fishing for albies

[DarkSkies]

Last year was the first year I was able to catch a bunch, after deciding to target them the year before, and not being quick or adaptable enough to get one.

Albies, false albacore, fat alberts, berts, call them what you want, I call them an end of summer addiction.

Once you get one, you are driven to get another. Must have, must find, must pursue until a fall storm and northwest winds drive them away.

Anyone who ever caught one knows the addictive power they can have, Pound for pound, there is no fish you can catch from the suds that has more power. :heart:

A huge bluefish is mean, but albies are the speedsteers for the middle class. For those of us who can't afford a boat or spending thousands on boat trips, albies are the best game in the September surf. To me, their power is incredible. Their ability to dump half your spool on their first run keeps me coming back time and time again.

Sure, I guess they don't break your back like tuna do. And after one or 2 runs, they are basically done.

But they are beautiful fish, and a worthy opponent on light tackle. It amazes me to see the fly guys catch them and see them have a blast! :wow:

When I'm old, I hope God allows me the chance to make it down to the suds to catch one more albie before I die, or that I can die with a fishing pole in my hands.:thumbsup:

[DarkSkies]

First albie experience.

Last year, 2007, went to Moco because I had a hunch they would be there. Driving down there, 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 to the lot, 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.

It's been said I am an excitement junkie. I like danger and risk, fishin out on the end of a jetty where the waves pound over your head, fishin rockpiles in the middle of the night, going to places where freaky people hang out :scared: based on rumors fish are being caught. Catching the albies just 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.

[plugcrazy]

Great video but I would liked to have seen it come over the side.

Phat Matt Albie Fishing 2007

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[BassBuddah]

Appreciated reading that, man, felt like I was there. :thumbsup:

Last year was a good year for albies, we got em at Breezy around mid Sept, lasted for little over a month.

Was one of my best, I got around 27 for the duration. For the most part, it was hard work like you said, though there was a day when I caught 4 in an hour. Other than that, cast, cast, and cast until your arms feel like they're going to fall off, and you will catch.

[wish4fish]

very kewl report dude, you got me stoked.:drool: i never got an albie, maybe i can tag along when the run starts?:D

[DarkSkies]

I was driving along the highway tonight and looked up at the approaching sunset. The pink and blue cirrus clouds reminded me of one phrase: "albacore skies". You just know when you start to see those patterns, the albacore won't be far behind.

I'll pm ya when it's on, wish4.

Don't want to sound like I'm an expert on albies here, cause I'm not.:D I am good at chasing after them, and last year I had a good time catching some, but the run was short.

I wanted to also mention a guy who has taught me a lot about albies, "Albacore Al" Riley. He has helped me so much with albacores, surfcasting, and advice in general. I owe him a lot, and don't remember if I ever said "thank you" enough, so I'm sayin it now. :clapping:

Albacore Al is one of the surfcasting icons at Sandy Hook, and IMO one of the most famous surf guys when it comes to albacore. He knows more about these beautiful creatures than any 10 normal surfcasters, and his tales of getting them, and not getting them, were ones I listened to for years before I decided I wanted to target them.

He hangs out near the rocks at the Hook, tries to stay away from that place on weekends,:scared: and is one of the most dedicated and patient surfcasters I know. Good man, Mr Albacore Al.:thumbsup:

[captnemo]

We're usually getting albies from the boat near the Shrewsbury rocks by now, so they should be showing up soon.

Nice first-hand experience, ds. Good read.:clapping:

[porgy75]

What are the best lures and techniques to use for albies?

[finchaser]

small crippled herring
Gibbs metal
Ava 007 no tail
small Kastmaster
thin tin squid

from boat

feathers
small tuna clone daisy chain
drail and clarkspoon
Ava
Kastmaster
live line killies in a light chum slick
small cedar plug
sand eel spreader bar

[DarkSkies]

That's a comprehensive list, finchaser. Listen to what he said guys and gals, he's got decades of experience. :thumbsup:

Don't get into a rut of thinking only one or 2 presentation that will work.. For example, DeadlyDicks are effective when there are large spearing as part of the forage.

When the forage is smaller like rainfish/bay anchovies, you need to match that profile as well, perhaps by tying a fly to the front of your metal, OR.....tying a small fly to the end of it, or using a small Ava, or one of the things that finchaser recommends.


The important thing to remember is if what people tell you to do isn't working, try to think out of the box. A key factor is to get the presentation down to the level where they are feeding. sometimes they're not exactly on the surface or feeding strictly at the top. You need to get your offering to where they are, and in front of them, in such a way that it doesn't look fake, and matches what they're eating at that moment.

A friend got 2 the other day on a 1 oz jig and a chartreuse fin-s. Did I think that would be effective? :kooky: Until I heard the story, I never would have tried that combo. When I first started fishing for them, a guy who never caught them before got them on a bucktail, because that's all he brought with him, and they were in a frenzy at that moment.

Be aware they have incredibly keen eyesight, hence the belief that less hardware, flouro leaders, etc, are the way to go. You want to get it to where they are, and not have them reject it, to nail it on impulse. Within those parameters, you have a good amount of latitude.

[finchaser]

DS well written, I forgot the deadly **** cause I like thin tin squids (old School) remember they are only suggestions

Nothing is etched in stone except to catch a fish there is a fine line between the fish and the idiot on the beach.:D

[surfstix1963]

As mentioned above I like to use a metal with a 4-6 ft. fluorocarbon leader with a epoxy teaser usually a surf candy you can tie these in various lengths and colors depending on the bait they are feeding on they have very good eyesight so I feel the flash from the tin gets their attention and the teaser seals the deal.Your drag must be set almost perfectly they can do in a reel quickly if it is not set right and they can take a lot of line real fast.I also tie everything direct no hardware like I said their eyes are very good.

[DarkSkies]

DS well written, I forgot the deadly **** cause I like thin tin squids (old School) remember they are only suggestions

Nothing is etched in stone except to catch a fish there is a fine line between the fish and the idiot on the beach.:D

I think that's the best attitude to have, finchaser. For every suggestion given, there could be a catch where a guy is doing the exact opposite.

You mentioned tin squids. I met a guy the other night who uses eel bobs to fish eels in the current, he makes his own. To most people, they wouldn't think there is much difference between that and putting the eel on a lead jig. However the eel bob allows the front of the eel to swing freely and gives it a better range of movement.

Eel bobs, tin squids, all tried and true items from the past that a lot of people seem not too interested in because they may seem too simple. Sometimes, simpler is better, less is more. ;)


As mentioned above I like to use a metal with a 4-6 ft. fluorocarbon leader with a epoxy teaser usually a surf candy you can tie these in various lengths and colors depending on the bait they are feeding on they have very good eyesight so I feel the flash from the tin gets their attention and the teaser seals the deal.Your drag must be set almost perfectly they can do in a reel quickly if it is not set right and they can take a lot of line real fast.I also tie everything direct no hardware like I said their eyes are very good.

Good point on the flash from the tin, surfstix. Some guys use a similar principle by dragging a popper without hooks across the water to get the albies to strike a teaser 3' in front. A small needlefish might have the same effectiveness, I'm going to try that this year.

[DarkSkies]

A lot of people get keyed in on locations, and I think that helps them buy into the "the fish are only at this spot and nowhere else" mentality.

Someone asked me if albies could be caught in shalllow water. I have been way in the back of Raritan bay and seen an albie caught by a guy fishing off the rocks near an inlet. They have also been caught in certain places in the Barnegat Bay, and the Shrewsbury and Navesink Rivers in NJ.

Last year they made a fair surf showing at Montauk. however, a relatively unknown N Fork area had them in good for 2 solid days! :dribble:

Were these likely catches? IMO no, but anything is possible with these pelagics. :don't know why:

Here are some of the things I have learned that hold true a majority of times. Please don't take these as the only way. That's one of the most frustrating/challenging things about them. Ya can't figure em out every time. :huh:


Don't chase them on the sand:

Even if you're 18 and were a track star in high school, it ain't worth it. By the time you get over there, they'll be here. :D Better to find a place you know of that holds high bait, and has access to deeper water.

Deep water vs shallow water:

You can catch them in shallow water, but I believe they are least wary when they have quick access to open ocean, hence the recommendations to fish for them there.

Match the bait profile:

If your offering is twice as long as what they're eating at that moment, you may be getting half as many hits as your buddy who is bailing them left and right by figuring the exact profile. Finchaser recommneded removing the tail from the ava jigs. He's right, because the tail will turn a 2 1/2" piece of metal into a 5 1/2" profile. This could be enough to put you out of the catching for that day.

Pitch to where you think they will be, not where they are:

They move so quickly if you toss in their direction they will be gone. Toss so that it lands in front of them, much better chances.

Low light is your friend:

Because of their keen eyesight, like surfstix mentioned, I find it's best to target them from 6-8am, and 6-8pm. These are times when the sun is not at it's brightest. In my experience bright sun can kill the bite.

Go when others won't:

I have had great days fishin for them when the winds were blowing 40mph. If the wind is such that you can still get your offering out there (NW, W, S), even if the conditions are snotty, you should be out there! At least give it a shot for a few minutes. The cloudy and snotty weather will also make them less wary and more likely to feed in the day. On a day like today, variable clouds all day, I would be fishin for em hardcore style if I didn't have to work. :(

[BassBuddah]

Don't chase them on the sand:

Even if you're 18 and were a track star in high school, it ain't worth it. By the time you get over there, they'll be here. :D Better to find a place you know of that holds high bait, and has access to deeper water.



Yeah I don't chase albies either, though I make sure I am ready. Carry the leader and everything pre-rigged in your surf bag. You get adept at being a quick change artist when they are around. It looks like this year will be a good one for them.

[buckethead]

Are there still Abies out there?

[stormchaser]

I think they were reported this week in NJ just offshore. Great read guys thanks for sharing.