Keyport Seahawk - Albie Anarchy!

[Chrisper4694]

Day started off super slow. We tried to get on the stripers and just had our eels chopped and ripped for a few hours by bluefish. It was grand central station due to some tournament, but we didn't see any stripers being caught though we heard of a few caught early.

So as we're leaving we pass another spot that we almost fished first thing, only to find out thats where they crushed them in the morning... and to make things worse, we missed the entire tide and couldn't get a nibble from a tog after that!

So after an entire morning of FAIL we were about to throw in the towel totally defeated when a 'ray of light' finally shined down on us! Eagle eye John spots some birds diving and we rush over...ALBIES! and we finally got them without blues in the mix!

We started launching our lures at them, John with the epoxy jig and me with a jig i crafted from scratch. Some of the pods wanted a fast retrieve, some wanted a medium it seemed, but they were definitely aggressive and willing to hit! Only 1-2 other boats on them with us the whole time and they stayed up for over 1.5 hours before the bluefish joined the school. After the blues joined it was harder to get an albie bite and then it eventually totally died off.

We hooked 8 had a few on/off and landed 5 on pretty light gear. It was a blast for sure; it'd been over a year since the last time i've hooked into one and i bested my personal record with a real nice 27", 8lbs (on the button)

[Gerry Zagorski]

Nice report and great photos. Glad you got into them in the end.

[Duffman]

Nice comeback boys! Pics look great.

2 questions.....what jig did you fabricate? and what are the epoxy jigs? Have read multiple posts from guys about them.

[Jigman13]

Originally Posted by Duffman

Nice comeback boys! Pics look great.

2 questions.....what jig did you fabricate? and what are the epoxy jigs? Have read multiple posts from guys about them.

Google SI epoxy jig. Standard issue. They have a finish that is dramatically diff than most jigs.

[Down Deep Sportfishing]

Nice report guys. Have a great fall season

[wrktoomuch]

I assume that was them all around me today, tried many things and not a touch. I'll have to get one of those epoxy jigs and try 8t next time.

[Jigman13]

Smaller deadly dicks with a teaser 18-24" above the metal will get them. They love a white and olive teaser that matches the hatch.

[Skolmann]

Originally Posted by Duffman

Nice comeback boys! Pics look great.

2 questions.....what jig did you fabricate? and what are the epoxy jigs? Have read multiple posts from guys about them.

Dan, I’ve been slaying them on the 7/8 and 1 1/4 ounce in both pink and olive.

http://shop.hogylures.com/category/1...xy-Jigs/1.html

[Skolmann]

If you really wanna have some fun, tie on a weighed popping cork- to the rear tie in a 30-48” length of #15 fluorocarbon leader with an olive over white clouser minnow tide at other end.

[Chrisper4694]

Originally Posted by wrktoomuch

I assume that was them all around me today, tried many things and not a touch. I'll have to get one of those epoxy jigs and try 8t next time.

honestly, i took one look at the hogy epoxy jigs and thought, nothing special about them and that's why i just made my own similar jig. It out hooked the epoxy jig 6/2 sunday.

I made a mold with the high temp resistant putty from makelure.com that i had laying around (modeled after a crippled herring lure). I do a haywire twist on some heavy wire on both ends, stick it in there and pour lead in. Coat it in glowing powder paint, put a strip of holographic scales on either side and then brush it over with an epoxy from homedepot. it's easier than it sounds if you have the materials.

I used to think size was the most important thing to match (little bigger than the average current forage size usually best), but i def think the glow and reflection together helped a lot with these sight hunters.

Also, i have noticed that once you get bluefish mixed in with them, it is much harder to get an albie to bite. I guess your best bet would be a super fast retrieve and hope the faster albies get it first.