Little Tunny for Big Excitement

Years ago, a co-worker walked up to me on a Monday morning and asked, “What is it that you guys like so much about catching false albacore?” An avid and accomplished angler, but not a fly-fisher, he was just back from a weekend of slow-trolling live bait for king mackerel off the North Carolina coast. He proceeded to explain that “those danged albacore kept grabbing our baits, they strip out a mile of line, and they take forever to get in.”

I asked, “So exactly what are you complaining about?” He looked at me quizzically, as if everyone should know, and said, “They’re no good to eat!” And in fact, that was pretty much the reputation of albies among sport fishers. The book on false albacore was that they made great baits for big billfish and that newbies could toss a spoon at them for a tug on a really slow day, but otherwise, they were pretty much trash fish.

The big “duh” came from North Carolina’s Harkers Island, and word spread quickly, in perfect-storm fashion, as a series of fly-fishing notables churned out articles and TV shows. Local angler Tom Earnhardt introduced a number of us to albie fishing, including Lefty Kreh and Flip Pallot, who filmed a Walker’s Cay Chronicles episode on the fishery. Coincidentally, the general boom in fly-fishing spurred even more interest. The fishing truly was better than most anglers could ever imagine, more so because many lacked a suitable frame of reference. How do you compare an 18- to 20-inch rainbow trout caught on 6X tippet with a No. 22 midge to a 12-pound albacore? It’s not a matter of comparing or ranking. It’s that an entirely different and exciting dimension had been added to fly-fishers’ options. And false albacore were moved from the trash bin to the stuff of dreams. You’ll never forget catching your first one, and the thrill of catching the next one rarely diminishes — except perhaps when your arms are aching from pulling on a few too many. Whatever you hear about albie fishing probably isn’t too far from the truth. Realize, however, that the fishing can be boom or bust. The fish are highly mobile and respond quickly to changing conditions.

When to Fish
While many debate the movement patterns of albacore, nobody questions when to fish for them. When the bait is in, anglers stand a better than good chance of encountering albies. Fall is the prime time, and October and November typically give the best numbers.

Under normal weather patterns, as the water cools, baitfish move out of the shallow sounds and tidal creeks into the more temperate nearshore areas. The albacore move inshore to intercept the concentrated bait. Sudden deviations from the norm often put the fish off. Strong fronts that bring sharp temperature drops or heavy rain and wind that dirty the water can scatter the bait and push the albies away from nearshore areas. For those hiring a guide for a trip, book early and keep your fingers crossed for cooperative conditions.

Finding Fish
An attractive aspect of fly-fishing for albies is the visual nature of the fishery. Below, on and even above the surface, albies, glass minnows and birds create a tornado-like frenzy that can be spotted from far away. Looking for birds, breaking fish and showering bait is the standard recommendation — and a good one at that. When albacore enter the scene, baitballs get pushed to the surface, and the birds always find these. Look for other boats too, and listen to your radio. You’ll have to disregard the idle chatter and occasional misdirection reports, but many use radios to share fishing information.

Some say fishing the tides and/or structures that produce current makes a difference. While that could very well be so, I think what helps the fishing the most is when conditions allow bait to concentrate or, at least, don’t encourage bait to disperse. Temperature and temperature gradients concentrate bait, starting with the general outflow of bait from sounds and marshes in the fall. Tides and wind can cause currents that concentrate bait, as can land masses and depth changes. But albacore aren’t structure-oriented; they are food-oriented.

If your boat has a fish finder, turn it on. Some think this device spooks the fish, but it also helps you find them. A lack of birds or surface feeding doesn’t mean the albacore aren’t there. They simply might be feeding subsurface. It’s another tool in the box.