9/26 East End Albie!

[qholes]

Tried the afternoon/evening shift at the east end of the canal and fished for a couple hours without success. I saw fish breaking sporadically, although they never got close enough for me to cast to them or even ID them. I got tired of casting into the wind so I went over to the opposite side of the canal. A fish splashed pretty close to me but still out of range. I casted my lure anyway and it landed well short of the fish, but I hooked up almost immediately. Five seconds later I was running down the jetty trying to regain some line. The fish was still taking line as I jumped from rock to rock while trying to tighten the drag and reel in my line. I thought I had hooked up with a nice striper or blue, but when I finally got the fish in it turned out to be an albie -- my first one this year! Woohoo! I also managed to get a couple of schoolies but couldn't complete the slam. Pesky snappers are never around when you need one! All fish were caught on a 3" sluggo on a 1/8 oz jighead (I was using my light weight spinning rod). I got the albie just before high slack, about 1/2 hour before sunset. I didn't see anymore splashes after that. Wonder if the breaking fish I saw earlier were albies too, or maybe it was just that one fish cruising around in the end of the canal.

Quentin

[bdowning]

That's pretty unusual. I know they get up that far in the Canal but they never seem to stick around in numbers for very long. On top of that, I was wading the same area after dark last night and that water is getting chilly, so I don't think they're going to hang in much longer.

Congrats!

-bd


<img src="http://world.std.com/~bdowning/fishing_lg_wte.gif">

[jettyjockey]

i got to watch a pod of albies blow through the peanuts at the sandwich marina last fall...but that was early septmeber and there was alot more bait in the water...

[qholes]

Thanks bd,
It was an unexpected treat, especially after having no luck with albies so far this year at any of my usual spots in Falmouth and Rhode Island!

In the past I've seen albies in the canal between the Bourne Bridge and RR bridge but never hooked up with one. At the time I thought they were stripers or blues and I was throwing big plugs at them. Now that I've been chasing tunoids for a few years I realize that they were albies. Even though I know they're in the canal I've never gone there to target them. I sure didn't expect to get one at the east end!
Q

[bb1]

Yes...I got one in the east end (stone church area) a couple years ago, on a 3oz. crippled herring and 30lb line.......when there hitting artificials...there hitting! It was a large one and screamed line of my reel.

Last year I saw pod after pod come through in the east end to the middle...almost always east to west...

Well, getting ready for the canal trip tonight and this weekend...then its off to RI for REAL tuna in the canyons Sun.

Bill

[rich nieves]

today was a special day (in terms of albies) in the canal. in the past (from sandwich marina) you get one shot and that's it. today, they came in and stuck around for the am switch from east to west and shortly after. in 30 min, i scored 2 and lost one. there were 4 others caught by other fishermen. in the aftermath, they scattered the bait (which had been thick) and then split. i then went to bell road and left my truck to the sight of an angler fighting an albie-he said it was his third. just as he landed it, a pod broke just off the corner. i cast my little 14 gram l-jack and scored again. one angler caught two others. the fish then dissapeared. as a side note, i was using a shimano sustain 4000 w/ 10lb test on a 7 1/2 ft st croix tide master rod and was severely undergunned for the canal current. every albie i caught came in exhausted. everyone using heaver gear (30lb+) score as well and landed fish quicker than i. they are not line shy in there. if you try this fishing (which you should soon) use something heavier than i did.