Whats the earliest you got into albies in the year?
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Whats the earliest you got into albies in the year?
I don't have a lot of experience catching them from the surf. I have seen them caught on party boats in sept when they are bluefishing. Think that usually starts around Sept.
Last year was my best year, after chasing them the year before and not knowing what the heck I was doing. I'm starting to chomp at the bit, feel albies in my bones.:drool:
So far, some friends got into bonito near the Shrewsbury rocks almost 2 weeks ago. Another friend just came back from Mass, and told me they were getting albies from boats near the harbor.
C'mon albies!
Post your reports here, even if you heard from a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy. :laugh: I don't think it will happen from the surf until the middle of September, but I'm addicted, need my albie fix!!
Trying to get all my work down so the minute I get the word I can run to where they are and get in on the action. :wheeeee:
Im hopeful of a repeat performance myself. The bonito came in first last year too. Hung around manasquan inlet for a few days, wouldnt touch a thing the day i was there even though they were breaking water in a giant moving circle. Albies really hung around. I dont wanna any early NE sters that may push them out of the area.
Late report - some guys went out of PP, earlier in the week, I think. Used spoons on the troll, maybe some jigging, forgot all the details. They did get a mess of bonito. Albies can't be too far behind. Nice catch, guys. :thumbsup:
Some of the latest reports, second hand, I can't confirm:
All from LIS -
Port Jeff area, reports of bonito being caught sporadically, no consistent bite yet
Bluff Point, Pine Island, Watch Hill areas, reports by the DEP of albie and bonito sightings
Soon, guys, soon:dribble:
Latest reports and sightings:
SH - reports from fri of albies feeding beyond the surf line, none caught.
Monmouth - reports of albies being sighted in the ocean, some guys paddleing out to reach them, no hookups.
Offshore - they're catching albies and bonito from 12-40 miles out, as well as some closer spots.
Yesterday, Allen Riley talked about albacore skies.
The table is set, IMO as soon as the small bait becomes a thick and everyday presence in the surf, people will be catching.
You never know where the first confirmed one will be caught, could be anyone of us.
latest report - a guy I know claims a boat got into albie action inshore in the last 48 hours. This is a 3rd hand report, no way to substantiate. It's time for the albies to feed from the surf!
The only thing that may be holding them back is the bait is not swarming in all spots just yet. That could take another week, but I'm guessing one will be caught in the next 7 days from shore.
Mebbe I'll be right, mebbe not.;)
Well, gotta admit I was wrong on this one, guys. :o I do hope they come to visit the surf, there are more reports of boat guys catchin em.
This morning at the Hook was perfect conditions, lots of bait, stinging NW winds, just like it was last year when they came in. Couple guys tried for them, but even the master "Albacore Al" couldn't hook one.
So if they are actually feeding in the surf yet is anyone's guess. But if anyone can nail them first, Allen Riley will. :HappyWave:
Here's a quote from him:
"The clock is ticking on the albacore run. Each day that passes without them in the mix is another day crossed off within a narrow window of opportunity even during years with strong runs. Time will tell."
So far:
Sun - a capn saw them while out at the BA buoy off Sandy Hook.
Yesterday - some alleged reports of surfers seeing them porpoising and finning near bait.
Reports of albies at the Barnegat ridge
Today - a report of the first NY surf one in the Westhampton jetty area, guy got one on a fin-s teaser whille plugging for bass, great catch!
Allen Reilly reported huge amounts of bait in the surf today, big blues, no NJ surf albies yet, though they were tryin.
Cmon guys, one of us has to nail one soon. Can't win it if you're not in it.;)
First ones caught in NJ yesterday. Guy caught 4 when big blues came in slashing bait. But not out front.
Lucky SOB! :beatin: ;) :thumbsup:
I fished out front usual spot today, bait streaming by, no albies or bluefish till the very end. 2 bluefish caught after I left, no one got any albie action.
Meanwhile some friends were fishing the inside spot from yesterday where the guy got his 4. They fished hard. Despite all the bait, no sign of albies.
These are not easy fish to catch, that's why it doesn't pay to chase reports or locations. You would never expect them to be caught on the inside, but there were.
Tomorrow they may be outside a harbor, or somewhere else. The only ones who will know exactly are the guys catchin them.
My shoulder is sore from all the tins and presentations I threw today, fished hard for 3 hours, 3-6pm. Last night tied up a bunch of DD, crippled herring, etc, flouro rigs, no hardware.
I'm ready, but there ain't no guarantees.:D Frustrating species to fish for, payoff is worth it.:kooky:
My friend and I were talking about targeting them today, and we agreed that when you fight these fish, they give their all, and are half-dead when you bring them in. You have at most 60 seconds before they are completely dead, and a wasted fish.http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ons/icon13.gif
If yer gonna take a shot with your camera, please have the camera ready, or wait till the camera is ready when you catch the next fish. If you can, hold them by the tail and bottom as you gently put them back, until they are ready.
Doesn't take much to kill these things on the release, and it's a shame to waste such a worthy opponent. Can't eat em, not worth it. Although last year I did try to eat a fresh killed as sushi. The guys who saw me do it didn't know me, and described some crazy guy who had bloody meat sticking out of his mouth, on another website.:ROFLMAO:
Didn't say anything about it then b/c I was too embarassed, I guess, but fresh kill ain't bad. After that the quality turns into catfood. Believe me on this.:ROFLMAO:
Couple were caught today from a boat about 1/4 mile off a big occo inlet. Guy got 'em with DDs.
A few were spotted yesterday off Breezy. Today some boats got into the action and brought some in.
It may seem like hitting one is the same as hitting the lottery, but they are around. The first ones were caught in a pretty unusual place, and there was one year I was on a jetty in the RB and saw a guy across from me pull one in. You never know where they will turn up, it's definitely albie time.:drool: Be ready with your rigs, you may only get 5 or 10 mins.
I can confirm my uncle got 2 yesterday on the boat about a 1/2 mile off the beach and get this, they hit strecth 25s.
went out to the hook two weeks ago, no albies but I did get a JacK first time I ever seen one. released it came home and then I had to go on the web to see what the heck I caught. other then that it's been quiet out there.
**** Robin got over 100 bonito, and some albies, about 20m N of PP yesterday. Supposedly close to shore.
Welcome to the site, bayyaker, jacks put up a good fight for their size. :HappyWave:
I feel like I let you guys down with the lack of reports, but there just hasn't been anything in the surf. Boats are hitting them as close as 1 mile off the beach, no problem there. One guy on another site claims he saw them yesterday, and hooked into one and lost it.
Maybe so, but so far no has landed any other than the guy at SH 2 weeks ago, who hooked and released 3.
Meanshile, a lot of people are fishin hard for them. Allen Riley and his Team Albacore are fishing almost every weekday for them, nothing. A friend who is albie crazy and I have been hittin it hard, nothing.
In the meantime, I am climbing the walls. If we do have any run, time is running out, and it will be short.
Here's some pics from past runs to keep the interest going.
Last year -
Keep the faith, guys, one of us has to hit them soon.:thumbsup:
OK guys, 2 were caught yesterday, probably somewhere nomoco. Here's the pic as proof. Guy got one one a hopkins, he wasn't fishing for them , but saw one jump, and reacted quickly enough. :clapping:
Another guy got one on a teaser, here's a pic of the one caught on a teaser, nice fish.:clapping:
There were a lot of spearing nomoco out front moving southward yesterday, so it makes sense that they were there.
Let's catch em up, not many more days left till they're gone. The last day could be tomorrow, you never know.:don't know why:
Got further intel on that albie above, wasn't caught at SH.
What that means is that everyone who is fishing hard for them has a chance of catching one, about 1000 to 1. :laugh:
But one was caught Sun eve, the 4th reported catch of the season. Allen Riley and his team albacore have been casting like madmen every day,. so far no appreciable run has developed.
But that doesn't mean you can't catch one, anywhere from SH to Manasquan. Just find some schools of active spearing or bay anchovies, and cast like a mf'er as far as you can, over and over. Cast small, slim profile metal DD, etc, thought they have been caught on Hopkins ans small teasers as part of a teaser rig.
There are probably more catches as time goes by, they just don't get reported. (and contrary to what some people believe, the internet sites are not the be all and end all of fishing. I have met some amazing fishermen the last few months who would never consider posting or going to the internet for reports.)
Imagine that - fishing hard every day, catching nice fish, and never feeling the need to brag about it on the internet. :laugh: ;) :thumbsup:
stay tuned, I'm sure more good news will be forthcoming.
Just got back from Montauk yesterday.
We also saw some albies jumping about 300' from shore, tried DDs, but could not get any. They were chasing anchovies and small bait, amazing fish.
Glad you almost got into them up there BB, so far down here it has been hit and miss. They have been spotted off Breezy in massive schools. A friend and I are dedicated to finding them and nailing a few, no luck so far.
Some of the other sites report one or 2 scattered catches from the surf since my last report, but there is no real "run" so far to speak of, just isolated catches. However, boat guys are into them and bonito pretty heavy. They are SO CLOSE, but so FAR!
That's good, because it means anyone targeting bass or blues has an equal chance of nailing one, it's just the luck of the draw so far,
your chances are about 1000 to 1.;)
Another friend was after them for the last 2 days, usual spots. Saw them breaking water and chasing bait each day, but they were 1/8 of a mile out. At the usual places, there is no heavy concentration of bait to bring them into the surf, or just beyond the rollers.
Even Allen Riley and his Team Albacore have been getting blanked, every day, despite fishing hard for them every morning. Allen Riley is one of the best surf albacore fishermen out there. He has years of experience. If he can't pull just one in despite fishin for them everyday, that really sucks.
Keep the faith, water temps are still high enough, one of these days more than one guy will get lucky.:D
Nothing happening in NJ yet. A few surfers I know reported some jumping in various spots Moco, but none caught.
Great news from the North fork of LI, don't give up on these fish yet guys, they are still north of us, and out in deeper NJ waters. Caught on Mon and Tue.
The report:
Took a break from a morning hunt on Monday and took a ride to the beach.
Never saw so many trucks and cars in the parking lot when I pulled up, so I knew immediately that something was going on....What I saw was incredible; rods doubled over and some quick maneuvering from multiple hookups led me to believe that there was a major bluefish blitz occuring. Instead, it was a major false albie blitz!!!
I witnessed about a dozen albies get caught and it seemed that Deadly ****'s was the lure of choice . There were even some flyrodders going for it but I think the fish were out of their range.
I was going to ask one of the successful anglers if I could take one for shark bait but I didn't want to scent myself for the afternoon hunt. Oh well, my October mako will have to settle for bluefish!
For all you albie "affishianado's", now is the time!!
A week later and still no appreciable reports of albies in the surf. They were in full swing by this time last year.
I am still holding out hope for them to show up in numbers, because they were north of us last week. The only thing that gives me worry is that although we are seeing small bait, the flow is sporadic. Changes from day to day, and this would definitely affect whether we will get them frim shore.
I believe some will be caught here and there from different shore spots by guys who aren't targeting.
However, as far as a strong run is concerned, each day the possibilities lessen. I still want to keep that hope alive, ready to jump on it at a moment's notice. I always carry my albie rigs with me now - other day I left them in the car, and made a walk back to get them "just in case".
But the clock is ticking, time is running out, I hope we get a few shots at them.http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ons/icon14.gif
yeah, i been out at the hook, and haven'tn seen much except for quick moving birds one day a week ago, and they were too far off.
was there this morning, some bass around, but no albies.
Thanks for keeping up the reports, DS. My friend got into them yesterday off of Montauk in a boat, so maybe there's still hope for them hitting here. Have to see what the storm does.
Bunkerjoe raised the posibility of it being over for the albies in his report. I would have to second that. Out at SH this am, not much small bait, though I know about the night sandeel presence, nothing in the daytime.
Surf very quiet, if we get any real numbers of albies from here on in Ill be amazed. I'm giving up on targeting them and working to find them, though I will have my albie rigs with me for the next 2 weeks, just in case.
Last year was one of the worst in recent history for surf albie opportunties. I knew of a few caught, but they were not in the usual places. Some people refused to believe that any were caught at all in the surf. :don't know why:
One of the most famous surf albie fanatics is Allen Riley, an old mentor of mine. Albacore Al, as he is called by those who know him, has been pursuing albies from the surf for approximately 2 decades, and really has a pulse on them and how to target them. Here is a quote by him last year, a reflection on the dismal possibilities:
"The clock is ticking on the albacore run. Each day that passes without them in the mix is another day crossed off within a narrow window of opportunity even during years with strong runs. Time will tell."
There were no real catches of albies last year until the first week of September, while boat guys had been hitting them good, but inconsistently, all through August. I think the Fall weather patterns kept them away from the surf line, as we had a few noreasters in a row that dropped the temps and made it tough to fish for them.
Just remember, if they are around, don't procrastinate, set up some deadly ***** pre rigged with flouro leaders, and start carrying them around. The most successful fisherman is one who can adapt quickly. Many times you will only have a small window of 15 minutes or so to catch one of these speedsters.
Their eyesight is incredible. :wow: The guys who can change over to slim metals and pre-rigged flouro leaders will be the ones with the best chances. And you should be prepared to cast dozens or hundreds of times for one solid hookup, if they are there. I did see a guy catch one one a bucktail once, though. :kooky:
The reward is like crack for the surf fisherman, at least it is for me. ;) The adrenalin rush of the first run is awesome, and something every fisherman should experience at least once. That's why we put forth the time and effort, and cast after cast, for these elusive speedsters. :dribble:
So post up what ya know, or read in the reports out there. It doesn't matter how they were caught, or even if there was only a sighting and no catches. Posting here will give us an idea when they're available.
I started the same thread last year, and eagerly await their 2009 arrival. Most importantly, these are a fish that can only handle limited time out of the water. If you catch one, try to have the camera ready and out of the case, ready to snap that shot as you bring it in and quickly release it.
These are not fish that will survive "photo ops". I can tell you from experience that any release time longer than 30 secs, or 60 secs at the most, will leave them floating dead in the water within a few minutes of their release.
If you really care about not wasting a resource, please try to follow the 30/60 sec guidelines.
Ya can't eat these fish, though I have eaten sushi slices off freshly dead ones (ya should see the looks I get and internet reports that guys put out when I do :laugh:). Overall, they are one of the hardest fighting and most exciting fish that any surfcaster will ever catch on medium tackle, so let's try not to waste them, guys and gals. :learn:
Here's a link to a thread "all about false albacore"
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=3663
Post up what ya see or hear about, people! Try not to be too specific if the area is small or if you don't want 100 of your closest internet "friends' to be there shoulder to shoulder the next day. :kooky:
Reports/sightings:
-Some sightings already off of jetties in Ocean county, but no confirmed reports. Keep in mind that there are different fish that show the "albacore" feeding behavior, whether they are albacore, bonito, or frigate mackerel, which are usually on the smaller side.
-Some catches of frigate mackerel in the inshore waters in Monmouth County by boaters and kayakers.
-Remember that it's possible for the untrained eye to confuse albies with bluefish. One of the key differences is that when the albies are worked up, they leap out of the water when feeding. Their body shape is distinctive. They look like little fat footballs.
They also differ from bluefish in the speed they travel at. You will see activity in front of you, and 30 secs later they're a 1/4 mile down the beach.
Don't bother chasing them. Even an Olympic track star couldn't keep up. If the small bait is there, just have confidence in your long casts, and keep doing it until you get one or decide to give up, cause "these crazy fish just ain't worth it" :rolleyes:
I don't mind if you guys post "heard from a friend" reports, but please consider the sophistication of your source if you post the report here, and try to generalize the location as much as possible. I know guys who will be fishing for them every day as soon as they start to come around regularly. I would tend to believe a report from someone like that rather than a reported sighting from someone who has never caught one
Have fun, be safe, and please treat these magnificent fish with care. :thumbsup:
We should be seeing them soon at montauk.
I was just thinking about albies today. I was looking at the calender and thinking about when I might hear about a couple of canal sightings. The Bonito have been taken off the vineyard by floating reef but I have not heard any of the real deal showing up yet.
I heard some albies were spotted off one of the jetties, but like you said, "heard" is the operative word here. Can't be sure if they were albies, or bonito.
As Dark stated, last year was dead for me as far as catching or hearing any chatter on the beach about Albies. I only saw one fella get one,early one morning. But the year before, 2007, I had a field day with them. Middle of October, air/49°, water flat as a pancake and gin clear, in my area of Jersey. You could cast a mile and you just had that feeling that after a few cranks you would be hooked up, not disappointed, and that's they way it played out. Nice Albies, many hook ups, tons of hits, over 10 pounds, and they stayed for a few hours. Smiles were abundant, crowd limited to around 4 casters. Just too much enjoyment to be had.
Jackbass mentioned the Vineyard. In the late '80's up there, I picked up some 10 pound Bonito on a 8 1/2 foot Steelhead rod. The bend of the rod and the many runs are replayed many times over in my mental video.
Happy Trails
Last year I caught the one on a teaser in front of a pencil. I had a hit two casts before in the same area.
If you catch one is there normally more in the area?
Quote:
Originally Posted by DarkSkies
From my experience, Monty, they travel like bluefish, but in tighter schools. So if ya get one, you know there are more in that water. That's why it doesn't pay to chase after them. They move like lighning, but if bait is around will crisscross an area several times feeding.
And ya can't always know they are there, ya gotta work for them, so that leaves the binocular crowd out of the picture. :laugh:
It's frustrating because so many times they will be just out of reach. To get them to come within 100' of the water's edge is often unrealistic, often those guys who can throw the furthest will get them, others will just end up drooling. :drool:
If I remember correctly, when you caught that one on the teaser, it was a pretty nice one. More importantly, no one was targeting them where you were. While we were all jonesing in NJ waiting for them to show up, there was beach in LI behind Montauk where they had them for 2 days!!
You had guys targeting them at inlets and at the ends of the universe, but they didn't show up there. They showed up in the middle, where you were blind casting, working the water, like any good surfcaster is supposed to do.
And you nailed one, it was like picking a needle out of a haystack. :kooky: One of the very few surf caught albies that year, great catch!
I read a report about that on another site but couldn't get there, had to work. Summertime blues.:(Quote:
Originally Posted by DarkSkies
Some of your posts are inspiring fellas. I'm going to try for them this year. It seems you have to keep at it and can't give up, like climbing the bleachers up and down 500 times. I look forward to the alby reports here.:drool:
They were reported on another site, the guy said they were in raritan bay channels this week!:lookhappy:
"On the way to Ambrose the other day there were 2 pods of Albies pushing water inbetween the channels. Actually saw a few clear the water. Keep an eye out... "
I heard talk of some being sighted at Barnegat Ridge this week, but the source was not that believable. The guy could have seen albies, bonito, or skipjack for all he knows.
I checked my logs, and the first NJ 2008 surf albie I know of for that non-existent season was on 9-19-08. The guy who caught it is an albie fanatic, I think he nailed 3 that day.
The interesting thing is he didn't get them at one of the well-known NJ surf spots. He got them where there had been a lot of small bait staging for a few weeks, did his homework, and was lucky enough to be in the right place when they came through. He was so lucky that most people didn't believe he nailed 1, let alone 3. :clapping:
As I was checking my NJ logs, they showed we were into monster bluefish, and some keeper bass, by the middle of August last year. The night action lasted for about 2 weeks, died out around the first week of Sept. Then it picked up around the 2nd week of Sept, still with monster blues, but the bass were a lot smaller, sub 28", until the action got a little better.
So now is the time to fish, guys. Even if you don't think they're there, if you are on the move and willing to hit a lot of spots in a night, you will find them. One key is a drop of the water temps into the 60's. Find that cooler water, find the bait, and fish will likely be there. :thumbsup:
As for the albies, I'm hoping we will have some reported catches before Labor Day this year. You may only get a 5 or 10 minute shot at them, be ready! Hope springs eternal in the world of the fisherman. :fishing: