Tuna request for you

[Albiemanmike]

I heard some third hand reports that there have been catchable numbers of Albies out at Montauk recently?? I would think based on my experience that it is way too early, but you are always out that way and I figured if you see something interesting can you let me know. Email is fine by me if you want to keep it quiet and you know we do:D . I don't really think it was a plausible report but who knows it has been a wacky year.

Tightlines,
Mike Mayo

[BIGE]

The reports may be for albacore, or long fin tuna. That action should be picking up soon offshore.

[venture]

Mike..........here's a first hand report. I've seen no FALSE albacore inshore at the point right now. They usually start to show towards the end of August and build throughout September. But as for now, I have not seen any.

Perhaps as Bige stated, you may be confusing those reports with TRUE albacore (Long Fins), which are being caught off Montauk right now.......but not inshore. They are very common right now from the 50 fathom line on out to the Canyon......which is a mimimum of 50 miles from the point. You need at least a water temperature of 68 degrees at the miinimum for them to be present.

The canyons right now are approximately 72 degrees, and the longfins are the most common of the tunas out there. They average around 40 - 45 pounds with the large one being over fifty. Don't know anyone who has taken one on the fly. because they hit the trolled lures that are targeting yellowfins and big eyes which are the real prises of the canyons.......Never caught one in a slick, so I wouldn't know how to hit one on a fly......other than to troll it.

Howie

[Tuna]

Although I was not out for many hours last Saturday, I covered LOTS of water with good visibility and I saw narry a hint of albies. I too think what you have heard is report of true albacore.

Generally, the albies don't come in until the Montauk waters have been warm for a few weeks (don't know why, but that's my experience). The Montauk waters only recently warmed up.

I've seen albies in July before but only once I can remember in 12 years of obsessing over them.

My big hope is that over the next few weeks some bonito and/or skipjack show up. If they do, the albies won't be far behind.

By the way, I am a big mouth poster (I post everything), so when I do see them, I won't keep it a secret.

I'm on the fence for fishing this weekend - I have some work I should do, and the swell on the south side will reduce my normal mid summer shots at bass near shore. On the other hand, this could be the weekend the bonito and/or skipjack show. Hmm... will probably wake up early Saturday, check NOAA and either start work or drive at to LI to fish.

[fmw]

Maybe its those mackeral that everyone confused for "baby albies" last summer.

Anyway, I will be out east all weekend trying to fish when the weather allows. Actually, the winds look a little better (10-15 knots) than predictions from earlier in the week (20). We'll see.

[peteD]

Maybe they are bonito.

[fmw]

To be honest, I have doubt as to whether they are any type of inshore tuna. Even when skipjack and bonito show up, I usually start to read reports on other websites -- i.e., Noreast.com -- of them just outside and coming into the south shore inlets. I've seen no reports at all.

[Tuna]

I agree with Frank, but have a wider net of reports I follow.

Generally, the scrombrids arrive north (New England) and south (New Jersey) first. I've read some onsies maybes about bonito in New England, nada for Jersey. Generally by this time of year, the bonito reports out of New England are strong - not yet this year.

Then you get the south shore LI reports.

Then there is the traditional annual Harvey Bennet report. Guy has great eyes - for every season I remember, he's seen them first out East LI.

(I usually discount the Harvey reports).

Then Ken Rafferty finds them around Gardiners.

Then, sometimes, I see them.

Of course, this is a wacky year, so who knows, but the "footprints" (reports elsewhere) are still lacking.

[joshr]

I'll just tack on to Peter's recital of the usual patterns that right after Harvey's fantasy there's a period of 2-3 weeks where they are being "seen" here and there ("seen" in quotes because while, yes, sometimes a fish wil porpoise here or there, mostly it's guys seeing bird behavior that they associate with tunoid schools racing around...no doubt, some of this is real schools of albies moving fast below and birds tracking them and some of it is bluefish-inspired fantasy). At any rate, most summers there's a 2-3 week period in mid-late August when they are kind of around, but not at all fishable. They're just racing around below, rarely popping and not herding bait. I would associate this with the Kenny Rafferty phase of Tuna's timetable.

Then, usually right around Labor Day, they suddnely start to pop in nice pods and get catchable. Some seasons this happens first in the backwater (Gardiners), and some years (last year, e.g.) it starts at the Point. Yes, they have been catchable in August some years, but rarely before very late in the month in my experience.

Most years my first albie tangle happens north of Gardiners somewhere just east of Bostwick Pt. But that's in part cause I usually don't move my boat to Montauk til mid-Sept. cause I like the early albie fishing in Gardiners when it happens....while everyone else is playing bumper cars at the Point, you can get somewhat more peaceful conditions and better shots in the bay. Eastern Plans Pt. and Tobacco Lot can be good early too.

Until a few years ago, I used to always have good early albie season action at or around Ft. Pond Bay and the Cliffs west of there, but the last few years it just hasn't happened there. I remember 1998 when there were somewhat fewer people chasing these fish in general, I had a few days in early Sept. under those cliffs with massive schools of albies and hardly ever another boat around for hours. Seems those days are past...alas.

--JHR

[Albiemanmike]

Thanks all for the replies. I too didn't put much faith in the reports I had heard as I too have not seen them in any numbers until late August. I have been fishing them for about 6-7 years now and never have seen them this early, not to say it couldn't happen just that historically they don't show this early. Bonito on the other hand usually show by now around the eastern end of L.I. Sound around Niantic, but as I have been fishing there alot recently I have not seen nary a sight of tunoid type creatures. On a brighter note I have taken several bass this week just shy of 40 lbs. and damned if I didn't see another 50 lb. fish right at the back of my boat as she played with my live shad. Unfortunately for me she won that contest as she just decided to rip the shad right off the hook while I watched in stunned amazement. I got my friend his biggest bass ever today, 44" 33 lbs. that was released unharmed and he got another fish that went 43.5" 32 lbs. Man if you could have seen the look on his face, he looked as if he was going to swallow his ears that grin was so big. I love that; I could have gotten the big skunk today and to see his happy face after those two fish was all I needed to make my day as success. Going back tomorrow with another good friend, hopefully the girls will still be in the house and willing. I did flyfish for awhile today and took one fish @ 28" dropped another on a 650 gr. 12 wt. and big bunker pattern. These fish want only the real thing right now but I will be armed and ready when they get on the smaller fall bait and hopefully rack a biggun on the fly.

Tightlines,
Mike M.

[brushfly]

Checking my log when I had my boat in Montauk from '86-'95, here's the earliest record I have for both species.

July 30th for a Bonito on a fluke bait while it was being reeled up from the bottom in the north rips.
September 2nd for an Albie on the fly off the South Side. That same afternoon saw a great parade of a blitz whle swimming at the town beach with a procession of a Northeast Slam. Blues followed by Albies followed by Bass. Swimmers getting out of the water, anybody who had a rod getting in.

Checking the website of Larry's Bait & Tackle up in the vinyard, a few Bonito have been taken on the troll I believe off Wasque. It won't be long.

Keep the eyes peeled and good luck to all.

[Tuna]

Ah, just like the night before Christmas...

The Nantucket bonito reports are starting to build some steam.

This week's local fishing report has a hint that Jim Hull might have seen skippies.

I'm sticking to my prediction, 3 weeks and we'll see albies. I know that's a bit early, but I am impatient. Also, by that time, everyone will have forgotten my prediction and I can make a new one.

[joshr]

Peter, I don't think 3 weeks is too early a prediction for SEEING them by any means.....but for CATCHING them: that's another story.

Lord knows, if anyone sticks one that early, it will be you, my man, the Babe Ruth of east end albie fishing! In the fall, Ted S doesn't even call you by name anymore; he'll give me a ring with a report saying "yeah, it was pretty good this morning on the south side; I had 3 or so by noon; Looked like Babe Ruth had at least 8 or 9."

;-)

JHR

[mctrout]

was out to butterfish a few times this week. saw a bunch of tuna. hooked none. skippes as well a BFT. from 10 to about 60 lbs. Jim levinson got a 40lber on the troll on weds. with sedotti. I literally covered 400 miles in 5 days on the east end and saw none inshore. Plum gut, ruins, little gull (the first place i think they usually show up) the point and in between. am definately jonesin but the water at the point was 66 the bay was 72. lots of sunfish and tons of bait.. can't wait
BTW this is only really my 3rd year out here so I don't have much historical data. I do know 2 years ago me and Ralph were catching bonito at jones July 10th. so who the hell knows!!!!

[Albiemanmike]

Brendan,
I am not all that concerned about them I was more curious than anything. I am excited to get back into some Albies once again but it isn't like I can't wait they will be here soon enough and so will the hordes of run and gun folks, as well as the "I have no clue" crowd. I am not looking forward to dealing with that stuff again but it all comes with the territory. Took a friend out today to the reef I have been fishing lately and we did a number on them. Had a double of 45 lb. fish at one point, 14 fish total nothing under 20 lbs. Tried the bait and switch on em' today with the flyrod, they don't get that big being dumb let me tell you. These fish are all over a live Hickory Shad but the minute you put something artificial in front of them it is light's out nobody home. Saw some enormous fish again today follow shad right back to the boat, had one actually take the shad and run with it, but it had it in it's mouth sideways and the hookset was faulty. Quite possibly the twin to my fish of last week. Not alot of those fish but I have seen at least one that size each day I have been out there. Hope we can meet and fish again this year been too many years since the Quonny years;) . Talk to you soon.

Tightlines,
Mike Mayo

[fmw]

Saw the following on the Noreast site from the post of a surfcaster at Shinnecock inlet: "Saw a few two foot long, silver colored fish, jumping clearly out of the water and moving fast. What a beautiful sight. Tossed out some metal but did not hook up."

Hmmm????