Out here in Monterey, CA, and we are headed offshore for albacore in my boat on Thursday. I've fished YFT back East with you guys, and I think we are talkin' a similar gameplan, here, but I'm not 100% sure. Fishing info availability is poor out here - folks would rather just smoke pot or something. Tackle shops are terrible, and the guys that do catch fish just kinda' stay to themselves.

Anyway, anybody have any tips? Even if they are "East Coast Albacore" tips, it would give me something. The little I did hear out here is cedar plugs and feather jigs (no ballyhoo, green machines, etc.). Apparently, some guys have been hooking into some bluefin as well (I'd rather hook into one of these - but we are going to focus on the albies for now). Any help is appreciated.

Fished out of San Diego this summer and caught some good albacore on feather jigs. Mexican flag seemed to be the best color pattern. All were rigged on mono, using a 7/0 double hook and it seemed florocarbon wasn't used much. You may benifit from trying floro, as it seemd the fish were easily spooked. Hopw this helps. Tight lines.

I Assume you mean true albacore, not little tunny or false albacore? The folks I know that are consistent on true A's are usually catching them as by-products around the canyons, trolling ballyhoo at a tuna speed.

Make sure that you take at least 4 rods with different line weights for after the jig strike and the fish get around the boat.... take a 40lbd rig, 30lbd, 20lbd, and even a 15 lbd....like Marlin Maniac stated, Albacore can be a bit shy...start heavy and work lighter... I've seen when they would hit 80lbd in the corner, with a 4/0 Jhook with 3 anchovies pinned on it, then I have seen it when you have to use 12 lbd, and a #8 live bait hook in order to get bit... Marlin Maniac is also correct with the Mexican Flag color, but any of the dark purple/black, brown/yellow, blue/black will also work if it is overcast, if it is sunny, switch to the zuccini color, or red/white, blue/white....good luck....

I had good luck on them a couple years ago in the Baltimore Canyon on a small feather chain, a bird and green machine, and a chartreuse boone bird chain with a matching sea witch. These were a big class of fish(only 4 lbs shy of a Maryland state record). I think most of the ones in Cali are about 1/2 that size. I've also heard from some guys in Jersey that anything green works for them. They sometimes switch over to all green machines.

Thanks guys. Actually had to cancel for tomorrow - 9 foot swells, 3-6 ft wind waves, and blowing up to 30 kts in the afternoon. Will try again next weekend.

Yeah, my buddy came over today, and he'd heard of the "Mexican Flag" and "zucchini" colors here. We tied up a bunch of daisy chain rigs today - nothing too monstrous, just two or three like-colored plastic squid with 1/4 oz egg weights inserted into their heads ahead of Zookers.

For our starting set-up, we'll go with the cedar plug on the short line, squid/zooker rig on the short-medium, cedar plug or squid/zooker on the medium long, and green-machine behind a boone bird on the long. How's that sound? First time I'm using cedar plugs. Apparently the Albacore like 'em, but there are also some bluefin in the area. Is this right to fish a cedar plug close to the boat?

-Salmon

Fish those Cedar Plugs right in the prop wash....Tuna eat em up.....Bob

I agree with Bob.

Thanks guys. Will do.

Salmonbb,

I used to live in San Diego and am a little familiar with the West Coast fishing. I caught plenty of Pacific YellowTail (similar to Amberjack here) and Bonita (similar to False Albecore here) but never any true Albecore. In SD they caught BFT and Albies and YT together all the time and for the most part they fish for all those species in a similar fashion. They troll med-large Rapalas, Cedar Plugs, Feathers, etc. until they hook-up and then toss live anchovies or sardines to chum the school up to the boat - then fly-line a live bait on a hook (no rig - just the hook and live 'dine or chovie). Live bait seems to be crucial out west for some reason. Very few people used only lures and nobody used ballyhoo. Maybe try it?

There is a website www.kayakfishing.com where people post reports, etc. and you can get better info there. Even though it's a kayak board all those guys are hardcore fishermen and know what's up for offshore species and techniques on motorized boats too. Heck, they catch YFT, Marlin, Dorado & Sails from there yaks in some places out there - mostly Mexico though. One local yak guide in SD landed a few Striped Marlin of La Jolla while I was there. AWESOME!

Check it out and GOOD LUCK!

Splitshot,

Thanks for the detailed suggestions. Yep, the Yakkers out here are interesting - see 'em all throughout the kelp. Heven't seen 'em doing anything beyond that, but I'm sure there are "those guys" out there that go beyond. Will check the web-site out.

Don't know if you noticed it, but it seems that out here in Cali, you have some folks that head out onto the salt, but landside, there just aren't that many folks that talk about it. It's just a different atmosphere. Hard to get parts, tackle, info, and yet there are folks that go fishing and the fishing isn't bad! Hard to store a boat, too. Everything just seems much more difficult here with regards to boating and fishing support, even though there is a very good fishery here. Really starting to get a bit irritated (can you tell?).

Anyway, thanks. Hope you are ejoying the fishing back East.

- Salmon