What is important to a good albie year in the NE??

[fmw]

Every year when it gets to be late summer, this board is alive with chatter over whether it will be good albie year, what conditions are present or not present for albies, water temperature, etc.

What do you feel are the factors most important to a good albie season??

While I know little, I've come to believe that a good albie season (in Montauk at least), is dependent on one condition: not just an available supply of bait, but rather specifically, the presence of bay anchovies. This year for example, from August on, there was oodles of peanut bunker all over Eastern LI and acres of blues on them -- still no albies. Albies did not show in numbers till after the big hurricane passed by in mid to late Sept. and following that, the bay anchovies arrived, along with the albies. When the bay anchovies left in mid to late Oct., so did the albies, even though there were still huge amounts of peanut bunkers present till at least Thanksgiving. Seems to me that bay anchovies = albies, no bay anchovies = no albies, even if its the case that when albies are inshore they may from time to time feed on other baits.

What do you think about that proposition?? What do you have to add??

[Tom G.]

Every year when it gets to be late summer, this board is alive with chatter over whether it will be good albie year, what conditions are present or not present for albies, water temperature, etc.

What do you feel are the factors most important to a good albie season??

While I know little, I've come to believe that a good albie season (in Montauk at least), is dependent on one condition: not just an available supply of bait, but rather specifically, the presence of bay anchovies. This year for example, from August on, there was oodles of peanut bunker all over Eastern LI and acres of blues on them -- still no albies. Albies did not show in numbers till after the big hurricane passed by in mid to late Sept. and following that, the bay anchovies arrived, along with the albies. When the bay anchovies left in mid to late Oct., so did the albies, even though there were still huge amounts of peanut bunkers present till at least Thanksgiving. Seems to me that bay anchovies = albies, no bay anchovies = no albies, even if its the case that when albies are inshore they may from time to time feed on other baits.

What do you think about that proposition?? What do you have to add??

There are so many variables that can effect our albie season. Water tempature is very important. Often a storm like the one you mention can deflect some warm water eddies from the Gulf Stream and bring pelagic species inshore. But as you point out bait is the most important factor. I have had great albie fishing on many types of bait fish as well as squid and even crabs. But I have to admit bay anchovies are like candy to false albacore. As I mention in the chapter on baitfish, prime ablie fishing in the Norhteast and in North Carolina coincides with the bay anchovy migration. In the section on Montauk I credit bay anchovy for the great fishery you have out there. So while there are many variables, give me a holler when the bay anchovies show!

Thanks for your input.

Tom