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.

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. 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.

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.


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 ). 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.

Here's a link to a thread "all about false albacore"

http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=3663