Earliest albacore catch

benri · May 13, 2009, 15:03:53 CET

When is the earliest time of the year that you started catching albacore/alungi. A friend of mine was telling me that in either 2005 or 2006 following a heat wave people started catching significant quantities in mid-may. Is this true?

The_Gaffer · May 13, 2009, 15:12:01 CET

Reports of early sightings/catches of Alongi usually start in the 3rd week of May. Last year I posted several reports of early catches in Mid/late May especially by commercial fishermen using tuna longlines and while returning back to port.
My personal earliest Alongi catch was on the 4th June, 2005. My 1st trip out for alongi that season.

busumark · May 13, 2009, 15:13:10 CET

benri you are really looking forward to catch alungi

The_Gaffer · May 13, 2009, 15:23:23 CET

Benri, just do a quick search using the link word 'alungi' - you will find a number of reports suggesting early catches along the west coast of Malta

robby017 · May 13, 2009, 15:35:44 CET

As soon as tuna is caught or spotted, you can expect albacore to be in the waters as well, being migratory fish, they pass from our waters during the same period as bluefin tuna... so, if the pros have hooked a couple tuna, we'll soon hear of a couple alungi being caught.

shanook · May 13, 2009, 16:05:45 CET

In Italy they catch in March, here my earliest catch was 2nd week of may but lately it is more in the beginning of 2nd week of june.
Benri dont worry u will catch them u just have to wait thats all. Do u still have the bearings?

?
c ya

bigboy · May 13, 2009, 16:32:50 CET

Tuna catches are still very very low this year :/ but the sea temperature is a big factor to this. Guys lets pray that the sea warms up abit because if not the alungi will remain far out in deep waters.

benri · May 13, 2009, 16:58:09 CET

I know I'm dieing to go but I was asking out of curiosity only... :-) in fact I can only launch my boat in the 1st week of June cause of insurance.:-(
It looks like the sea is getting warmer this week and that's what prompted me to ask the question even more. They had in fact told me the first catches were following a heat wave.
@Shanook - sure I still have them - (ever doubt it :-))

placebo · May 13, 2009, 19:11:32 CET

the albacore will come ........... let's hope they come in numbers as last year.

i just got a message from one of them on my mobile. I let her go last year so she's keeping her promise of informing me with her whereabouts..............

everybody is looking forward

Earliest albacore catch

bigboy