Commercial Boat Reports Taking Albacore Off Baja California Coast

The albacore watch is apparently over, for now anyway. The popular, yet highly elusive, tuna have been located close to shore off the Baja California coast.

The Molly N, a commercial bait boat en route to Cabo San Lucas to fish for yellowfin tuna, reported that it caught eight albacore on jigs about 190 miles south of San Diego and 25 miles off the Baja coastline, in an area called Geronimo.

The fish were in the 12-pound range, but according to Ron Dotson of the National Marine Fisheries Service, their proximity to the coastline could be good news for the San Diego fishing fleet, which has experienced poor albacore seasons the last three years.

“The water conditions seem to be good, and I see no reason why these fish can’t move up the coast, which is what they normally do,” said Dotson, an albacore specialist.

Dotson warned, however, that the Molly N was just passing through and that there have been no reports on the size of the school, and therefore it is difficult to gauge whether there is reason for albacore fishermen to celebrate.

A spokeswoman at Fisherman’s Landing in San Diego said the Royal Polaris, which received the report from the Molly N and radioed the news back to the landing, had been fishing the Alijos Rocks farther south and was in the area Friday. The boat is due back in San Diego this morning.

A spokeswoman at H&M; Landing in San Diego said the Spirit of Adventure departed at 8 p.m. Thursday and will be searching the area.