How to Catch False Albacore

What’s an albie?

Brief for false albacore, “albies” are among the many trickest Northeast inshore saltwater fish to catch, however with their velocity and energy, and the comparatively brief season, they’re the favourite of many fly and light-tackle anglers.

A pelagic fish, albies have streamlined our bodies, and are constructed to assault prey briefly bursts of velocity. Though albies resemble tuna, they’re extra intently associated to the mackerel, and are typically mistaken for bonito. In Florida, they’re known as “bonita” including to among the confusion.

Additionally known as “little tunny,” albies depend on their sight, and feed throughout the daytime. They primarily eat small baitfish like silversides, peanut bunker, and bay anchovies. Regardless of their small dimension, many anglers take into account albies to be the toughest preventing inshore fish. Most albies weigh 4 to 12 kilos, however some have been identified to develop nicely over 20-pounds. The world document albie weighed 36-pounds and was caught at Washington Canyon aboard a ship fishing out of New Jersey.

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When is the perfect time to fish for albies?

Late summer time and early fall are the perfect instances to fish for albies. The primary New England albie stories come from the southeast nook of Martha’s Winery round mid-August. Inside days, the little tunny unfold all through Nantucket Sound, the Winery Sound, Cape Cod, and the Elizabeth Islands. By late-August and early September, there are albie catches in Rhode Island, Lengthy Island, Connecticut, and northern New Jersey.

Video: Albie Season

➤ The place is an efficient place to catch false albacore?

Generally albies recklessly feed on small baitfish and can eat virtually something.

Video: Drone video of albies blitzing on bay anchovies

However most of the time, they’re not feeding on the floor. With that being stated, you’re in all probability questioning, “The place is an efficient place to catch false albacore?”Albies don’t hang around round conventional fishing constructions like reefs and bridges. Nevertheless, they’ll entice small baitfish in areas with robust present. Consider locations like islands, jetties, inlets, lighthouses, and harbor entrances.

What’s the perfect boat fishing deal with for albies?

When shopping for boat fishing deal with for albies, a light-weight setup is a must have. Attempt a 7-to-8-foot medium-power spinning rod meant for 8 to 17-pound fishing line, or 10 to 20-pound line. A 3000 sized fishing reel retains it mild and enjoyable. 20-pound braided fishing line with a easy end is nice for longer casts. Lastly, albies have good eyesight, and a 15-pound fluorocarbon chief will cut back the flexibility of the fish to see the road.

Associated Article: The Finest Rods for Albies in 2024

Associated Article: Selecting an Albie Fishing Combo

What are the perfect albie lures?

By far, the most well-liked albie lures are slender minnow-shaped casting jigs made from foil-wrapped lead coated with epoxy or resin, fitted with molded in eyes. These “epoxy jigs” resemble the small baitfish that make up a lot of the false albacore weight-reduction plan, swim nicely at quick retrieve speeds, and solid nicely with out sinking too shortly.

READ MORE: 13 Casting Jigs for False Albacore

Delicate plastics are very efficient for false albacore when casting distance is much less essential. Weightless plastics, just like the Fish Snax Lures Albie Snax, are labored erratically, at various speeds, and will be more practical than casting jigs at fooling finicky albies. Slender plastics paired with mild jigheads, just like the 4″ RonZ, are additionally efficient when labored close to the floor.

READ MORE: How one can Fish Delicate Plastics for Finicky False Albacore

Earlier than epoxy jigs grew to become extensively accessible, anglers relied on slender metallic casting jigs, just like the Swedish Pimple and the Lethal Dick Lengthy Casting Lure to catch false albacore. Whereas they’re nonetheless efficient right now, and extra sturdy and higher casting than most epoxy jigs, they sink quicker, and are sometimes much less efficient, than the extra lifelike fashionable choices.

Small soft plastics imitate many small baitfish. — Weightless gentle plastics will be lethal on choosy albies.

How do I catch albies?

Albies typically feed on the floor, beneath birds, making for thrilling and visible fishing. Method the blitzing albie faculties slowly, being positive to not strategy too intently or too shortly, which might scatter the college and finish the blitz. Additionally, be thoughtful of different boats working the college, placing security and etiquette forward of your need to catch fish.

A sound technique, when you’ve recognized the place the albies have been feeding and the place the baitfish faculties are arrange, is to idle in an space and await the albies ratherthan run towards each chicken and breaking fish you see.

As soon as in vary of breaking fish, make an correct solid, forward of the route through which the fish are feeding. Whereas a quick retrieve is usually efficient, it’s extra essential to ensure the lure is swimming nicely. For casting jigs, the lure ought to swim just below the floor often skipping, imitating a small baitfish scrambling to remain alive.

With gentle plastics, a greater diversity of retrieves will be employed from quick, skipping retrieves to sluggish, strolling retrieves.

WATCH: How one can fish Epoxy Jigs for False Albacore

Kayak Fishing for False Albacore

Whereas the velocity of a ship will be advantageous, the stealth of a kayak makes it an incredible platform for pursuing false albacore. It’s not unusual for a kayak angler to search out himself in the midst of an albie blitz. Pedal-driven kayaks go away palms free to solid to albie blitzes that pop up abruptly, inside vary.

Learn Extra: How one can Catch Albies in a Kayak

WATCH: Kayak Fishing for False Albacore

With so many choices to select from, shopping for a yak will be troublesome. We break them down within the Fishing Kayak Purchaser’s Information.

Albies from Shore

Albies often feed inside casting distance of shore, giving land-based anglers the chance to catch these fast-moving gamefish. Search for albies inside surfcasting vary round inlets, jetties, harbor mouths, and rips.

READ MORE: How one can Catch Bonito and Albies From Shore

When fishing from shore, it pays to maintain a lure within the water reasonably than wait to see albies earlier than casting. Stake out a possible space, and preserve casting till the albies present up. Usually “blind casting” is rewarded with just a few bonus albies.

WATCH: Surf-Fishing for False Albacore on Nantucket

Can I eat false albacore?

“Sure, you possibly can eat albies,” says On The Water Government Editor, Kevin Blinkoff. He recommends marinating and searing the little tunny on this easy recipe.

“It wasn’t simply edible. It was a scrumptious meal with some chilly sesame noodles and quick-pickled veggies,” says Blinkoff.

False albacore should not usually harvested for human consumption, however anglers who’ve deep-hooked and mortally wounded a fish can take them residence to eat. Bled, iced, marinated in sauce like teriyaki, and seared, albies make satisfactory tablefare, although they’re unlikely to change into your new favourite meals fish.