test fluorocarbon and tie on a 2- to 4-inch Eddy Stone Eel or Red Gill. But more often than not, false albacore aren’t crashing on bait. The location at which it is probable to hook into one of these fish is another story entirely. Call 617-755-1847 to book your Cape Cod fishing charter today. What false albacore may lack in table quality, they more than make up for in beauty, power and speed. Many times false albacore and bonito are mixed in with striped bass and bluefish, like last year. Small trolling feathers – black and purple is my favorite color – or small metals such as Clark Spoons or Drones, or even small splash bars or spreader bars will have reels singing in no time when trolled in a productive area. After anchoring to draw the albies to the boat you can speed up the process by tying off a five gallon bucket of frozen bunker chum. Hopefully this year the albies will move into Cape Cod in big numbers. When albies begin feeding like this, boaters will need to employ the run-and-gun technique. It is under stress, especially in the last few years, meaning that there are rules to the harvest. If you are tossing live peanut bunker, then bait a hook with the same. These albies range in size from 6 to 12 pounds. They feed with a hit-and-run style, pushing the bait. The smaller 1L or .85 oz versions in silver or blue tape … Albies regularly push in tight to the beach within casting range. Probably the best producer year to year is the Deadly Dick. To avoid potentially ugly situations, proper etiquette when running and gunning is necessary. The lure will skip on the surface and imitate a small baitfish scrambling to stay alive. From the boat I will use the Rio Outbound Shooting Taper Type 6 or Type 8 sinking line or clear intermediate line. This is where fishing forums pick up the slack, by exchanging information based on success. Also, if you are leaving a fleet of boats to fish somewhere else do so by going around and behind the boats and not running across the water that others are casting into. These baitfish lure in the predators, creating a feeding frenzy that can take place right at your feet on the beach or right next to the gunnels in the boat. What a joke. I have managed to land albies from the estuary inside a river mouth and from a two-foot-deep sandy flat. (Alan Caolo photo) The best action occurs during the incoming tide when departing baitfish must inch their way seaward against the current. More than likely, the albies will circle back and return. Trolling is also an effective means of catching false albies. He recommends marinating and searing the little tunny in this simple recipe. Many first timers can walk away with an initial impression that these fish are very difficult to catch. The bonito, false albacore and blues bit well in the same area. Now albies command devoted attention as prize light-tackle targets each fall. Here are some albie fishing tackle recommendations: [Related Article: What is a fluorocarbon leader and why should I use it?]. Start by finding legal shoreline access at an inlet, lighthouse or jetties at a public beach. When chumming, you will be most successful if you are fishing the baits that you are chumming with. Surf fishing for false albacore and striped bass. They go nuts over the sight of the spearing flashing and skipping in and out of the water.”. But that shouldn’t stop you from bringing home an albie for dinner. It was a delicious meal with some cold sesame noodles and quick-pickled veggies,” says Blinkoff. Video: How to Catch Albies and Bonito from a Kayak, Article: How to Catch Bonito and Albies From Shore, Article: Soft Plastic Baits for Finicky False Albacore. Later in the fall, most of the false albacore fall into the 3- to 6-pound range. To return them to the water it is best to thrust them head first into the water as this will rush water through their gills to revive them. One location is around an inlet. Albie experts prefer a 7-foot or 8-foot medium-power spinning rod meant for 8 to 17-pound fishing line, or 10 to 20-pound line. [Submit your albie photos using the Instagram hashtag #OnTheWaterMagazine, or email them to feedback@onthewater.com]. When pods of albies are not visible along the beach moving out to these offshore lumps and ridges will be my next plan of attack. Be patient! An assortment of flies in the 1- to 6-inch range will prepare fly-fishermen to match the size and profile of any baits that may be around during the months of September and October.
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