Albacore Back in Southland Fishing Waters

Albacore, the speedy, powerful tuna that highlight Southern California’s summer sportfishing season, made their first appearance at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday.

Two San Diego-based sportfishing boats, the Royal Star and the Spirit of Adventure, had a total of 16 albacore in the 16-to-20-pound class on board by mid-day Wednesday. Both boats were fishing the same general area, in Mexican waters, about 130 miles from San Diego.

The Spirit of Adventure had seven albacore aboard at 1 p.m. Wednesday, the Royal Star nine. Honors for first albacore of the season went to Gary Dicks of Fallbrook, who picked up a 20-pound jig-caught fish in 60-degree water on the Royal Star. Moments later, on the Spirit of Adventure, Keith Ferro, San Bernardino, caught the second, with live bait.

Skippers David Kagawa of Royal Star and Mike Keating of Spirit of Adventure, had brought a total of 35 fishermen to the area on a five-day trip that was, in part, an albacore search trip. Anglers on both boats were in their first day of fishing.

Based on Wednesday’s discovery of the northward-migrating albacore, all four San Diego sportfishing landings scheduled albacore trips beginning this weekend. H&M; Landing, Point Loma Sportfishing, Lee Palm Sportfishing and Fisherman’s Landing account for about 70 sport party boats. In addition, there are about 60 private-charter fishing boats available in San Diego.

At Point Loma Sportfishing, skipper Dan Sansome scheduled a two-day trip on his new 90-foot American Angler, departing Friday at 7 p.m. and returning late Sunday night. The trip will be limited to 30 fishermen.

Last summer, California fishermen caught 172,493 albacore on party boats, 158,614 of them on San Diego-based boats.