All about False Albacore (Albies) and Bonito

[crosseyedbass]

Who caught a false albacore this fall and can give some tips? I have read a lot and see they can pop up in the surf quickly. Almost impossible to run after so what are the signs and what do you look for? Thanks

[BassBuddah]

It's tricky because some mistake feeding bluefish for albacore. Albacore move much more quickly and the splashes are not as big. Your best bet is to get out there early in the morning and try blind casting small metal. Don't use too much hardware because they have very keen eyesight.

[paco33]

I second that. Or tie direct

[dogfish]

You can reach them better in a kayak. If not be prepared to cast a thousand times if you don't see them on top.

[cowherder]

thanks for the tips guys I want to try for them too next fall

[surfwalker]

Albies that's the only time of the year I'll slow down on Bass plugging and target Albies. I love hooking up with these nuts. I've seen them come the middle of August, but they're not really feeding agressively then, more casual, in my area of Jersey. Toward the end of Aug., then Sept and Oct. I pick up most of them. I used to chase them when I was real young, but that's was frusturating then. Now I blind cast in a few spots and do pretty well. They seem to circle back over and over again, if the bait is thick. They are constant movers. I use a regular mono leader about 4 feet, swivel from the main line and then tie a Gibbs minnow, 2oz. metal or any slender metal directly to my leader. I know there are all different techniques, but these work for me. If you hook up and the line goes limp, he's coming right at you , reel like crazy and catch up to him. My retrieves vary from casual to pretty quick. Also, on the cast, I stop the metal before it hits the water to make a bigger splash. I could go on and on but I'm getting sweaty palms, just posting about them.

Happy Trails

[Monty]

This was my first (and only) Albie that I caught this past year.
On a teaser in front of a pencil.
Was an incredible fight, drag screeeeamed.
What a rush.
6407

[7deadlyplugs]

If you hook up and the line goes limp, he's coming right at you , reel like crazy and catch up to him. My retrieves vary from casual to pretty quick. Also, on the cast, I stop the metal before it hits the water to make a bigger splash. I could go on and on but I'm getting sweaty palms, just posting about them.

Happy Trails

I saw albies being caught about 2 years ago at Breezy Point. I was walking with my Dad, and we came to a place where they were catching them. They only got a couple, but the intensity of the reeling struck me. It was like they were all jacked up on drugs or something. :plastered: I never saw guys reel so fast.

Wow Monty beautiful fish, any idea how much it weighed?

[surfwalker]

Nice one Monty, pictures are great. I've lost plenty of pencils and poppers when they wrap around their tail after grabbing the teaser. Those Albies are completely crazy, and they drive me crazy also. I'm sure some others can contribute to this thread. I enjoy reading about others experiences as much as I enjoy catching Albies.

[Monty]

Not sure on the weight. What a great surprise that fish was. When the reel started sreaming it was an awsome fight. I was actually shaking from the adrenalin rush after I released the fish.




Wow Monty beautiful fish, any idea how much it weighed?

[DarkSkies]

Here's my best albie story. A little long, but it's been said I get paid by the word. ;)


2007
Went to MoCo because I had a hunch they would be there. Driving down, the high winds were rattling my truck. This was at 5am in the morning. You know when it's windy in the morning it's going to be a tough day.

I got there, and decided to hang for awhile because it was so windy. I set up my one rod with a green deadly ****, #3 or 4 size (larger one). I checked all connections, tied it directly to a 20# flouro leader, carefully checked my knots. Made sure I had spare pre-cut fluoro coils in case bluefish came along. Then I set out with my surf bag and 2 rods.

Sometime after sunrise around 7am, I made it to the sand. As I was walking, the ferocity of the wind made me question my sanity. This was one of the days whe the wind was blowing sideways. Blowing steady at 25mph, with gusts up to 45.

I'm walkin out to the water, sayin I must be an idiot to fish this wind, no one else will be here. I get there and there were at least 10 other guys bundled up and casting in this crazy windstorm. :kooky:

The wind was so bad that as I walked out facing into it, I turned my back, and tried to lean as if I might fall down. I couldn't, the wind kept me upright. :banghead2:

The only positive thing is that the wind was blowing hard from the NW, which made casting off the beach a breeze. I set up in the que of guys, picking a place a little away from the crowd. At first, no one was catching, but they were casting and reeling like madmen. After about 15 mins, the first fish was caught, and it was on like Donkey Kong!:wow:

As soon as I saw that albie beached, I knew I had to get one too. There's a lot of different advice out there about retrieve and presentation for albies, but that day the guys using deadly ***** and reeling like madmen were catching the most.

And it ain't easy unless they are in a frenzy. Where we were fishing, you couldn't see albies or bait. If you walked by us, you might wonder what the heck we were doing, only one hit every 50 casts or so.

But what a rush, what a trip when one hit the metal! I was lucky, my first one was pretty big, 10 or 11 lbs, while some of the others were 6-9. Took half my line on the first run, and then made another run after I had it halfway in, almost as long. After that, it was tired. I brought it in quick.

The relatively large size of my first albie was enough to keep me hooked forever. I will always remember those powerful runs.

The thing about albies is you can't eat them, meat is too bloody, cat food. You bring them in and they're half-dead, so unless you can get them back within 60 seconds with minimal handling, they end up as crab food floating in the wash.

All the guys fishing for them that day were serious fishermen, and I picked up on the quick release after watching a few. I had the fish back in in about 30 secs. After about 1/2 hour of hard casting, I got another one, 2 total for that day. A little smaller, but still pulled drag. Pic below.

Catching the albies added to the list of addictive experiences that makes signals flash in my brain.

As long as they are available to us surfcasters, I will be fishin for them in the fall.

Sorry if this was a little long-winded, but I wanted to give those who never fished for them a glimpse of what can go on in your brain when you get one.:dribble:

We'll be into them soon, let's hear about your first albie experience.
Attached Thumbnailshttp://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=2631&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1219790749 (http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=2631&d=1219790749)

[DarkSkies]

This was my first (and only) Albie that I caught this past year.
On a teaser in front of a pencil.
Was an incredible fight, drag screeeeamed.
What a rush.
6407


Beautiful fish Monty, I remember reading that when you first posted it. :clapping:

Don't want to embarass Monty here, but he's one of the few guys who caught an albie from the surf last year.

They made a really poor showing, and some guys I know who are finatics about them couldn't get a break or an albie for 2008. They were around for a few days at most, depending who you talk to. Some guys swear they never showed up at all, the 2008 surf albie season was that bad. http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/images/icons/icon9.gif

Yet somehow Monty got one, and he was modest about it. So I hope he doesn't mind if I talk it up a little here, as he deserves a :thumbsup: or 2 :thumbsup: for his catch.

Nice goin, Monty! :clapping:

http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6407&thumb=1&d=1239934533 (http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6407&d=1239934533)

[surfwalker]

Great story Dark. Last year I only saw Albies for about 10 seconds and then that was it. Didn't hook up a one.

[DarkSkies]

Thanks surfwalker, I had the same experience you did for 2008.:skunk:

I did see them one morning early right after sunrise, they moved through the water about 300' offshore in a flash but never came back. I was hooked into these guys who were chasing them and gave me some good intel, but the NJ 2008 surf albie bite was one of the worst in quite some time.

I was real disappointed because from what some of the boat guys were sayin, there were schools anywhere from a 1/8 to 1/2mile out, and they touched over on the NY side at the Point.

There was also a sustained frikkin 2 DAY BITE on the NS of LI, North Fork area. I met some guys at the MSA show in Farmingdale who confirmed earlier intel I had. They had them for 2 days heavy!! So maybe I'm a (little ) jealous :( but at least someone got into them good :thumbsup: and there were some reports at Montauk, but mostly from boats.

Oh well, that's fishin!! :fishing:

[surfwalker]

Dark, some years they come in, some they don't. I wish they were around most of the season, every year.

[cowherder]

This guy Gordon Churchill writes some great stories. :drool:


Everything you always wanted to know about
false albacore fishing

...but didn't know how to ask.

To read more about albie fishing click here (http://www.geocities.com/capt_gordon/oct99.html) to read my piece from the October 99 issue of Carolina Adventure.
Do you know what a "Melt- Away" is? No, it's not an old type of candy that dissolves in your mouth. It is what happens to your flyline when you hook into a false albacore! These small members of the tuna family are the fastest fish that an inshore flyrodder can pursue. One can zoom up the beach, take your fly and be 300 yards away in a matter of seconds! Even a bonefish, the speedster of the shallow water flats, would be stuck at the starting line in a 100 meter dash against a false albacore. The beaches around Cape Lookout , NC (http://www.geocities.com/capt_gordon/lookoutmap.gif)are host to what is quickly becoming a world renowned annual event (http://www.geocities.com/capt_gordon/buds.jpg) every fall. False albacore run the shoreline crashing bait in extremely shallow water. Often so shallow that you would think they would get stuck. The silversides erupt in panic and huge boils and splashes (http://www.geocities.com/capt_gordon/slashing.html) show up where a speeding fish just snatched a snack.



God made many beautiful places on this planet, he didn't make many of them more beautiful than Cape Lookout, North Carolina (http://www.geocities.com/capt_gordon/sunrise.jpg) at the northeastern end of Onslow Bay (http://www.geocities.com/capt_gordon/onslowbay.gif). It is place of ocean breezes, sea grass and perfect sunsets (http://www.geocities.com/capt_gordon/sunset.jpg). The sand is ideal and the surf ranges from raging and crashing in one place to gently pushing against the shore in another. Due to the shape of Barden Inlet there is always a lee shore at the Cape. No matter which direction the wind is blowing from, there is a place where it is greatly diminished. There are dunes and a myriad of seabirds. There is also an unbelievable amount of life in the water. The tidal current is remarkably strong and deep water is right next to the shore. This is a surfcaster's dream. With just a short cast the possibility to catch outsized fish is very real. I have seen cobia swim right by my feet. I once saw a very large tiger shark swim lazily on the surface just a hundred yards from the beach. While wading up to mid-thigh I was surprised by large mullet flying from the water right into me to escape from something bigger that was chasing them. I got out of the water. Sea turtles nest here and a huge Leatherback turtle the size of a VW Beetle once gave me the opportunity to study it close up at it swam right on the surface. I was amazed to see the cobia's and pilotfish and assorted smaller fish that were using it as their home. Loggerhead turtles routinely swim in the surf in broad daylight. I have even seen a huge ocean sunfish, or mola-mola, finning lazily along.

The only way to get to the Cape is by boat or ferry. There are no roads or bridges and hopefully it will stay that way for a long time as it is a national seashore. The National Parks Service runs a ferry out to the lighthouse and the local marinas will also take you out there. There is also a car ferry that runs from Atlantic that surf fishermen use to get their beach buggies onto the island. Cape Lookout itself is shaped like a fish hook turned on it's side with the point of the hook facing north and the shank of the hook to the east, like a huge capital "J". At the bend of the "J" is Cape Point.

This is a premier surf fishing location with many red drum taken in the fall as well as flounder, gray trout, speckled trout, sea mullet, Spanish mackerel and any other thing you could catch in the surf. This is the home of the pounding surf and the ocean breezes. The Cape Lookout Shoals are right in front of you and the tide and wind combine to make it a torrent. The waves crash back and forth against each other and many ships were lost in this area. In fact the whole area from Cape Lookout up to Oregon Inlet is known as "The Graveyard of The Atlantic" due to the number of ships lost at sea.




False Albacore (http://www.geocities.com/capt_gordon/tunny.gif) (or little tunny) are regarded as trash fish by many of the people who regularly ply the coastal waters in search of King (http://www.geocities.com/capt_gordon/king1.jpg) and Spanish mackerel (http://www.geocities.com/capt_gordon/bightme.jpg).

They disregard them for the fact they are difficult to prepare as table fare, especially when compared to a mackerel, and aren't much to write home about after one has been consumed. They are also derided because of their tendency to tear up the tackle of those who spend long hours preparing trolling rigs for other species. It is for those very reasons that the fish is now being so highly thought of a sport fish. Since nobody likes to eat them they are not highly pursued so they are numerous throughout their range and flyfishermen seem to enjoy tying into fish that can tear up tackle. How else can you explain the high tech single piece machined aluminum and even titanium reels on the market. Some of these reels will retail for over $500.00. I just use one that has a nice drag (http://www.geocities.com/capt_gordon/reel.jpg)and holds 300 yards of 20 pound backing.


Mclane's New Standard Fishing Encyclopedia tries to clear up some confusion surrounding these fish. They are often misidentified as other species of tuna. This is often worsened by the wide range of the fish as it is in the Mediterranean as well as the Atlantic. Here is what Mclane says:
Until 1970 three scombrids and sometimes a fourth of the genus
Euthynnus were loosely regarded as "little tunas"; E. alletteratus, also called false albacore or bonito; E. affinis, also called wavyback skipjack or kawakawa (Hawaii); E. lineatus, also called black skipjack, and E. pelamis, also called skipjack tuna. The common tuna, little tuna, applies only to E. alletteratus."
That about clears it up for me (Not really). Any questions? Good, be ready for the exam next time.


http://www.geocities.com/capt_gordon/albiechapter.html

[cowherder]

But seriously there is quite a bit of confusion in identifying these fish because of all the colloquial names that are applied to the smaller members of the tuna family. What we call a bonito might be called something completely different someplace. What is called a false albacore on the east coast is probably called something completely different in Italy.

Further adding to the confusion is the very use of the word albacore in the most popular name for this fish. True albacore are among the most prized of all tuna's because of their excellent eating qualities and ability to put up a scrap on the end of a line. People are always asking "Are them albacore good ta eat?" Not the false albacore that are near the shore, just the real albacore that live in very deep water.




When the fish are spotted on the surface there is another bit of confusion. People often mistake them for bluefish. This can lead to quite a bit of consternation as nobody can get a hit and can't figure out why because we all know that bluefish will hit anything when they are busting on the surface. In his book Fly Rodding the Coast, Ed Mitchell mentions that this is because bluefish lures tend to be big and splashy and Albert's want their lures small and diminutive. I have found this to be right on in my experience.

The fish will be blasting bait (http://www.geocities.com/capt_gordon/bait.jpg) all over the place and trollers will zip right through the breaking schools with no regard for anything else because this is the way they have always fished. Rarely will one of them hook a false albacore while trolling. The lures are too big and they are out of the strike zone too quickly. I once told a couple of fellows that were trolling with casting rods to try casting for the fish and they might have better luck. Five minutes later I noticed that they had a hookup. The predominant baitfish off of the Cape is the fish commonly known as a silversides. By fall these fish are the size of a man's middle finger (unless he is a pro basketball player, then slightly smaller). In McClane's they are described as having " a silver band, edged above with a narrow black streak." It is important to match these traits in the flies that are used because the water is clear and the fish key in on size and that silvery band helps them to pick out individuals. Small flashy flies that are tied sparsely are what do the job (http://www.geocities.com/capt_gordon/fatpaul.jpg) and bigger flies will be refused.



The best way to pursue these fish is the most obvious, get in a boat and cast to the surfacing pods of feeding albies as they run the beach. This is assuming that you have access to a boat that you can fish from. The second choice is to be ferried over from Harker's and fish the beach in the hook area of the Cape. This is a bit more difficult. If flycasting you will need to use the shooting head system to make longer casts to reach fish that are either out away from you or up the beach from you. You also MUST have a shooting basket. The tidal current is so strong here that you can't cast if your line is laying in the water. Waders are another must. The water will be cooler in October than most people in North Carolina are used to. A decent pair of waders is essential for flyfishing the surf in autumn.

Then you pretty much stake out a spot where the fish have been seen rising and it becomes a waiting game. Blindcast around that spot while waiting for fish to show.

Mitchell says that most albacore caught by surfcasters (http://www.geocities.com/capt_gordon/beach.jpg) are just before any surface activity is apparent. I like to keep casting just because I get bored otherwise. If fishing from a boat it becomes easy to chase the surfacing schools from place to place. Let me just tell you, whenever I have seen surfacing schools of fish and decided to run the boat over to try to get a few casts off, 9 times out of ten they were gone before I got there and then the fish were surfacing over where I just was.

Don't chase. It's counterproductive. Just drift and be patient. If you are in an area where the fish have been working then chances are they will show up there again and practically be jumping into the boat. The clear intermediate lines from Airflo are the best things going for casting to surface feeding schooling fish. The Airflo line doesn't kink and doesn't require a lot of stretching to get it ready. Another option is using one of the all in one sinking head lines such as an Orvis Depth Charge which will produce fish that are cruising below and not necessarily breaking the surface. When a big school breaks in front of you it becomes almost impossible to make a cast of more than 10 feet because of pounding heart and uncoordination brought on by fish crashing bait so close they can be touched with the rod tip. It is a wild spectacle that is about the most fun that can be had while fishing.



Like I said before, the best flies are slender silversides imitations about the size of a my middle finger. The Gordo Clouser (http://www.geocities.com/capt_gordon/gordoclouser.html) work well . I like these flies on hooks sized from 2 through 1/0. During the 99 albert season I got turned on to flies tied on circle hooks. The Circle Hook Minnow (http://www.geocities.com/capt_gordon/circle.html) is an extremely effective pattern. Not only is it easier to release the fish when you get it to the boat, it is more likely that the fish will get to the boat. Fish hooked on circle hooks do not get away unless the line breaks. You do not experience mysterious hook pullings with circle hooks. We have even laid rods down with a fish on and let the line go completely slack with a barbless hook. The fish was landed. These flies are effective because they match the profile of the baitfish.

From my experience, the number one most important factor in getting a fish to strike a fly is presentation. The fly must be placed so the fish can get to it without being spooked. Many anglers fishing for albies retrieve too fast. A moderate retrieve is often the best and keeps the fly in the strike zone longest. The next most important thing is the size and shape of the imitation being used.

When fish are feeding on bait that is as abundant as the silversides are at Cape Lookout, then anything that is too big or not the proper shape stands out quite blatantly as a fake.

At times the predominant bait will be the tiny bay anchovies, then it is necessary to scale down even more. A fly that works well is the Bulletproof Baitfish (http://www.geocities.com/capt_gordon/bulletproofbaitfish.html) that I developed. Tie it no more than 1 1/2 inches long and very sparsely. It works wonders on bay anchovy feeding fish. You may alsowant to try a small marabou streamer. The third most important thing is color. If the presentation is good, nice long casts into the middle of breaking fish, and the fly is the proper size and shape as the bait the fish are taking, then something of a more natural match of the color may be needed.

[storminsteve]

The little tunny name is weird to me, because apparently they are not a member of the tuna family at all, they are from the mackeral family. And they call them bonito on the gulf coast, but the bonito they get here seem to be different colored than the false albacore.


http://www.thejump.net/id/false-albacore.htm

False Albacore, Little Tunny, or Bonito

http://www.thejump.net/id/false-albacore.jpgThe fish picture to the left is probably the most confused fish around. Not only does this fish of the Mackerel family have many common names but one of the common names is actually the name of another fish that looks similiar.

The proper common name for this species is False Albacore or Little Tunny. But if you ask fisherman along most of the Gulf Coast you will get a different answer. BONITO! Unfortunately this often causes great confusion with a similiar fish, the Atlantic Bonito.

http://www.thejump.net/id/more-fish/bonito-2.jpg

The scientific name is Euthynnus alletteratus. This species has a wide range. They can be found on the open oceans from Maine, south all the way to Brazil as well as inshore waters.

Bonito... sorry False Albacore are fun to catch but aren't the best table fare. Off the Louisiana coast they are either released or used as bait for other species. Chunks of bonito.. sorry, False Albacore are great for catching big redsnapper and tuna!

7564

[vpass]

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/littletunny/littletunny.html


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LITTLE TUNNY
Order - Perciformes
Family - Scombridae
Genus - Euthynnus
Species - alletteratus





Taxonomy
The little tunny was first described by Rafinesque in 1810 as Euthynnus alletteratus. He also referred to this fish as Euthinnus alleteratus, Scomber alleteratus, Pelamys alleterata, Gymnosarda alletterata, Euthynnus alleteratus alleteratus, Gymnosarda alleterata, Euthynnus alliteratus, and Euthynnus allitteratus. The genus name Euthynnus is derived from the Greek "eu" = good and "thynnos" = tunna. Synonyms referring to the little tunny include Scomber quadripunctatus Geoffrey St. Hilaire 1817, Euthynnus quadripunctatus Geoffrey St. Hilaire 1817, Thynnus leachianus Risso 1827, Thynnus thunina Cuvier 1829, Euthynnus thunina Cuvier 1829, Orcynus thunnina Cuvier 1829, Thynnichthys thunnina Cuvier 1829, Thynnus brasiliensis Cuvier 1832, Thynnichthys brevipinnis Cuvier 1832, Thynnus brevipinnis Cuvier 1832, and Euthynnus alletteratus aurolitoralis Fraser-Brunner 1949.

The family Scombridae includes the mackerels and tunas and includes 15 genera and 49 species worldwide.


Common Names
English language common names include little tunny, Atlantic little tuna, Atlantic little tunny, bone-eater, bonito, false albacore, little tuna, and mackerel tuna. European language-based common names include alletterato (Italian), apluro (Portuguese), atuncito (Spanish), bacoreta (Spanish), barrilete (Portuguese), bonite queue raide (French), bonito-pintado (Portguese), cachorra (Creole), cachorreta (Creole), cachorrinha (Creole), carachana (Spanish), carachana pintado (Spanish), falscher bonito (German), fule-fule (Portuguese), gueule molle (Creole), melena (Portuguese), melva (Portuguese), merma (Portuguese), ravil (French), thonine (French), thunnin (Danish), tonina (Maltese), and tonnetto (Italian). Other common names are atlanticheskyj malyj tunets (Russian), atlantiese kleintuna (Afrikaans), balamydah (Arabic), karvouni (Greek), luc (East Adriatic Coast Slavic languages), taiwan yaito (Japanese), ton mic (Romanian), and tunek atlantycki (Polish) as well as the Scandinavian names of tunniina (Finnish), tunnin (Norwegian), and tunnina (Swedish).


Geographical Distribution
The little tunny is found worldwide in tropical to temperate waters, between 56°N-30°S. In the western Atlantic Ocean, it ranges from Massachusetts (US), south to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and Bermuda. It is the most common scombrid in the western north Atlantic. Other locations include the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea.








Habitat
This fish is typically found in neritic waters, inshore over the continental shelf in turbid, brackish waters. Adult little tunny school according to size with other scombrid species at depths ranging from 3-490 feet (1-150m). However, during certain times of the year the schools break apart with individuals scattering throughout the habitat. Juveniles form compact schools offshore.



Biology

Little tunny
© J. Soward



· Distinctive Features
The little tunny has a robust, torpedo-shaped body built for powerful swimming. The mouth is large, slightly curved, and terminal with rigid jaws. The lower jaw slightly protruding past the upper jaw. There are two longitudinal ridges on the tongue. Scales are lacking on the body except for the corselet and the lateral line. The corselet is a band of large, thick scales forming a circle around the body behind the head, extending backwards along the lateral line. The lateral line is slightly undulate with a slight arch below the front of the dorsal fin, then straight to the caudal keel. The caudal fin is deeply lunate, with a slender caudal penduncle including one short keel on each side. The first dorsal fin has high anterior spines giving the fin a concave outline, separated only narrowly from the second dorsal. Pectoral fins are pointed and short, not reaching to the end of the first dorsal; the pelvic fins are inserted just behind the origin of the pectoral fins. Swimbladder is absent.


Little tunny
© George Burgess



· Coloration
This fish is steel blue with 3-5 broken, dark wavy lines, not extending below the lateral line. The belly is white and lacks stripes. There are 3-7 dark spots between the pelvic and pectoral fins. Spots below the pectoral fin are dusky.



·Size, Age, and Growth
The average size of the little tunny is up to 32 inches (81 cm) in length, weighing up to 20 lbs (9.1 kg). The maximum recorded size is 48 inches (122 cm) and 35.3 lbs (16 kg). The little tunny may live to 10 years of age. Females reach maturity at 10.6-14.6 inches (27-37 cm) in length while males mature at approximately 15.7 inches (40 cm).



·Dentition
Lower jaw protrudes slightly past the upper jaw; there is a single row of small, inwardly curved teeth with similar teeth on the palatines. Teeth are absent on the vomer and tongue.





· Food Habits
Little tunny is an opportunistic predator, feeding on crustaceans, clupeid fishes, squids, and tunicates. It often feeds on herring and sardines at the surface of the water.



· Reproduction
Spawning occurs in April through November in the eastern and western Atlantic Ocean while in the Mediterranean Sea spawning takes place from late spring through summer. Little tunny spawn outside the continental shelf region in water of at least 77°F (25°C), where females release as many as 1,750,000 eggs in multiple batches. The males release sperm, fertilizing the eggs in the water column. These fertilized eggs are pelagic, spherical, and transparent, with a diameter of 0.8-1.1 mm. The yolk is Little tunny juvenile
© George Burgess


rich in black pigment and the egg is a light amber color overall. There is a single droplet of oil within the egg, adding to its buoyancy. Larvae, approximately 3 mm in size, are released 24 hours after fertilization, with the yolk being completely absorbed within the first 48-66 hours of life. The eyes are unpigmented at hatching, with pigmentation appearing 48 hours later. A small caudal spot is present. At sizes of 3.7-14mm, the teeth develop, the head becomes large, the snout long, and the fins develop. Juveniles from 14mm-174mm in length take on the adult appearance with the body becoming more fusiform and elongate.




Predators
Other tunas, including conspecifics and yellowfin tuna (Thynnus albacares). Fishes such as dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus), wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri), atlantic sailfish (Istiophorus albicans), swordfish (Xiphias gladius), and various sharks as well as other large carnivorous fish all prey on the little tunny. Seabirds also prey on small little tunny.



· Parasites
Parasites of the little tunny include the copepods Caligus bonito, Caligus coryphaenae, and Caligus productus, all found on the body surface as well as on the wall of the branchial cavities. Another copepod, Pseudocycnoides appendiculatus, has been documented as parasitic on the gill filaments. Other parasites include digenea (flukes), monogenea (gillworms), cestoda (tapeworms), and isopods.







Importance to Humans

The little tunny is commercially important in many locations including the West Indies. The flesh of the little tunny is darker and stronger tasting than that of the other large tunas. It is marketed fresh, dried, canned, smoked, and frozen. There have been reports of ciguatera poisoning related to human consumption of this fish. It is often caught on hook and line by trolling with lures near reefs. Also it is considered an excellent game fish due to their hard fighting ability once hooked. The little tunny is frequently used as a bait for shark and marlin fisheries, primarily due to their high oil content and good hook retention.



Conservation
This fish is not listed as endangered or vulnerable with the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The IUCN is a global union of states, governmental agencies, and non-governmental organizations in a partnership that assesses the conservation status of species.





Prepared by:

Cathleen Bester

[DarkSkies]

Some of the most interesting things are rigs that when you talk about them, they don't make sense. :huh:

I met a guy the other day who swears by this rig. It's unusual, for sure. He claims he nailed them on this rig 2 years ago, so who am I to argue? I like to see the different innovations people come up with. Bottom line, if you use it, and catch a fish on it, who is anyone else to tell ya it can't work? Plus you have a lot more confidence when you know it produces. :thumbsup:

Basics for this rig:

Take a Roberts Ranger, remove the hooks.

Attach a flouro leader to the swivel, and tie the other end to a teaser of your choice.

That Roberts Ranger canl give you the distance you need. At times they will be close, but the biggest complaint I've heard is: Man they were just 30 yards out of my casting range. :burn: Other times if you need more distance, a slim metal like a Deadly **** is a better choice.
This rig is streamlined and can punch it out, especially in windy conditions.

Credit for this rig goes to Ron, a retired guy I met on the sand. :HappyWave:


7736

[clamchucker]

Nice pictures and research guys. There are some traditional and non-traditional ways of catching them. I prefer to use the deadly **** or very small 007ava jig from a boat.
I do like the idea of a ranger or slim pencil with the teaser attached, Dark, that's a trick some of the old-timers use.

[bababooey]

It's almost albie time!

[porgy75]

Wow great thread guys thanks for all the info.

[plugginpete]

I like that rigging with the roberts ranger, I bet you would get a lot of distance from it.

[finchaser]

I like that rigging with the roberts ranger, I bet you would get a lot of distance from it.


He can't cast get's him about 20 yards total

[surfstix1963]

You can do that RR trick with any tin that doesn't have a wide profile such as a kastmaster(too much wind resistance) to reach them I've used hopkins and diamond jigs with the hooks removed and replaced with flouro leader and teaser of choice epoxy flies are good but any one will work with a little flash added to the mix.

[williehookem]

Thought you guys would like to read this story. John Skinner caught a record albie last year in Oct, 16lbs!
Here it is.


Surf-Caught New York State Record False Albacore by John Skinner

For a few weeks each October, I forget about stripers to target false albacore on the North Shore beaches. We had a good run in 2009, but the cold shut it down early and we were hampered by one nor'easter after another. The last day I had them was between storms, and it was a tough day that took about an hour of casting for each hit.

I had already landed one, which was enough to keep me casting. When a guy upwind of me lit up a cigar, I moved upwind of him to get out of the smoke. Within a few casts with my green #2 Deadly ****, I connected with a surface explosion that didn't seem larger than usual, but the resulting run felt like I had hooked a speeding boat. I was using a 7-foot, 12-pound class Fin-nor rod, and a Penn 440 spooled with plenty of 20-pound Tuf-Line XP braid.

The main braid was backed by some older braid, and finally some 12-pound mono. I had already landed 72 albies in the preceding weeks without ever coming close to the backing, but this time was different. I felt uneasy as I watched the first backing knot fly through the guides. It was 20-pound braid to 20-pound braid. I wasn't too worried about that knot, but I was scared to death of the next one. A clicking sound indicated that the mono-braid knot was going through the guides, yet the fish still hadn't slowed down. I backed down immediately on the drag to accommodate the 12-pound test line. This was the first time I had ever had a braid/mono splice go off the reel. I knew I was finished at that point. There wasn't much line left, the fish was very far away, still going, and about to cross some rocks to my right that had cut off plenty of screaming albies.

"This one wins." I figured. Then my luck changed. A set of big waves swept in from the east, and as the fish hit them, it turned and started running west and into the current. As the fish crossed in front of me and way out, I carefully began putting some of the mono back on the reel. I followed the fish as it kept going west, gaining line slowly as I went along. I felt better getting all of the mono back on the reel, and in another minute or so, the older braid. Then the fish took off to the northwest. Out went the first backing knot again, but this time the spool stopped spinning a few revolutions short of the mono. I continued to follow west, pumping precious line onto the spool as I carefully maintained a safe amount of pressure. Other anglers stopped casting so I could pass by.

I knew there were no more obstructions to deal with as long as the fish stayed its course.

When I was within a hundred feet of the fish, it turned and headed back east. I reeled quickly to keep slack out of the line, and when it crossed in front of me, I could see its fins slicing the water. It looked strange to me because I had never seen an albie with so much space between the dorsal and tail. In a few more pumps I could see the entire silver and green football-shaped form in the wave faces. I couldn't believe the size. It wasn't thrashing the way they usually are, just rhythmically cutting the water. I yelled to my friend Mike (the Astronomer) to get my camera, figuring if he was ready with the camera when I landed it, we could get pictures quickly and then release it.

Sizeable waves were coming in and I timed a horizontal pull on the rod with an approaching roller to surf the fish onto the shore. I hoisted it immediately for a quick picture, and then repositioned it for a horizontal shot. The fish was hooked solidly in the jaw, and it took some effort to get the hook out. I had a Boga scale in my truck, but there was no time to get it and still have a chance to save the fish, so I plunged it back into the water to try to revive it. Then I tried again and again, but it was bleeding and just too spent. I decided to keep the inedible tuna and give it to a friend for shark bait. There were a couple of experienced albie guys there at the time, and all agreed they'd never seen one that big. I definitely hadn't seen anything close. Someone wondered what the state record was.

On the way home I bumped into Rick Girzadis, and he put it on his digital scale. It went 15 pounds 11 ounces. I put it on my digital scale at home and got 16 pounds 6 ounces. I couldn't find a NYS record for false albacore online, but saw that the Connecticut record of 14.7 pounds had stood since 2000. It was too late to hit a tackle shop, so I iced the fish.

The next morning I emailed Fred Golofaro, who oversees the NYS saltwater records. He indicated that there wasn’t a current NYS record albie listed, but if I had one over 15 pounds, one would be initiated. I made a few calls and located a recently county-certified scale at Smiths Point Bait and Tackle. Mike and Craig had the scale ready when I got there, and it registered 16.4 pounds, which was in agreement with my digital. The fish was 33 inches long. They helped me complete the weigh-in sheet. I had it notarized at a bank and sent it off to Fred. The catch was made in mid-October, and the certification arrived in early February.

There was a “teachable moment” in the story of this catch – you need enough line to handle the most unexpected of circumstances. Once I was into the mono backing, my odds of landing the fish decreased substantially. It was due only to the luck of the fish changing directions that I was bailed out of my carelessness. I’m diligent about this when it comes to stripers, and always start with a 300-yard spool of braid. Twice in my life I’ve seen half of a Penn 706 spool empty of braid as a cow striper surged seaward. Knowing there was no backing knot in sight was one less thing to think about in the middle of those dramatic runs. What I always felt was the larger fish of those two encounters won the battle by cutting the leader on a rock. The somewhat lesser powered fish turned out to be a 50-pound plus bass.

The big albie remains in my freezer, while I decide whether I go through the expense of taking it to a taxidermist, or send it off to a piece by piece burial at sea in an offshore chum slick. Thanks go out to Craig and Mike for helping with the weigh-in, and tons of thanks go out to Fred for working with the DEC to complete the certification. Finally, I’d like to thank the guy fishing next to me that day who lit up the smelly cigar. Had I not moved to get out of the smoke cloud, I would probably have never connected with that fish!

[7deadlyplugs]

:bigeyes:Wow awesome catch! That is the biggest albie I have ever seen. And from shore? Outtasight!

[Monty]

Great story and WOW, thats an incredible catch from shore.

[ledhead36]

That was packed with excitement. I almost thought he was going to lose the fish there for a sec. Fin-tastic!:drool:

[jigfreak]

Heres something I don't remember reading in this thread. Catching them will turn you into a junkie. Worse than heroin, but oh so sweet! You have been warned.

[DarkSkies]

Thanks for that post Willie, it was an exhilarating read.



^ I hear ya, Jigfreak. I haven't had my fix for awhile and need it bad. There have been some appearances in the last few days, but nothing you could predict or count on.

I started another thread trying to show how the robustness of the false albacore action is a relatively reliable predictor of overall fall surf fishing. It's important to remember that this year is very different than last year. In fact, the more we try to find trends and similarities, the more we see that predictions in this area are tough.

I hope the new thread clears some of that up for the new folks, and invite anyone who reads this or that thread to weigh in with their opinions....




http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?8017-Stripers-amp-Anglers-Continuing-Education-Series-False-Albacore-migration-East-Coast

[buckethead]

15lbs 11oz what a catch. I don't think we'll see anything that big from the NJ surf but you can always hope.

[storminsteve]

I'm going to be out this weekend trying for them. The usual places and suspects. will let you guys know if I hook up. My buddy was fishing in long branch 2 days ago and said he thought he saw them but too far out. I hope they come in just a little closer.

[buckethead]

There are a lot of small bait fish around right now. Downsize your metals for a shot at them from the surf.

[DarkSkies]

Some thoughts I had today about NJ/NY albies.......


They have been caught in the NY Bight..... in the summer in past years
the last record I have of that, close to land, was about 4 years ago when they came way in the back of the bay. They have also come into Sandy Hook bay, but again that was late summer.
Breezy is a yearly spot to get them as well, and they have even ventured into JBay....

And..around Aug and Sept, when conditions were right, into some other harbor areas on the NJ side.

They have even come into Great Kills Harbor,,,but the last time that happened was around 2008,could have been 2005 as well... and it was In Aug or Sept...this comes from someone who was there that season and actually got them.,..and they are there this year....an incredible testament to the great waters that surround SI, and the varieties of bait that can be found there

[DarkSkies]

Some more thoughts, thanks to the OGB, as always, for the wealth of experience he helps add to some of my thoughts....(for I am just an ornery Googan....) :laugh:





CATCHING Albies When they're Picky....or feeding on Small Bait.....2012....
Unless you're willing to run to the bluefish grounds, albies have been feeding closer, in tight. They are in and out. A great time to target them has been sunrise and an hour after. In some places this also depends on the amount of forage and tide stage.

Also try to stay out till end of day. There has been some consistent small bluefish and albie action where the bay meets the ocean. Small metals, as mentioned.

There is a difference in albie behavior when they are out in the chum slicks, where they and sometimes tuna will hit bunker, and not be spooked by a wire leader.

When they are further inshore chasing very small bait, IMO they're much more challenging to catch. Lately, some guys have been hit and miss with them. The feedback I'm getting is that depending on when and where, sometimes even the length of the metal is an issue.

So if they're crashing schools of rainfish, for example, the behavior is different than when they are cruising around a chum slick seeing chunks of meat. They become much more selective. Again, only my experience, but when that happens, smaller is better, as some have mentioned.

Even a feather might be too big. An old school way is to set up a short soda straw with a sturdy gold hook at the end and troll it. I don't know if you want to go to that much trouble. However it does work and will increase your catch ratio when they are picky.



Or you could try feathers.

[buckethead]

Good intel ds, thanks. This morning they were hitting hopkins and crippled herring.

[buckethead]

From wikipedia:

A tuna is a saltwater finfish (http://stripersandanglers.com/wiki/Finfish) that belongs to the tribe (http://stripersandanglers.com/wiki/Tribe_(biology)) Thunnini, a sub-grouping of the mackerel family (http://stripersandanglers.com/wiki/Scombridae) (Scombridae) – which together with the tunas, also includes the bonitos (http://stripersandanglers.com/wiki/Bonito), mackerels (http://stripersandanglers.com/wiki/Mackerel), and Spanish mackerels (http://stripersandanglers.com/wiki/Spanish_mackerel). Thunnini comprises fifteen species (http://stripersandanglers.com/wiki/Species) across five genera (http://stripersandanglers.com/wiki/Genera),[1] (http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/#cite_note-Graham2004-1) the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bullet tuna (http://stripersandanglers.com/wiki/Bullet_tuna) (max. length: 50 cm (1.6 ft), weight: 1.8 kg (4 lb)) up to the Atlantic bluefin tuna (http://stripersandanglers.com/wiki/Atlantic_bluefin_tuna) (max. length: 4.6 m (15 ft), weight: 684 kg (1,508 lb)). The bluefin averages 2 m (6.6 ft), and is believed to live for up to 50 years.

[buckethead]

False albacore aka little tunny - from wikipedia
Genus Euthynnus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euthynnus




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_tunny
The little tunny (Euthynnus alletteratus) is the most common tuna (http://stripersandanglers.com/wiki/Tuna) in the Atlantic Ocean (http://stripersandanglers.com/wiki/Atlantic_Ocean). It is found in warm temperate and tropical waters of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean; in the western Atlantic, it ranges from Brazil to the New England states. It is found regularly in offshore and inshore waters, and is classified as a highly migratory species (http://stripersandanglers.com/wiki/Highly_migratory_species) by UNCLOS (http://stripersandanglers.com/wiki/UNCLOS).[1] (http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/#cite_note-Majkowski1-1) Occurring in large schools and weighing up to 36 pounds, it is the smallest member of the tuna Scombridae (http://stripersandanglers.com/wiki/Scombridae) family, and is one of the finest small game-fish in the Atlantic.
Commonly called false albacore or little tuna, it resembles the Atlantic bonito (http://stripersandanglers.com/wiki/Atlantic_bonito), skipjack tuna (http://stripersandanglers.com/wiki/Skipjack_tuna) and species of mackerel (http://stripersandanglers.com/wiki/Mackerel).[2] (http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/#cite_note-Manooch1-2) The little tunny feeds primarily on pelagic fish (http://stripersandanglers.com/wiki/Pelagic_fish). It is best identified by the dark spots appearing between its pectoral and ventral fins and "worm-like" markings on its back.[3] (http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/#cite_note-Schultz1-3) Commercially, the fish is used as bait for sharks and marlin due to its high oil content and hook retention. It is considered by many to be a trash fish (http://stripersandanglers.com/wiki/Trash_fish) because of its limited nutritional value; there have even been reports of ciguatera (http://stripersandanglers.com/wiki/Ciguatera) poisoning related to its consumption. However, the little tunny is commercially important in many locations including the West Indies. It is marketed fresh, dried, canned, smoked, and frozen. It is sought after as a sport fish due to its line stripping 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) runs and hard fighting ability when hooked. By trolling with lures near reefs, it can be caught on hook and line.[4] (http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/#cite_note-Bester9-4)

[robmedina]

interesting read buckethead. I have a dumb question (well 2 of them)- If albies are palegic and feed in the palegic zone, do they eat bait in the epipelagic zone like mullet, herring and anchovy? I couldn't find much on which species of palegic baitfish we have, can any one answer?

[jigfreak]

^^^ rob I don't think of albies as strictly pelagic. True they are often found in the open ocean at different depths and there is a lot of action when jigging for blues and albies are also caught. However they can adapt to different environments. They have been caught near inlets, or they have come into some inlets and into some saltwater rivers to chase bait. I have a bud who fishes raritan bay a lot and he has seen them come halfway back into the bay. Have also read reports where they came off the flats of staten island.
Do they change from pelagic to epilagic I believe that is what you were asking.
Sure they do adapt. I think it is about the bait concentrations. I think finchaser or someone else pointed out they like clean water. You hear of them at places like breezy point and sandy hook with hard west winds and big waves but I think if the water is clean and not too muddy they pretty much will come in and feed where they can find that small bait. hope that helped

[robmedina]

Thanks jigfreak- I appreciate the answer. I have a bunch of anchovy/ sand eel fly imitations. I am also tying a bunch of baitfish patterns on a #2 hook to try and match the hatch. Hope I hook into on of them beauties!

[captnemo]

Whatever do keep it moving. They tend to like a fast strip or retrieve.

[robmedina]

guys on another forum are reporting them blitzing in cape may county. Why does it seem like there is a line that fish do not cross and that line is from IBSP to Cape may- anywhere in between just plain sucks!

[basshunter]

You can do that RR trick with any tin that doesn't have a wide profile such as a kastmaster(too much wind resistance) to reach them I've used hopkins and diamond jigs with the hooks removed and replaced with flouro leader and teaser of choice epoxy flies are good but any one will work with a little flash added to the mix.


Some more thoughts, thanks to the OGB, as always, for the wealth of experience he helps add to some of my thoughts....(for I am just an ornery Googan....) :laugh:





CATCHING Albies When they're Picky....or feeding on Small Bait.....2012....
Unless you're willing to run to the bluefish grounds, albies have been feeding closer, in tight. They are in and out. A great time to target them has been sunrise and an hour after. In some places this also depends on the amount of forage and tide stage.

Also try to stay out till end of day. There has been some consistent small bluefish and albie action where the bay meets the ocean. Small metals, as mentioned.

There is a difference in albie behavior when they are out in the chum slicks, where they and sometimes tuna will hit bunker, and not be spooked by a wire leader.

When they are further inshore chasing very small bait, IMO they're much more challenging to catch. Lately, some guys have been hit and miss with them. The feedback I'm getting is that depending on when and where, sometimes even the length of the metal is an issue.

So if they're crashing schools of rainfish, for example, the behavior is different than when they are cruising around a chum slick seeing chunks of meat. They become much more selective. Again, only my experience, but when that happens, smaller is better, as some have mentioned.

Even a feather might be too big. An old school way is to set up a short soda straw with a sturdy gold hook at the end and troll it. I don't know if you want to go to that much trouble. However it does work and will increase your catch ratio when they are picky.



Or you could try feathers.


surfstix, dark and finchaser I read about what you guys said on the soda straws and small offerings.
Did a search on youtube and found this. Does anyone think it might work for the false albacore?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ElFfkDiYKk

[plugcrazy]

Like that video basshunter very informative.
Here is one where they target bonito in Florida. Maybe you could use it for albacore from the surf also.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEXioTFB9CU

[DarkSkies]

surfstix, dark and finchaser I read about what you guys said on the soda straws and small offerings.
Did a search on youtube and found this. Does anyone think it might work for the false albacore?


Basshunter and plugcrazy, great thinking out of the box, thanks for sharing the videos. :thumbsup:
Those remind me of the casting eggs finchaser and others were talking about here
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?6336-casting-eggs-tell-me-about-them

What they are, essentially, is a teaser delivery system.

Great thread and info so far, people. The following info is already contained in this thread but I put something together with a little more detail.
If you do manage to catch one, remember that after an intense fight, they will not live if it takes you more than a minute or so to get back into the water.
Catch em up....good luck! :fishing:




Surf Albacore trick from the Old Salts.....the Albacore Popper...


1. Make this popper up, old school style...bring it with ya in a quart ziploc bag


2. Bring replacement leader and teaser in case you get bit off by a bluefish and have to re-tie.


3. How to make it: take a 2-3 ounce popper, pencil popper is ideal...SS Little neck is ok but more likely to draw bluefish, IMO. You need a thin profile popper that you can toss far, and move quickly back to you.


4. Take the rear treble off.


5. Tie a length of fluoro leader, 12-24" long, off the back/ bottom where the treble came from. You will have to experiment for what works best for you. Remember the longer the leader, the more it will cut down on casting distance.


6. Direct tie a teaser to the end of the fluoro leader. It doesn't have to be anything fancy as long as it's small, 1-2" and mimics the profile of the small bait they are feeding on....too big and they may avoid it....You can also use
A. A redgill sandeel teaser 3" or less
B. A red or chartreuse tube with hook, like the ones that come on the Ava jigs..but they have proved too big for me...I generally use the ones 2" or smaller...


7. cast out as far as you can..reel in like a emmefer..,,often you will not see the albies...but if they are there one day...they should hang around for a while...


8. Keep experimenting with retrieves until you raise or get an albie hit...and then continue...


**Remember you really can't eat them....I tried to sushi one on the beach once...not that great even when fresh...so if you do catch them, and don't get them back into the water within a minute or 2 minutes max...they won't live...what helps me is to have the camera ready as I'm lifting them out of the water....quick pic and back they go....

[robmedina]

and when you let them go - nose dive them into the surf- it gets them going.

[strikezone31]

Newsday even wrote a piece about them this week
http://www.newsday.com/sports/outdoors/truly-big-bite-from-false-albacore-1.9349232
"It was the best false albacore action I've seen in a decade," said Captain Craig Cantelmo.

[jigfreak]

Lots of miss information going around right now about these. Saw quite a few holding them out of the water too long for the photo up. take a quick pic and get them back. Not really good to eat so there's no point in having them lay dead on the beach an hour after you have gone home and they wash back up.

[fishinmission78]

Good article by Capt Jim
http://www.onthewater.com/jersey-shore-albacore/