The Fish of Fall

Tom Richardson shows off his catch.

Call them little tunny, false albacore, albies, or Fat Alberts, the species represents a contradiction among Northeast anglers that defies all logic.

Feeding action on the water.

First of all, they are, for the most part, ridiculously hard to catch. Over the last 30 years or so (when catching albies on purpose became popular), millions of dollars in fuel and tackle have been spent in the grail-like pursuit of these elusive tunoid fish, which more often than not seem to shun all manner of lures and flies. The effort to hook one even produces a type of psychosis known as “albie rage,” which has led to actual charges of criminal assault on the low seas not seen since the days of Blackbeard.

Stranger still, if you do manage to land one of these exotic fish, you can’t even take it home for dinner. That is a fact learned the hard way by fishermen who disbelieve that such a gorgeous, perfect, miniature version of a tuna can’t be delicious. Alas, the meat of an albie has been compared to metallic horseflesh, and while I can’t vouch for the horse part, I can say that I will never again attempt to eat one.

Then there’s the awkward fact that the same fish are scoffed at in states south of North Carolina. Tell someone from Florida, where the fish are called “bonito,” that you spent the better part of two weeks trying to find, no less catch, a false albacore and you’ll be laughed off the dock.

Despite all these drawbacks, when late August rolls around and a hint of fall is in the air, albie fever begins to affect normally calm and rational inshore fishermen from Cape Cod south. Fortunately, there is a cure.

BEST LURES

A close up of this albie.

Albies are infamous for their selective feeding behavior. When keyed on a specific type of bait, they can be very hard to fool unless you have a fly or lure that matches the prey. In other words, you’ll want to be prepared by bringing a lot of different lures or flies in many shapes and sizes.

Productive lures include quarter-ounce KastMasters, Deadly Dicks, Maria Jigs and Hopkins No-Eql spoons. I generally prefer spoons with plain single hooks (no bucktail, please). These small lures match the size and flashiness of many small bait species, and can be cast long distances. Many anglers make the mistake of retrieving them too fast, however. In my experience, you’re better off casting beyond or ahead of the school, letting the lure sink for a few seconds, then bringing it back at a slow and steady rate. If that doesn’t work, try different retrieve speeds or change lures altogether. Never stubbornly stick with the same lure.

Metal lures aside, the most effective albie catchers in my experience are four- to five-inch, unweighted soft-plastic baits, such as the Slug-Go, Zoom Fluke or Fin-S-Fish. These light lures should be twitched across the surface on 10-pound-test line, and are often the only things the fish will hit. Rig them on a VMC worm hook, with no additional weight. Trust me: They work!

TOP FLIES

Albies are great fun to catch however not good for eating.

If you are a true glutton for punishment, you can always use flies. Since albies typically dine on small baitfish, flies can actually be more effective than other lures, plus they can be tied to precisely mimic the bait du jour. Popular patterns include all-white No. 1 or 2 Bonito Bunnies, Skok Mushies, Half-and-Halfs, Deceivers, olive or beige epoxy-bodied flies, and white-and-chartreuse Clouser Minnows. Peanut bunker and juvenile herring imitations work very well when the fish are feeding on these wide-bodied baits. Also, foam-bodied Gurglers and Sliders can be very effective, although they are difficult to cast any great distance.

GEARING UP

When casting spoons, jigs and plastics, I like to use spinning gear. I spool up with 10- to 12-pound-test main line then attach a three-foot leader of 20-pound fluorocarbon via a Spider Hitch-to-Bristol knot connection. This allows me to reel the lure close to the rod tip for greater casting accuracy.

When it comes to fly gear, I like a nine-weight outfit and a large-arbor reel filled with 200 yards of backing and a 9- to 12-foot leader. There is seldom any need to go lighter than a 12-pound-test tippet, and 20 is usually fine. A large-arbor reel is very handy because it lets you pick up slack line in short order when the fish suddenly doubles back toward the boat. For fly line, I typically use an intermediate or fast-sink shooting head. Floating line is best if using Gurglers or sliders.

WHERE TO FIND THEM

Catch and release of this false albacore.

While albies are liable to pop up anywhere there is bait, including open water, you can narrow your search by looking for areas with good current flow and clear water. The mouths of inlets and rivers are great spots to find them, particularly on a dropping tide. Points of land and rip lines are other good spots. Albies will also patrol sandy beachfronts and contour lines, popping up sporadically as they attack and scatter schools of baitfish, then wait for them to gather again. In this case, it’s often best to see if you can figure out their feeding pattern, rather than chase the fish in a wild “run-and-gun” style. If there are lots of other people fishing the area, you will certainly want to shut down and drift rather than race all over the place.

Be aware that albies may only feed on certain tides or at certain times. Some days may see an early-morning or late-afternoon bite, while others produce only on the outgoing or incoming tide. You have to figure out the pattern, which means you either need good intel from other anglers or you have to be out there on the water, every single day.

One final note: Don’t give up if you don’t see schools of fish popping on top. If you know albies are in the area, blind casting can be very effective, as long as you are patient and keep working the water methodically. I know several fishermen who consistently rack up big scores without ever seeing a fish on the surface.

Unfortunately, I am not one of them.