Well our day of reckoning finally arrived as the albacore that have been so confounding in their not biting, bluefin tuna like behavior this season, began acting like their old selves. At day's end yesterday, I made the comment that I had more fun fishing albacore than I have in a long time; not just because they were biting, but beacuse the surface show was so incredible and the set up reminiscent of the way I fondly recall albacore fishing from my youth and days of commercial fishing. Birdschools, areas of breaking fish or "boilers" as we call them, were up throughout the day providing some spectacular visuals - the most amazing of which was the numerous whales getting in on the action by lunge feeding through many of the huge bait balls driven to the surface by marauding albacore. I can hardly begin to describe the sight of running on a huge spot of albacore crashing on a densly concentrated bait ball that then gets annihilated by a huge whale blasting upward, mouth wide open, propelling a third of it's behemoth form well above the surface. After the whales would plow through and spread out the bait, it was open season for the albacore that were quick to take full advantage of the doomed, disoriented bait fish that survived the whale assaults. Now enter Royal Star and any fisherman can probably determine the outcome - bent rods and adrenaline pumping visuals as albacore charge through the corner eating every bait in sight. Any line size (yes, any) was the call in several afternoon stops today where the albacore were charged up and ready to come aboard.

Throw considerably improved weather and a good forecast in the equation and the whole picture is that much sweeter. In closing for the day let me pass along my best recommendation for those anglers who have been waiting for these albacore to show better interest before venturing their annual summer voyage or two. Go and go now as the not biting phase appears to be over for the time being. Using history as a measure, this is the time of year that the offshore tuna/albacore get on the bait, conditions come together, and the action really heats up. It looks and feels like we are in for a real treat in the upcoming weeks if conditions hold. Presently there is nothing to indicate otherwise, and as such, we can't wait to see what tomorrow and beyond will bring. Of course there are never any certainties in fishing, but based on what we see unfolding, don't be surprised to see some very good albacore fishing this year well into September. Rest assured we will be here to report accordingly.