Albacore — *Thunnus alalunga*
Published · Researched 2026-09-20
Albacore — Thunnus alalunga
Where in SoCal
Offshore: nine-mile-bank, the-181, the-182, san-clemente-island, catalina (offshore waters); long-range fleet works them 60–100+ miles out, from Point Loma landings (Seaforth, H&M, Fisherman's Landing, Point Loma Sportfishing) and Dana Wharf / Newport / Long Beach boats.
Best season / months in SoCal
- Peak: April–August
- Good: March, September
- Slow/off: October–February (largely absent locally)
- 2026 social evidence: first San Diego fleet albacore on the Tribute (Seaforth/Mission Bay) Apr 30, 2026; July 2026 reports describe "wide-open albacore" with limits; 60-mile-long schools of jumping albacore ~100 miles off San Diego (Legend, July 28, 2026). The Tribute fish was celebrated as "exceptional for the year," suggesting albacore runs have been scarce in recent years. Historically an early-season tuna (spring push ahead of the summer warm-water species).
Best bait / lures
- Live sardine flylined or on light leaders (daylight standard)
- Trolling feathers / daisy-chain spreads while covering water
- Smaller-grade fish (20–30 lb) respond to finesse presentations; 25/30-lb rigs recommended over heavy setups per 2026 long-range advice (Steve Carson/Rocco Sanchez)
Social consensus (platform + group context)
- Facebook — "San Diego Fishing" (Apr 30, 2026 post, Steve Carson): large silver albacore held on the Tribute out of Seaforth — caption celebrates the catch as exceptional for the year; comments treat an early albacore as a novelty worth noting.
- Facebook — "San Diego Sportfishing" (Sep 17, 2026): Big Fern Sportfishing promo; captain holds a blood-covered tuna announced as a yellowfin — NOT albacore (the yellowfin ID here is the operator's own label).
- Web fish reports corroborate 2026 run: 976-tuna.com July 28 reports — Red Rooster III "limits of albacore," Legend drove "through 60 miles of jumping albacore"; prismnews.com early-May piece on the Tribute's April 30 albacore as the first fleet albacore in years, with bluefin/yellowfin/yellowtail/dorado mixed in behind it.
Social validation tier
Tier B (Moderate) — a small number of 2026 posts but unusually well corroborated by third-party fish-report sites describing the same spring-to-summer run.
Size / bag limits (California, 2026)
- VERIFIED (CDFW Marine Region blog Sep 17 2026; 14 CCR §28.38): 10 albacore per day south of Pt Conception, counted within the 20-fish general daily bag. No minimum size.
Images (6, all verified JPEG, md5-unique)
All in ../images/species/albacore/. View: catch/angler photos unless noted.
01.jpg— Albacore catch — northbayfishingcharters.com (angler hold-up)02.jpg— Albacore tuna trip photo — riptidefish.com03.jpg— Fish report "Albacore tuna is what's on the menu!", Aug 2025 — fishreports.com04.jpg— Tony Sepulveda albacore — Western Outdoor News, Aug 2021 (press photo)05.jpg— Albacore group catch — deepseasportfishing.net, Jun 202506.jpg— Grande albacore — fishreports.com fish report photo
UNVERIFIED / unknowns
- Albacore run strength in SoCal has reportedly been erratic in recent years; the "first fleet albacore in years" claim comes from a single 2026 press piece, not a multi-source survey.
- No direct social confirmation of fall albacore availability off SoCal; seasonality beyond the Apr–Jul evidence is inferred from the historical pattern.