Offshore Albacore and more!
- Thread starter justin perkins
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They are still getting albacore out of SD. Looking like Morro bay and Monterey are going to be the place to be late summer, if you like catching albacore. The fish are 200 miles offshore still, but only 150 from the donut. Santa Lucia was holding at 54.5 all last week and was hovering around 59 yesterday. Warming up fast, and once it’s hits at least 61.5 and holds or goes up for a week, we’re going. I say three weeks could be the earliest they show, and six the latest at this point. Lots of cold wind from the north still, but one or two Southern Hemi storms and that water and those fish could push in overnight. Dust off that old albacore gear men, because they are coming to party soon
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Thanks! Are those long line reports? I havent been able to find any sport fishing reports of albacore around SD yet.
The water hasn't looked this good in a long time with that downwelling building on the Davidson.
The water hasn't looked this good in a long time with that downwelling building on the Davidson.
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Only longliners bringing in albacore to San Diego right now. Haven’t heard of any sport caught albies yet either, however there were two yellowfin caught on may 23rd, one out of Ensenada and one out of San Diego, both in the cool 62 degree water. I highly doubt those were just two lost fish from Mexico, I think they came from out west towards Hawaiian waters, with the albacore migration like all those yellowfin, dorado and Bigeye that showed up in the 62 degree water off Northern California last year. So it won’t be long until they show up !
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There is a push of offshore water coming up the 124 line. I wonder if any long liners have dragged through that area.
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It won’t be long now. It’s about to happen after so many years of no love for Morro bay. We haven’t had such perfect conditions since the last good sign of albacore in 2009. As soon as that hard edge is at the edge of the Santa Lucia, we’re going to go fill the boat with some Albacore. I think by 4th of july they should be there, but might take a bit longer for the weather , temps, and chloro to all line up for a 50 mile run to the donut. I actually wouldn’t doubt if there’s fish there now, but I know they’ll be there for sure once that deep purple 62-63 degree water hits the donut, that’s all we’re waiting for. I’ll even post some pictures for the nay sayers
I think by 4th of july they should be there, but might take a bit longer for the weather , temps, and chloro to all line up for a 50 mile run to the donut. I actually wouldn’t doubt if there’s fish there now, but I know they’ll be there for sure once that deep purple 62-63 degree water hits the donut, that’s all we’re waiting for. I’ll even post some pictures for the nay sayers
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Cry me a river guy, as you’re reading a fishing forum
Let Em come and catch albacore! Yeah, you might want to think about getting a slip then dude. Regardless of what I post, word will get out , and Morro bay is going to get real busy, real fast. I’ll tie up to a private dock when it does, and let the launch ramp rage! Besides, I don’t really like being a dickhead, or the only guy out 50 miles offshore.
John Stidman
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Say when. I'll buddy boat and burn some fuel with ya.Cry me a river guy, as you’re reading a fishing forum
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JPeterson
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So you think those fish will show up from the south? I didn’t think the southern school of albacore normally made it up to Morro Bay. If they did show up from the south wouldn’t the ports to the south of us find them before they get here ? Every year that I’ve fished for them (and it’s been quite a few years…) Oregon got them first, then Northern California, then the Bay Area, then Monterey, and then we finally caught them out of MB. But things could always be different this year I suppose.It won’t be long now. It’s about to happen after so many years of no love for Morro bay. We haven’t had such perfect conditions since the last good sign of albacore in 2009. As soon as that hard edge is at the edge of the Santa Lucia, we’re going to go fill the boat with some Albacore.
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View attachment 1492733
I think historically there have been years that albacore have swam up inside the Channel Islands and up around point conception to Morro Bay Area as well as further offshore way outside the islands. But the last time I remember them outta Morro bay, 2009, I recall they were off san Simeon towards the CSM buoy first , then they moved down and we’re about 7 miles straight out from the harbor. North to south migration that year as they were on their way back out following the temperate waters as they receded south. So I really think they just follow the food and temps they like and end up where they end up. Commercial Albacore boat “Piky” from Washington just arrived in San Diego today and looks like they are going to start their season outta SD this year. Those fish swimming east can only go north once they get to Ensenada, water is too hot to the south, so they move north with the temperate waters they like. Water has been spotty out at the donut , but holding above 59 now and spiking to 61.5 as some blobs move through, and looking really clean out at tge Davidson and Rodriguez. Time will tell, but I really think this is the year albacore return to the central coast.
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JPeterson
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I don’t disagree that we’ll get fish off the central coast this year, I’m just not convinced the fish we get will come from the south. There was more than one year when Oneida B ran to the donut and caught the first central coast albacore of the season, and it was usually around the end of June/beginning of July (Mike can correct me if I’m wrong), but I believe at that time fish had already been caught north of us and the fish followed the water south. I was always told by the commercial guys that the warm water that came up from the Channel Islands historically never held albacore. But the water is a lot colder than normal down there this year, and if the water on the outside pushes in to the Rodriguez/donut area then the fish coming from the south could easily filter in north of the islands and show up south of us first.
The last central coast albacore we caught was August 10th, 2013, but those fish never came further south than Monterey, and they were only there for three weeks. We caught them out of Morro Bay in 2012, but the fish were ~65 miles offshore and only stuck around for about a week before the weather turned to shit. Two weeks later the weather cleared and the fish were gone.
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Looks to me like there is an upwelling centered around the Donut and 1908. Meanwhile there is a blue water downwelling on the Davidson. Unless things shift around, the fish should show up towards the Davidson first.
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That’s cool you caught some of the last albacore outta MB ! That’s the kinda info we need have documented. The old fishreports was cool because it had some archived info like that , that was documented history and is valuable info for us fishing fanatics. I vaguely remember there were a few caught after 2009, but that was the last year I can remember they came in close and we’re caught in decent numbers. The following years the weather was not nice to run offshore when the water looked decent. My great grandma came to Santa Barbara from the Azore islands in 1920 with her parents when she was 7. They lived first on tge beach at El Capitan and worked the ranch along the coast up to gaviota ,they worked for the Cavarubias family that at the time owned all that land. They used to fish out of deep wooden lapstrake row boats, and took pictures of their catch on the beach. I remember my granny showing me pictures of their bountiful albacore catch out of their row boat, all the fish layed out by their boat in the cobblestone on the point. Not sure what year, but they lived along the coast there from 1920-1947. Also I know there is some historical landing data you can find somewhere online, that documents catches of albacore in the channel, as well as southern to central California, as well as the times they disappeared from those areas for 10-15-20 year periods at a time, due to ocean temp and current conditions. There’s also some more recent data , early 2000s from a few tagged fish that showed some migration patterns of the tagged albacore along the west coast. Most of the data suggests the albacore follow the currents and temps they like, and when the currents and temps move from year to year, so do the fish. There was unbelievably, a shit load of Marlin in Estero bay for a while back in 2016 El Niño, eating the bonito and skipjack. Further offshore that year was also BFT, YFT, Dorado, Flying fish , yellowtail, pacific sauries, and probably a few other exotics all up in Morro Bay area that year. Not sure we’ll ever see a Marlin a mile outside the harbor again, but who knows. We did catch some nice bluefin a mile or two outta the harbor last year in 200’ of water, which I’m not sure if historically there have ever been years they were caught that close in out of Morro bay. So the only thing I really know is that our ocean fisheries can change drastically from year to year depending on currents and temps, and I really hope we get local albacore again.
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With an unprecedented El Niño predicted between now and 2024, I wouldn’t be surprised.There’s fish inside of 550nm along the same break the couple of boats out of San Diego have been catching at. They are not albacore boats. Those boats go that way because they are targeting multiple species that are typically more abundant towards Hawaiian waters. Albacore don’t care about where a couple commercial boats like to go. They follow the temperate waters and breaks with food that they like. If they continue to move east like they are, they have no place to go but north up the coast once they’re off Ensenada. There’s very little pressure on these southern fish as much of the once thriving commercial albacore fleets from the USA and Mexico are gone along with the canneries that once thrived. The eastern pacific commercial albacore fishery only exists from Oregon to Canada now. But, there have been periods, like 1926-1941 when the water temps warmed considerably and the albacore disappeared for 15 or more years, but then returned in numbers with the cooler waters that followed. Let’s wait and see what happens, but my money is on them showing up to so cal and Morro bay
I think it was 1997 my pop and his friends were fishing full day trips out of San Diego and hitting trifectas and quadfectas with Yellowfin, Albacore, yellowtail, bluefin and dorado on the same trips. Talk about some confused fish.
In 2001, on the unfortunate day of September 11, I was on a Reebok company charter fishing out of San Diego, and we were catching 40-70 lb “albacore” with Ensenada in view. No schooly-sized fish. This was prior to the height of the 2002 El Niño event. Crazy times could be coming this season.
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Yeah the expected El Niño could make for more crazy shit ! Thanks for sharing some good historical first hand knowledge ,like J Peterson’s post , we need more of that on here. And enough guys willing to burn some fuel and get in on the hunt when the water pushes in to help find the fish.
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Go time !!! That warm clean edge at the 1908 is looking super sexy! We’re planning to make the run off shore and go check it out as soon as the weather allows. Hopefully very end of the month or first week of July gives us a shot at some albacore. More Bluefin starting to push up and fill in with the warm patches. Looks like we may have a couple chances to get out after them sooner. Estero bay is full with bait right now , so wouldn’t doubt if the bluefin move in close sooner than last year.
Been surfing Cen Cal for 20 years, and I was sweating my ass off in my 4 mil wetsuit yesterday. I haven't been that hot in a long time. Fingers are crossed it keeps warming. Pretty sure it warmed pretty dang fast as soon as the wind stopped blowing.
John Stidman
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I'm down to burn some fuel and drag some feathers and zukes with a big cedar way back. Say when. More boats looking the better.
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