where are the albies?...

[afishinado]

For the SW guys > albies were crazy last year all up and down the coast starting in August through September. We even chartered a boat in NNJ to target them last fall. This year very quiet. After a lot of digging, this is the only report I could find:

The false albacore fishing is improving, but as of Thursday it paled in comparison to the albie action this week in 2017.

This week, albies have been popping up sporadically from Upper Buzzards Bay out to Nantucket, but they have been concentrated in a few small areas with lots of dead water in-between. Buzzards Bay from Scraggy Neck to the Knob seemed to have the bulk of the albie action early in the week, but that bite had fizzled out by Wednesday. Scattered albies were reported from the entrance at Waquoit to Hyannis, with a surprising lack of albie action around Woods Hole and the Elizabeth Islands.

Rhode Island has plenty of albies right now, and Cape Cod waters are loaded with baitfish, so there’s still hope the albie fishing could ramp up into the all-out frenzy we experienced last year.

 

[Dave_W]

I haven't followed the salt game much this year. We're still a few days out from equinox.

Might high ocean water temps be a factor this year? Temps or storms may have impeded the fall bait run and this is holding albies up-coast(?).

Just speculating.

 

[afishinado]

Dave_W wrote:
I haven't followed the salt game much this year. We're still a few days out from equinox.

Might high ocean water temps be a factor this year. Temps or storms may have impeded the fall bait run and this is holding albies up-coast(?).

Just speculating.

The report says: "Cape Cod waters are loaded with baitfish"

Also, I heard reports of loads of rainbait in NNJ as of a few weeks ago.

Today, is the first mention of albies in a report (Grumpys)

Small Blues, Small Bass, Fluke, and an appearance of ALBIES! It wasn’t crazy with the Albies but we did hear of a few especially near the inlet. I think we’ll see some better fishing going forward here. Lots of small bait out front but we’re still waiting for the mullet to really start pouring out.

 

[SurfCowboyXX]

Albies are all over the Vineyard and Long Island Sound down through Connecticut and are starting to pop up in the NY Bight down towards the Hook. The pic I attached shows the current Boat Albie leader in the Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby: 15.75lbs of batshit crazy speed. Usually you have to go down to NC or FL to see fish like this.

 

[afishinado]

Yeah, I'm starting to hear reports now about Albies. Good stuff.

 

[CLSports]

Atlanta

 

[JeffK]

One old belief among the NJ surf guys was that albies like clear, salty water. They don't come in as much in wet years when the bays in the NY bight are colored and a little brackish from heavy rainfall - they will stay offshore. Of course we know what this year has been like. The Raritan has been running high and muddy since mid July. Stripers don't mind though.

 

[afishinado]

JeffK wrote:
One old belief among the NJ surf guys was that albies like clear, salty water. They don't come in as much in wet years when the bays in the NY bight are colored and a little brackish from heavy rainfall - they will stay offshore. Of course we know what this year has been like. The Raritan has been running high and muddy since mid July. Stripers don't mind though.

^ now that's interesting! Thanks for the info.

 

[Fredrick]

Yeah they are not fans of dirty water .

 

[Dave_W]

JeffK wrote:
One old belief among the NJ surf guys was that albies like clear, salty water. They don't come in as much in wet years when the bays in the NY bight are colored and a little brackish from heavy rainfall - they will stay offshore.

Makes sense.

One would still expect to hear about boat folks getting them off beaches. I'd still be a bit more inclined to blame a late bait run rather than different river salinity (although this may have affected the bait, and thus the albies indirectly).
Hhmm....

 

[Duff]

I would agree on the clean water. But; One year on an E wind with the water churned up and dirty NJ Beach, I hooked something on a 1 1/2 oz hopkins thinking it was a blue. I was surprised to find out it was an Albie. I saw several 15lb Albies caught on NJ beaches during Oct blue blitzes in the 80s.

 

[JeffK]

Friends have been sending me plenty of albie pictures from boats off Montauk. Claim it is a great year and are trying to get me out. Unfortunately, I can't travel this week.

 

[sarce]

I have never fished for them or researched them much but I heard the same thing about clear water from an old timer in Chincoteague VA this weekend.

He saw me tossing a clouser around some docks and said "throw that in the surf once the albies come in." I asked when that would be, and he said "when the water clears up!".

 

[SurfCowboyXX]

Clear water generally is key for albies and bonito.

 

[afishinado]

Good reports of Albies in NNJ. Now's the time. Will likely be over soon.

 

[johnw]

Allies are being caught pretty consistently if you want to make the long walk to the tip of Sandy Hook and join the 50-60 other guys out there. Otherwise it's hit or miss. They are still around, saw some working about 1/4 mile off the beach on Wednesday.