Albacore Tuna
Albacore, and indeed the entire tuna family,
are among the fastest and highest endurance species in the oceans of earth. They are
members of the mackerel family and reach maturity at 6 years. These powerful predators can
cruise at over 15 knots and have been clocked at up to 55 knots (there are some claims of
up to 65 knots) for short bursts. Larger members of the family have been seen
hunting bluefish...not an easy task. That kind of speed smarts and power is
the hallmark of this delicious gamefish. Unlike a bluefish who will fight your
tackle up and down, side to side, and under the boat in strong bursts of strength, these
puppies simply hit your hook and run! The first time I ever hooked an albacore, I
swear I though I hooked the prop of a nearby cabin cruiser. The line shot out in a
straight line an remained near parallel the water line until it broke the surface some 75
yards off the boat. He took over 200 yards of line before I even knew what happened!
For every 10 yards I brought in, he took 8 out. Unbelievable!
When in the U.S. Navy, My first combat command assignment was on the U.S.S Skipjack (named
after the Skipjack tuna). Built in the early 60's, It was the first U.S. Submarine
to employed a streamlined hull. This hull was called an "Albacore Hull"
and was indeed , modeled after the fish's body design. Consequently, at that time it
was the fastest Submarine in the world (just over 30 knots).
Think about it. This fish was the inspiration for a Nuclear Submarine
design....that's one damn impressive fish! Can you imagine him on the end of your
line? You can keep your brook trout...give me an Ably any day!
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Scientific
Description:
Thunnus alalunga is a large tuna with
fusiform, elongated and streamlined body engineered by nature for speed and endurance.
Able to hunt down the most speedy prey, only certain billfish and the mako shark
are faster. Body is highest at the attachment point of the second dorsal fin, which
is separated briefly by the first dorsal fin an followed by 7-9 finlets which aid the
powerful scythe tail in propulsion. The long anal fin follows below. The long
pectoral fins extend beyond the doorsills, terminating at the level of the fish inlets.
These pectorals easily distinguish Thunnus alaunga from his speedy tuna cousins.
They have depressions on the sides of the body to allow the long pectoral fins an
abscess to lie in, therefore decreasing resistance in the water, and increasing speed.
Tuna are semi-warm blooded, and generate body heat. This is partially
responsible for their great speed.
The United States Navy has often studied the Albacore to improve the performance of
submarines. Indeed, the first "Modern" hull design of U.S. Nuclear
submarines was called the "Albacore" hull (it appeared in the early 60's on the
U.S.S. Skipjack - SSN 585, which was named after the Skipjack tuna for its speed).
They are a pelagic predator living near the surface and diving to up to 330 ft in search
of prey and whose presence is nigh ubiquitous, living in all oceans and seas of tropical
and temperate zones. They feed on a wide variety of fish and crustaceans. They
range from 24-36 inches at 20-40 lbs., the max being 48 inches. The IGFA record is
88 lbs. 2 oz.
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Regulation:
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Identification
| Thunnus alalunga |
Fusiform body, long and tapered for lightning speed,
quickness and endurance. Second dorsal, anal and pectoral fins long (pectorals much
so). Small teeth-like ridges in beak-like mouth. |
| Color: |
Metallic dark blue on the back, white on flanks and belly.
Iridescent band along flanks. Yellow coloration of first dorsal, brighter
than second dorsal and anal fins. Finlets are dark, rear edge of caudical fin is white. |
| Size: |
Average Weight 5-25 lbs.
Peak Weight 90+ lbs.
IGFA Record 88 lb 2 oz fish taken off of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands on November
19, 1977 by Siegfried Dickemann |
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Where
are they?:
While it is true that albacore can be found in
many waters around the world, the best places in NJ are the mudhole off Manasquan Inlet
(about 30 miles out) and the Hudson river canyon, 90-150 miles out on the edge of the
continental shelf. The best time is Sept-Nov
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Fishing
for Albacore:
NOTE: Albacore are very sensitive to electrical
currents and noises. A small short circut on a ship can lower the catch rate to half . So
can a loud radio or boisterous crew!
Tackle:
- 6-7ft heavy duty sport pole
- Conventional reel with 80 lbs. test monofilament
Technique:
Chunking is the normal method employed. The boat is anchored in 400-700 feet of
canyon blue water. A chum slick of bunker, mullet, hake, butterfish etc are fed out
the back of the boat (remember...the amount is critical. Too little and the fish
will not smell it, too much and they may just hang back for the easy meal rather than
follow the slick to your hook!). Place a chuck of butterfish on your hook and drift
your lines into the slick. Then just wait for the slam!
Drag!!!:
Remember! When you get a hit, check your drag! Too tight, and you'll snap the line. Too
light, and a 10 LB Ably will take you 2 hours to get to the boat! The ability to tell how
much or little will come with experience, but my rule of thumb is initially, the lighter
the better. Better to have an albacore take out 100 yards while you adjust the drag up,
than lose a fish because it was too tight. Drag is adjusted with the "Star"
wheel on the side of conventional reels and at the top-front of a spinning reel.
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Recipes:
NOTE: Tuna is a semi-warm blooded fish and
create some of their own body heat. To assure albacore will freeze rapidly once on board
jig fishermen have to make sure
the tuna doesn't fight too much which raises its body core temperature. Tuna also have a
natural enzyme, Histimine, to which some people are allergic. To destroy
this enzyme the albacore must be frozen quickly. Fishing vessels properly outfitted for
prompt and proper handling of albacore have refrigeration units that will freeze the fish
and keep it between 0 to -40 degrees Faharenheit.(0-2 degrees centrigtrade)
Albacore Kimberly
McCormick's Restaurant, Seattle, Wa
Ingredients: Amounts:
Albacore medallions 1/4 inch thick loin cuts 4 servings
salt 1/8 tsp
Celery salt 1/8 tsp
Onion salt 1/8tsp
White pepper 1/8tsp
Flour 2/3 cup
Soy sauce 4tbls
Madiera 1/3 cup
Orange juice, fresh squeezed 1 cup
Heavy cream 1 cup
Horseradish to taste (1/2tbls
Butter
Preparation Marinate the medallions in the orange juice for 3-4 hours or overnight. Mix
all of the dry ingredients together.Remove the albacore from the liquid, dust with flour
mixture. Sauté
in butter 1 minute per side. Remove from pan and keep warm. add all of the liquid
ingredients to the pan to deglaze it. reduce to desired consistence over low-medium heat.
Pour sauce
over medallions.
Grilled marinade Albacore
Saccio's Fish Factory, San Diego, Ca
Ingredients: Amounts:
Soy sauce 1 cup
Sherry 1 cup
Onion, diced 1 medium
Juice of 1 orange
Pepper to taste
Garlic minced 3 cloves
Vegetable oil 1 tbls
Brown sugar 1/2 cup
Albacore loin cuts 2 pounds (4 servings)
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients except fish. Mix well. Add albacore. chill and marinate 1 hour.
Broil or grill basting with marinade.
More Tuna Recipes
Hawaiian Tuna Recipies
Tuna Mushroom Pate
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Tuna Links:
Bait n
Bubbles NJ Charter Fishing and Scuba
Tuna Fishing by TNT!
Tuna Fishing (great site!)
How to "Boat" and prep a
Tuna
Another great "Boat" and
prep site for Bigeye |
