False Albacore & Bonito

1. It’s that time of year in Southern New England when saltwater fly fishermen and light tackle anglers keep a watch for signs of false albacore and bonito. Every year about this time, schools of these torpedo shaped speedsters migrate into the shallow waters along the southern New England coast. They are often seen widely churning up the surface as they annihilate schools of bay anchovies or baby bunker.
2. Both Atlantic bonito (Sarda sarda) and False albacore (Euthynnus alletteratus) belong to the mackerel family. Bonito are half to two-thirds or so smaller than their cousins the false albacore and are distinguished by straight horizontal markings on their sides. Known by several monikers such as little tunny, albies, Fat Alberts, and bloody mackerel, False Albacore feature dark worm-like markings and have more of a conical football shape. Both species possess strong rigid tails that are built to minimize turbulence. At first glance the tail appears too thin and poorly shaped to provide enough thrust. However, looks are deceiving. The tail on Bonito and False Albacore have a crescent shape which cuts through the water, and because it is hard, provide an incredible amount of thrust per stroke with minimal drag. It takes only a few strokes of the hard tail to get up to speed. Once at the desired speed only a minimal amount of energy is needed to sustain the speed for long periods.
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4. Both Bonito and Albies are capable of long runs. Albies are known to clean out large capacity fly reels on a nonstop run, smoke ultra-light spinning reels and test the limits of heavy gear meant for striper and bluefish trolling. Pursuing these water rockets is a fine madness understood by those that have had one charge through the water so fast that the line hissed or those who hooked into one that took them within a few feet of the knot on their reel.
5. Most season’s hard tails appear in Connecticut waters around Labor Day and a few fish still linger as late as Thanksgiving depending on the weather. The most consistent areas to find these fish include Long Sand Shoal, Plum Gut, Race Rock, the Millstone Discharge and waters around Bluff Point and Pine Island. The rocks, ledges and reefs that make up the Fishers Island/Watch Hill Reef complex are also very popular with the fish and fishermen. The top locations for the shorebound angler to get a shot at these fish are Harkness State Beach, Waterford and Ocean Beach, Pleasure Beach and Napatree Point. The Millstone Outflow was a very productive location, but is now restricted for obvious security reasons
6. In reality, fishing for albies from shore or a boat is a shell game as there is no predicting, only educated guessing as to when and where they will show up. Keeping a sharp eye on the activity of terns and gulls that shadow the movement of fish is one key to solving the puzzle. Birds that fly and dip over one spot generally signal an imminent eruption of charging fish and fleeing bait. It rarely lasts more than a few minutes, but that is enough to attract the "banzai" fleet of fishermen that run their boats at full throttle over to the spot where fish are breaking in hopes of getting a quick cast off before the fish disappear. It is a comical sight to watch as anglers standing in the bows with rods at the ready appear like harpooners pursuing the white whale while converging to one spot and launching a hail of flies and lures. This strategy only puts the fish down as the fish are ultra wary of boat noise.
7. Experienced anglers prefer to watch for a feeding pattern and anchor or drift through an area where fish have been showing with some frequency rather than running and gunning. Often hits will come on a blind cast as the school repeats its feeding route without showing on the surface. But even when no particular pattern seems to exist drifting through an area that is holding fish can be more productive, not to mention safer and relaxing.
8. Come September many saltwater fishermen will temporarily forget stripers and bluefish to pursue hard tails. It’s the most exciting fish in our waters available to both shore and boat fishermen at this time of year. [org pub New Britain Herald, by Bob Salerno]