Albacore bite breaks open with warm water

It has been at least three years since the last good albacore season. We have had small teases the past few years, but the red-hot fishing we saw in the late 1990s and first years of this millennium just disappeared.
That seems to be changing. We have had more days of hot fishing, warm water and good weather — and the albacore bite has been fantastic.
Kevin Carney works as the live-bait receiver for Bocci Boy in the Santa Cruz Harbor and reports this: “The bite is wide open. Sport boats are catching 12 to 40 albacore, and the commercial boats are catching over 100 fish per day.”
Those reports are coming from 50 miles out of the Santa Cruz Harbor.
“About half the fish are caught on live bait,” Carney adds. “Boats are reporting fish boiling at the back of the boat while taking the live bait.”
Bocci Boy and Kevin have supplied live bait to local boats most of the season. Sardines were common early on, while more anchovies are starting to mix in. The bite has been hot in the afternoons, made possible by the calm weather and warm water offshore.
Mike Schell from Bayside says, “This is as good as it gets — boats are catching as many albacore as they care to keep!”
Most boats from Moss Landing and Santa Cruz are taking live bait out for chum and hook bait, and s of the albacore are caught on trolling lures and rubber swim baits, Schell says.
The top trolling lures are zucchini-colored jigs and natural-colored cedar plugs. After the troll-caught fish are brought in, anglers are casting 3-ounce chrome jigs and anchovy-colored swim baits for quick hook-ups.
The traditional albacore season runs well through October and even into November, and this year looks like it may follow suit.
Local charter boats are taking trips out with similar success. Just remember, if you head offshore in pursuit of albacore, do a safety checklist on the boat and weather before heading out.
Mike Baxter has fished in the Monterey Bay Area since he was a boy and has been a licensed charter boat captain for more than 15 years. Contact him at [email protected].