Make the most of albie season by using a pro approach!
When the false albacore first show – whether it’s Vineyard Sound, Rhode Island, or Long Island Sound – they are usually at their highest density when it comes to the size of the school and the number of fish. This is usually when they act the most aggressive of the entire run, feeding in formation in large schools, sometimes upwards of 100 fish, usually on bay anchovies. Once we get later into September and into the month of October, the schools of albies will usually spread out and break up into smaller groups, making them a bit more challenging to see, target and catch.
Open Water Feeds
When approaching a large, ferociously feeding school of false albacore in deep, open water, start by observing in order to get a sense of their general direction. Once I get a feel for that, I take the wind and tide into account and position the boat so that we begin in front of the fish and drift back toward the feed. In a small boat, wind tends to have greater influence on drift and speed than the tide; in heavy wind I would be playing the wind more than the tide, so positioning up wind, versus up tide would make more sense when trying to pattern the fish. This tactic, also works in favor for the angler, putting them up wind of a feeding school of albies, as opposed to downwind, offering a huge casting advantage. Spin guys can accurately whip an epoxy or metal jig downwind and this also allows experienced fly casters to lay out 75 to 100 feet of line out, with ease, increasing the odds of a hook up, exponentially.
I also want to point out that most schools we encounter in deeper water are larger in size, contain more fish and the main source of food is MICRO. When false albacore are feeding on micro-sized bait, instead of singling out a baitfish and attacking, they are more likely to rip through a bait ball, mouths wide open and basically inhale multiple baitfish at a time. This is why your cast, especially, in deeper water is far more important than your color or even presentation. Imagine wolfing handfuls of French fries and your lure just happened to be right in its path.
Sometimes, the schools are so unpredictable, and show no pattern that drifting just simply does not work. In this case, I will use a tactic that I call “walk and gun”. No, not “run and gun”, “walk and gun”. This tactic involves keeping the vessel constantly moving, but very slowly, working a general area that seems to be holding fish, but is far too large to just stop and wait. This is also a very effective tactic, in the jig and pop tuna game. As we “walk” we are constantly scanning the horizon for breaking fish. Once, we do spot a feed, this gives us the advantage of already being in gear and with a quick push on the throttles, we’re on the scene. False albacore feeds are so short and fast, so on days when they are tough to pattern, this method will usually save the trip!
Inshore Pods
When the false albacore move further inshore and spread out into smaller groups, this is when you realize how frustrating these fish can be to target, both as an angler and captain. Inshore, they break into smaller groups, the bait becomes more scattered, and the bites become very tide-dependent. Despite all of the challenges they present, if you are aware, observant, attentive, and put your time in, you will be able to figure them out in shallower water as well.
They love structure, reefs, inlets and mouths of salt ponds/marshes and even running rivers. Every day is different, and unique in its own way. There have been days where I’ve found very picky albies inshore, keyed in on micro bait and even feeding in formation, inhaling mouthfuls of bay anchovies. But for the most part, in shallower water, there is such a variety of baitfish to choose from, the fish could be on basically anything that swims and fits into their mouths. Sometimes they’re eating multiple species at the same time!
This is typically when they’re singling out baitfish instead of crashing through a dense school taking mouthfuls. This slightly changes my overall approach. This makes accuracy and presentation equally important and sometimes presentation may become the most important factor. The size, profile and color of your lure will also become extra important. Now is when you want to identify what they’re feeding on and do you absolute best to mimic it as closely as possible. Complete these steps and you will improve your shallow water albie game, bigtime.
The way you approach these fish in your boat can be very different. If the fish are feeding in the same general area or on a piece of structure, I will usually position my boat so my anglers are always within casting distance of that piece of real estate. As the captain, try to minimize boat movement, as the fish are often much more skittish, in shallower water. The unethical behavior of some (not all) boaters doesn’t help either. When the albies come up to feed, inshore, there is usually a pattern. Take note of where you’re seeing the fish feed most often and position the boat either uptide (on a calm day) or upwind (when it’s windy) and run a drift over the area. Then repeat until the bite completely shuts off. Chances are those same fish will resurface multiple times and you will already be in a great position and within range to fire off a cast. If the fish are not showing an obvious “pattern” then simply, revert to the “walk and gun” routine, casting all the time.
Bait Is Key
When looking for thick concentrations of baitfish, take advantage of calmer days to look for “dimpling” on the surface. This is how bay anchovies got the nickname, “rain bait”, they actually look like drizzle hitting the surface of the water. Also, use your sonar/fish finder to find baitfish, deeper in the water column. Most days the bait isn’t visibly, on the surface. These marks will look like thick, concentrated masses on the screen in different shapes and sizes, anywhere in the water column. I’ve also seen years where the main food source was silversides. Even in open, deep water. For example, 2015 and 2017 were big years for silversides in Long Island Sound and the rest of southern New England. This baitfish, although sometimes “thick” won’t make a visual appearance on the surface of the water, like anchovies do, instead they will usually appear “gliding” just a few inches under the surface. Silversides run much larger than bay anchovies, so you can bet when the green machines are keyed in on them, just about anything in the box works!
When using spinning gear, I will usually have my guys throwing either 7/8- or 1-1/4-ounce Epoxy jigs and/or the famous Albie Snax (invented by my good friend Alex Peru ) in Amber or Bubblegum color. I like my Snax rigged on a weightless twistlock hook, Owner Beast of BKK Titanrider preferred. When it’s rough or windy, I may opt for a weighted hook, with 1/8- or 1/4-ounce of lead on the shank.
I want to remind you that your casting accuracy is going to dictate your success. So cast what you have the most confidence in when it comes to presentation and accuracy. These fish usually feed in unison, and in formation. Try to get a sense of the direction the school is feeding and then try to lead the fish by about 20 feet, so you can essentially “intercept” them. Once you learn to do this, your hookup rate will skyrocket. When fly fishing, a 9-weight spooled with intermediate line and a 20-pound leader usually does the trick. I use a variety of flies but a simple Surf Candy or Bay Anchovy EP fly in silver, amber, white, chartreuse or pink are my go-to’s when the false albacore are being picky.
Get Close
Obviously, there are differences between fly and spin clients and how I prepare for each trip, but it’s mostly from a gear standpoint. The tactics and strategies used are almost identical. I try to fish every trip as if I have a fly fisherman onboard, at least from a positioning standpoint when putting clients on fish. I always try to get my guys as close as possible so they have the best chance to make a successful cast, and one of the questions I ask myself is, “am I close enough for a fly fisherman to get a successful cast into these fish?” If I am not, I know I need to be closer. Confidence plays another huge role in success when fishing, period. So, to get my clients as “confident” as possible, doing my job, as captain, correctly is very important to me and the positive ripple effect it generates throughout the crew.
Every fall run is different and unique in its own way, which is what makes this time of year so special. Just when you think you have these fish figured out, they throw another curveball at you…and me. But, at the end of the day we are the apex predator, not them. Use your instincts, observe, put your time in and finally, keep things simple and success will soon follow! Fingers are crossed for another banner false albacore season here in southern New England!
Capt. Pete Henderson runs Endorfin Charters covering Long Island Sound, Rhode Island and Cape Cod. He specializes in fly and light tackle inshore trips, as well as jig and pop tuna trips. Learn more at endorfinfishing.com.
