Albie reports

[lostatsea]

Fishing for these things from the surf sounds like drinking three 5 hour energy drinks at once! I never got one from the surf, but have hit some bonito trolling. It's like a whole nother ballgame.

[DarkSkies]

A 3rd hand reliable source confirmed one was (allegedly) beached from the sand this week 8/21, at a place where albies usually don't show up. Needle in a haystack kind of thing. Guy who got it worked hard, might be considered a sharpie, he knew what he was lookin for.

There was another guy I know of who allegedly caught them in the Ocean county surf on 8/11.

The point here being that anyone who was thinkin they would be the first, that ain't possible anymore You never know when, where, or for how few minutes they will show up, get your rigs ready, please try to be quick on that release!

[Monty]

It was the biggest adrenalin rush I have had fishing.
Great surprise, awesome experience.
This year I will be prepared for them if I am lucky enough to be in an area where they are.
The first time I ever saw them I thought I was seeing things (footballs torpedoing out of the water) .

Fishing for these things from the surf sounds like drinking three 5 hour energy drinks at once! I never got one from the surf, but have hit some bonito trolling. It's like a whole nother ballgame.

[clamchucker]

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.

I saw some pods yesterday morning at IBSP. They were pushing bait and several jumped out of the water, clearly false albacore. They were within range of a very long cast, although I did not see anyone hook up. You made a good call on this one, Dark. Last year they were around at this time, but most of my reports came from friends who were a few miles offshore. I believe they didn't come close to the beach until towards the end of the first week of September.

[ledhead36]

Thanks for the info fellas.

[captnemo]

We ran into some albies yesterday about a mile off the beach in Monmouth county. We were fluking and had 2 fluke to 22", numerous shorts. The albies came through rapidly and then moved north. Instead of chasing them, I set up two rods with deadly ***** and kept them ready. They came back again and were in our area for a few minutes. We got two to 7#, quickly released. BTW the quick release tips are spot on, if you take too long these pelagics end up as crab bait.

[nitestrikes]

2 reports from the island, today a guy saw them crashing bait on the ss, yesterday someone reported seeing them outside FI inlet.

[DarkSkies]

To my friend for gettin 2 yesterday morning, on an open stretch of beach, after chasing them down for 1 1/2 hrs.....on a chartreuse fin-s, 1oz jighead, because nothing else written in the "false albacore from the surf textbook" was working.

WTG on the thinking outside the box, man. You now know what the addiction is like.

[finchaser]

Most of the lumps and bumps are loaded with Albert's and Bonita,
Thursday before the blow out by Little Italy there were Albert's,Bonita and skipjacks as far as the eye could see couldn' get threw threw them to the tuna.

Manasquan inlet late Saturday afternoon had blitz conditions on Alberts all the way to the RR bridge

[DarkSkies]

Tks finchaser, that must have been a blast!

Yesterday conditions were tough, from sources all up and down the NJ coast, guys had only a few minutes to try the Hail Mary cast, and they disappeared just as quickly. A few were caught in Ocean County from the surf in the morning, and then it was over.

I was at the ocean after work, trying to hit the PM bite. I got there 1 1/2 hours after they appeared. The water was different than the day before. They weren't jumping out 7 at a time like they were on Sun.

Anyone who saw them had only a brief glimpse. Some might have nailed one, but there were only a lucky few, yesterday was one of those days.

Today, only one caught in the surf so far. Anyone can luck into them at any time, be ready guys. A window of a few minutes, or a half hour, might be all you get.

[plugcrazy]

I'm heading out today after work. I never caught one of these, but I sure as hell am going to try. I hope the conditions are favorable. I plan on using deadly *****. Any other hints to help me catch these?

[DarkSkies]

Don't get into a rut of thinking that they are the only presentation that will work, plugcrazy. They 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.

I'll try to find an illustration of this, in the meantime check out this thread for suggestions on what to use:

http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ead.php?t=4866

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? Until I heard the story, I never would have tried that combo. When I first started fishing for them, a guy who didn't catch 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.

[storminsteve]

I really have to try for one of these things. I thought I saw them today, but could not be sure. Either way, thanks for all the reports and tips, Dark and others.

[clamchucker]

I got one about 8# on a diamond jig this morning at IBSP. They were on rainfish.

[DarkSkies]

A few were reported yesterday, guys and gals, here and there. One friend who is a great fisherman got none, while a friend of his got 2 an hour earlier. These were caught in different places all up and down the NJ coast.

There have also been some spurts of surf action all along the LI beaches.

There is some inconsistency in catching them from the surf unless they're in a frenzy over large quantities of bait, and then you have a better shot. Otherwise just keep casting away, and ya gotta believe!

[clamchucker]

I got 2 at IBSP Thursday morning, deadly *****.

[DarkSkies]

People were asking if the noreasters would drive them away. Some guys have been nailing them in the RB in boats, in the channels. Similar action S and E of Breezy Point. Also some decent catches at, and North of the Barnegat ridge up to SH, all from boats.

Yesterday a friend of mine was chasing them all day. There was a 30 minute period of activity when some were caught in the ocean, they came in chasing bait to the 3rd wave and some surf guys got lucky. He missed that, but was able to get a spanish mackerel, using metal, at another surf area close by. WTG for your persistence.

[basshunter]

Thanks for the update dark. I might have seen signs of them in south ocean county this morning, but I couldn't be sure. They were too far out and I didn't have binoculars.

[DarkSkies]

After the epic day some guys had yesterday, I set out early in search of some albies from the surf. I arrived as some of the regulars were leaving, got a chance to meet some of the old-timers I've read so much about in print. The time spent talking to a regular fisherman of a particular spot is invaluable. Spare the time if you can, you won't regret it.

The bite was only a slow pick today, a few were nailed by blind casting. Based on what they told me, I made a move to another location to catch some different water.

I was throwing an Ava17no tail, flouro leader. 200 casts later I was done. Switched over to some top water, mid water, bucktails, and rubber trying to hit a stray bluefish, but I failed in that objective too.

[fishinmission78]

I saw one albie taken today, by a guy down the beach, deadly ****.