Boat Limits of Albacore!!

We departed the evening of August 22nd on our annual Los Angeles Rod and Reel Club 1.5 day trip aboard the Pacific Dawn. Spirits were high as the 16 club members boarded, signed in and set up tackle for the following day’s fishing. Captain Pat Cavanaugh informed us that we were heading to an area of big albacore that popped up down around 85 miles. Second Captain, Dustin, took the night driving shift. Opie and Jordan were on deck this trip.

We traveled all night in flat calm seas. I was up early playing solitaire when Whitney started breakfast. She managed to wake the passengers by funneling the smell of coffee and fresh cooked bacon into the bunk rooms. Eggs to order for breakfast were being served just when the boat took a left turn. Pat got word that the fish were on a temperature break 20 miles closer than our destination.

We got into the area just after breakfast and picked off a few albacore before we found a school of bluefin and albacore. This school stayed with us for 3.5 hours and produced 30 bluefin from 30 to 60 lbs. Jim Carlisle caught the 60 lb. bluefin on 50 lb. spooled on a Trinidad. I caught 3 of the 40 lb. bluefin one of which I sent to the galley.

Jim's JP Bluefin

We had drifted several miles so Pat moved the boat back up to our starting point where the bulk of the Sportfishing fleet was working the area. Before we got there, we hit a kelp for 20 big Dorado. Pat drove away from the biting Dorado not wanting to waste precious time while the albacore were still biting. When we got back to the area, we found a school of biting albacore. We quickly finished filling the boat. The hold was full and we had full boat limits of 5 albacore per person (including crew). Pat called it a trip early and said dinner would be served at 6:30 pm.

A short crew fish-off took place while the passengers broke down gear and poured cocktails.

The seas were flat calm and the weather was balmy – perfect to drift in for dinner. Whitney made everyone a delicious seared bluefin dinner while the crew started the fish filleting task. Once dinner was finished, I went to bed.

Whitney preparing bluefin

The crew finished filleting 105 albacore, 30 bluefin, 5 yellowfin, and 20 Dorado at 12:30 p.m. – a long night for the crew.

We pulled into dock at 6 am the next morning. We paid tabs before unloading gear and fish. Jim and I had Fisherman’s Landing Canning bag and seal our bluefin fillets. Good quality bags, vacuum sealed fish that keeps for months frozen. We were on the road early and I was home by 8:30 am.

This was a perfect trip with quality fish that left us all with a big job when we got home. I canned 4 cases of albacore then smoked all the albacore and bluefin bellies and canned those (3 cases). Two days work but had bluefin sashimi to look forward to each night.

Canned Albacore

Bellies Smoking

Smoked Tuna Bellies