Alan's Workbench
The Eternal Optimist!
Oct. 5 2009, 8:58 AM
Oct. 5 2009, 8:58 AM
The Eternal Optimist!
I spent a little time this evening checking out the local weather reports and the sea surface temperatures. Right now, it's blowing 28 kts with a 12 foot swell and a 6 foot wind wave. That's what the "point and click" forecast says for the area 60 miles offshore from Monterey. By the middle of the week, it's supposed to lay down a little. The reports say winds to 15 kts and seas to 5 feet. The problem is that the "push" of warm water that held all of those albacore last week has been "pushed" back quite a ways. It's now 60 nm from the nearest harbor (Monterey) and these northwest winds are not going to help matters. Still, Thursday is 4 days away. A lot can happen in 4 days. And with this El Nino, there is no telling how long the albacore might stay within range.
I spent a little time this evening checking out the local weather reports and the sea surface temperatures. Right now, it's blowing 28 kts with a 12 foot swell and a 6 foot wind wave. That's what the "point and click" forecast says for the area 60 miles offshore from Monterey. By the middle of the week, it's supposed to lay down a little. The reports say winds to 15 kts and seas to 5 feet. The problem is that the "push" of warm water that held all of those albacore last week has been "pushed" back quite a ways. It's now 60 nm from the nearest harbor (Monterey) and these northwest winds are not going to help matters. Still, Thursday is 4 days away. A lot can happen in 4 days. And with this El Nino, there is no telling how long the albacore might stay within range.
The latest in the year that I've actually ever fished for albacore was the last big El Nino of 1999. I took my father out on my old 19 foot Grady White. It was a flat calm day, December 15th. That's right, December 15th. Dad and I took a 220 heading out of Santa Cruz and made a blind stab. We dropped the lines in when we hit the 25 mile mark at the Monterey weather buoy. We stuck 8 albacore that day. The first fish weighed in at 38 pounds. The second fish weighed in at 42 pounds. The third fish weighed in at 48 pounds. The next 5 fish bottomed out my 50 pound scale. Dad reeled in every fish. His shoulder was sore for the next three months.
I'd like all of you to keep your fingers crossed and check back with me later in the week. With any luck, I'll have an albacore report for you.
I'd like all of you to keep your fingers crossed and check back with me later in the week. With any luck, I'll have an albacore report for you.
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