"The Answer is False...False
Albacore, Of Course"
by
Capt. Dave Azar
What can you say about a fish that runs like a thoroughbred,
fights till the end, comes in schools numbering in the hundreds, and swims close
enough that it can be caught from shore? You might ask, “Can that be true?”
The answer is false…false albacore that is. As a gamefish the false albacore,
or more correctly the “little tunny”, is the small boat angler’s dream fish.
When caught on the appropriate tackle these distant cousins of the true tuna
(they are actually mackerel) hold their own pound for pound. What they lack in
edibility they more than make up for in sport. Last year’s run of false
albacore was sparse, but the previous four years had runs that ranged from good
to excellent.
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Despite their poor showing in 2006, New Jersey anglers should hope for their appearance this year. False albacore are usually found in New Jersey’s inshore waters from mid August through early October, with the peak being sometime in early to mid September. They are easily located by looking for breaking fish running the beach or inside inlets. Their characteristic pattern looks like rapidly boiling water, with several fish breaking on the surface in a tightly packed group. It looks a lot different from the top water appearance of bluefish, which is more spread out, with individual busts easier to make out. False albacore tend to go up and down very quickly and they will often appear again a long distance away. In fact they will have moved so far away it is hard to believe it is the same school. Periodically false albacore will free jump from the water in an arcing leap that is characteristic of many tunas. Other things to look for when attempting to locate false albacore are clean water and an abundance of small bait, such as spearing, sand eels, bay anchovies and juvenile bunker. Many small boaters will approach breaking albies believing they are bluefish. When they cast heavy lures on wire leaders and don’t hook up they wonder why the “bluefish” won’t bite. Because false albacore are keen sighted they are line shy and require downsized lures and tackle.
TACKLE
The average New Jersey false albacore runs about five pounds, with anything over ten pounds a trophy. Tackle for this fishery is simple; spinning outfits matched to 8 to 12 pound test mono or braid equivalent. Rods should be from 61/2 to 71/2 feet in length with fast tips that can throw ½ to 1 ounce lures. For fly fishing 8 or 9 weight outfits are ideal. The line of choice is a clear intermediate sinker, like Cortland’s “555 LITTLE TUNNY – ACI”. When the fish are known to be in the area, but not coming to the surface, a fast sinking line can also come in handy. Leaders for fly fishing should be tapered to tippets no heavier than 15 pound test flourocarbon, but if the fish are being fussy it may be necessary to go as light as 8 pound.
Reels should have large capacity, at least 200 yards, and smooth drags with low startup inertia. They should be high quality and well maintained as false albacore, with their blinding runs, will really put them to the test. Drags should be set at no more than 30 percent of the line’s breaking strength. The initial run of a false albacore can be as much as 200 feet. With that much line out spool diameter diminishes drastically and drag increases severely. If the drag is set at 50% there is a good chance the line’s breaking strength will be exceeded when a fish has run off that much line, and one factors in the several other variables that put additional stress on a long line, such as knot strength, nicks in the line and sudden lunges by a hot fish.
Lures are mainly “metals” with a slim profile. Some excellent choices are 005 or 007 diamond jigs, Crippled Herrings, Swedish Pimples and Deadly Dicks, all up to 1 ounce. White bucktails from one half to 1 ounce and small poppers can also be effective. Lures should be tied directly to the running line, if necessary a small, high quality clip may be used. As for fly selection matching the hatch is a good rule of thumb and flies such as Surf Candies, and Clouser Minnows in appropriate sizes and colors work well. But “crease” flies and many creative attractor flies also work, especially those one to two inches in length that incorporate some flash. Retrieves for either lures or flies can vary from hardly moving to ripping through the water as fast as possible. Generally one should start with an ultra fast retrieve. If several good presentations have been ignored then other retrieves should be experimented with.
False albacore are not hard to catch, only hard to catch up to. There are three approaches to targeting this fast moving species that we will discuss in this article.
WORKING STRUCTURE
If false albacore are known to be in the area, either from pre-trip intel or
because a sighting has been made, a good approach is to work any nearby
structure. Especially earlier in the season.jpg)
the fish may not be showing much on
the surface and blind casting and fishing deep along a rip line can be
productive. Rips are formed by the confluence of two or more opposing currents
or an upwelling of current from an underwater lump. Two such rips that are
accessible to New Jersey small boaters are the Sandy Hook rip and the Breezy
Point rip off of Rockaway, New York. Of course there are many other such rips
in south Jersey waters, and a little research should locate such places in local
waters. “Albies”, as false albacore are affectionately known, also like inlets
and jetties. The waters around these structures should be investigated
thoroughly. False albacore are often found running both the Shark
River and
Manasquan inlets.
RUNNING AND GUNNING
If breaking fish are sighted repeatedly it may still be a good idea to work the structure, but the sight of fast moving schools boiling the water is enough to excite even the most seasoned old salts. Catching up to fish exhibiting this feeding behavior requires some quick, calculated boat handling, which has come to be known as “running and gunning”. As the name implies the boat captain will apply heavy throttle to chase rapidly moving schools. Sometimes this may be the only way to catch false albacore but a few important points must be noted. First and foremost is that caution and courtesy must be exercised. Passengers must be warned that the boat’s driver will be making a run, and they should take a stable, secure position, preferably holding onto a railing or gunnel. All lines should be cleared from the water and hooks secured. The boat driver must exercise the utmost courtesy and caution if other boats are in the area. If a school has to be missed because another boat is “in the way” it should be remembered that there will always be another shot. No fish, not even one as spectacular as the false albacore, can justify property damage or bodily injury. When approaching a breaking school several cardinal rules apply. First, never run through the school. Secondly, if possible, approach ahead of the school’s path, and thirdly the boat should be slowed once it is within 100 feet of the school. Finally shut down the engine once the boat is within casting range. Following these rules usually allows enough time to get off several good casts. If the school sounds suddenly casts should be made in the general area anyway, as the fish will often still be present below the surface. While this tactic can be exciting and productive, it isn’t very efficient and can often prove frustrating.
DRIFTING AND CASTING
Another approach which lends itself well to multiple breaking schools is to
simply drift with the engine off and make blind, searching casts. It is well
known that for every fish that is seen busting on the surface there are many
more below. What appears to be “multiple” schools may actually be just sporadic
busts within one very large school. Drifting through the area where these busts
are spotted can be much more productive than running from one bust to the next,
which will likely spook any fish hanging below the surface. I distinctly
remember the first time I witnessed the efficacy of this approach. My
colleague, Capt. John McMurray, was fishing nearby and while I was running and
gunning, he was simply drifting through the same area. At the end of the day
the anglers in my boat only accounted for four fish, while his boat had scored
well into double digits..jpg)
THE FIGHT
False albacore are not subtle and take their prey on the run without stopping. When they grab a lure they hook themselves and will usually make a blistering initial run. Often they will turn and start running straight back at the angler. When this happens it is easy to be fooled into thinking that the fish has gotten off. The angler should continue retrieving line as fast as possible until coming tight again.
The natural tendency is to fight these high speed fish gently, but after the initial run the pressure should be applied in order to shorten the fight as much as possible. False albacore will fight with every ounce of their strength and a long fight can exhaust them beyond revival. Putting on the pressure after the initial run will bring the fish to hand quickly and help insure its survival. False albacore are basically inedible so all should be released. The best release technique is “darting” the fish nose first into the water. If a photo is desired they should be held in the water and lifted when the camera is ready. The forked tail of this species makes for an easy handle, but care should be exercised when lifting them to support the belly and to hold the fish horizontally. Holding the fish up by the tail can result in damage to the spine jeopardizing the fish’s long term survival.
This may well be the fastest paced and most exciting fishing for the light tackle, small boat angler. The next time you spot busting fish that won’t bite, try scaling down in hopes of hooking up with one of these true battlers.