Travel

Best Places to Catch Pacific Albacore

10 top ports for albacore: the Pacific Coast’s boom-or-bust blue-water prize

By Jim Hendricks

Updated: August 25, 2014

Few other game fish incite as much hysteria among Pacific Coast anglers as do albacore. When schools of the longfin tuna show up within striking range, sport-fishing landings, marinas and launch ramps in three countries bustle with fishermen eager to get in on the offshore action.

Varying from 5-pound footballs to bruisers in the 50- to 60-pound class, the speedy albacore prove eager biters, tough fighters and fine table fare. These white-meat tuna are, after all, the fabled chicken of the sea. It’s hard not to love a fish with so many attributes.

Yet, there is one unpredictable variable. Albies sometimes sweep too far offshore, and remain outside the range of many boats on their summer/fall migration route northward along the Pacific coast of northern Mexico, California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.

In recent years, for example, the longfins have been virtual no-shows for boats based in San Diego. At the same time, albie schools vectored closer to the coast up north, pleasing anglers from northern California to northern Vancouver Island.

When conditions are right and the longfins show, you go. In the -meantime, you can get your gear ready in anticipation of their arrival.

Albacore possess an affinity for purple-blue water and temperature breaks — changes of 2 to 5 degrees along which they can find and gorge on forage species such as anchovies, herring, squid, sardines, sauries, and other bait species. These temp breaks are often at the edges of the continental shelf, submerged canyons, underwater ridges and deep-sea mounts, all of which create upwellings of cooler water.

While bathymetric features might help guide your hunt, don’t get too hung up on fishing specific spots. Rather, look for signs of life to locate the tuna (see “Finding the Albacore”).

This year Mother Ocean might hold a wild card. A strong El Niño event could have an impact on the longfins’ timing and migration patterns. No one knows for sure, but albacore anglers hope it plays in their favor. Though this species seems to like temps around 59 to 62 degrees F, in El Niño years, I’ve caught them in water as warm as 72 degrees.

While anglers fish for longfins out of dozens of harbors and bays of North America’s Pacific coast, I’ve isolated 10 of the top ports for satisfying your albacore addiction. Join me as we follow the nomadic schools from south to north.

Ensenada, Mexico

There is scientific evidence to support the belief that vast schools of albacore circumnavigate the North Pacific, a route that finds them arcing east across the ocean in early summer, then angling north along the coast of Baja California Norte. That puts the port of Ensenada, Mexico, in the perfect position for an albie intercept. A fair number of U.S. anglers trailer their boats the 65 miles below the border, and launch at the Hotel Coral and Marina. Larger U.S. boats cruise down and stay in a guest slip at the marina, which also has a live-bait barge and the only fuel dock above Los Cabos, some 750 miles south. Productive banks lie within 30 to 50 nautical miles offshore.

Season: Mid-June to late September, sometimes into October

Charter Information: Ensenada Sportfishing

Best Launch Ramp: Hotel Coral and Marina Ramp

Live Bait: Hotel Coral and Marina bait barge

San Diego Bay, California

For decades, the San Diego Bay -sport-fishing passenger fleet depended on the annual albacore run for its very livelihood. Fishing waters 30 to 90 miles from Point Loma, anglers and albacore filled the boats that ran “turnaround” schedules virtually all summer out of landings such as Fisherman’s and H&M. Unfortunately, in recent years, schools of longfins proved -nonexistent — or perhaps too deep to catch — along the northern Baja and Southern California coasts, leaving anglers looking for other game. There are a number of theories about the missing albies, but some evidence indicates the albacore have taken to feeding in the abyss on benthic species such as laternfish along this portion of coast, thus not making themselves visible or accessible. Whatever the reason, anglers hope for a return of albie action to these waters, and if that happens, San Diego Bay will be a top longfin launch point.

Season: Mid-June through September

Charter Information: San Diego Sportfishing Online

Best Launch Ramp: Shelter Island Launch Ramp

Live Bait: Everingham Brothers bait barge

Morro Bay, California

Migrating schools of albacore often swing closer to the coast after they pass outside California’s Channel Islands and Point Conception, and one of the first ports to capitalize on this was Morro Bay. Anglers find fish anywhere from 20 to 70 miles from the iconic El Morro monolith that marks the entrance to the shallow bay. Weather is always a factor along this tempestuous and fully exposed stretch of the central California coast, with high winds and big waves sometimes thwarting the albacore chase, particularly for private-boat anglers. Yet when seas cooperate and the longfins are within range, the fishing can be spectacular for private, charter, and passenger boats alike.

Season: June through September

Charter Information: Morro Bay Landing

Best Launch Ramp: Morro Bay Launch Ramp

Live Bait: Morro Bay Landing (subject to shortages due to weather)

Santa Cruz, California

With Monterey Bay offering some protection from the wind and Monterey Canyon serving as natural underwater highway leading migrating albacore closer to shore, Santa Cruz Harbor on the upper side of the bay can serve as the launch point for some great albacore fishing. Autumn months see some of the best action for both private and charter boats, many of which are berthed at S-Dock on the east of the lower Santa Cruz Harbor.