Picking up from where we left off in September by proclaiming it as my favorite month to fish, I admit October is a close second. At worst, it would be third behind July, usually my favorite big striper month. But October to me has more mystery and intrigue – will I get a 40” striped bass? Maybe an albie? Or a surprise Spanish Mackerel? And then blackfish/tautog season opens on October 10th, so now you get a chance to do what I call the Fall Slam in the Long Island Sound – a bass over 40 inches, an albie, and a tog all in one trip. I’ve only done it twice, but those days were magical and can only happen in October.
I think there’s also a sense of urgency in October. It’s the last month you can argue that it’s not truly cold, depending on your tolerance. November tog fishing can be awesome, but it’s darn cold most mornings. October mornings might begin at 40 degrees, but usually by late morning you’re stripping off layers and enjoying a 60 something degree day. Couple that weather with the epic visuals of Fall fishing, the surprise species available, and the general scenery, and I count October as a top tier month.
Freshwater
A true transition month in the world of largemouth bass fishing, October sees bass continue their bulking up for winter which likely began in September, but you can also expect them to begin moving to particular locations based on the temperature of their home waters. As temperatures begin to cool, accelerated in October by colder nights, bass will move into bait rich areas like shallows, coves, and creek arms to chase perch, alewives, or other local baitfish.
As with basically all predators, the goal is to maximize food intake while minimizing energy expended. This is best done by getting close to the food source. In early October, that means shallow weed edges, rocky flats (which hold the sun’s warmth), and near wood. Your goal this time of year with baits will be to match whatever forage is present. Spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits can be excellent choices this time of year, as can jigs and dropshots depending on how active the fish are.
Later in October, you may find fish closer to drop-offs near shallow coves or on main points as they prepare for colder weather and winter’s coming. At that point, slowing down your presentation is wise if you find the fish to be sluggish. This is where a good dropshot rig or a jerkbait can be deadly, as both offer a slow-moving meal for a bass which will still be focused on gaining bulk for winter.
Saltwater
Our local waters in October can be absolutely electric. October is the time of year you’re most likely to see blitzes described as “Nat Geo” style. As with all fishing, that happening depends on a variety of factors, but those are much more likely to be present in October than any other month.
The first major factor for great October fishing is the influx of baitfish into open Sound waters, which I’ve gone into detail about in previous reports. Bay anchovies, silversides, and peanut bunker, along with squid and butterfish, provide the fuel for our fall run, and predators come calling this time of year to take advantage of the buffet of options so they can bulk up before winter. If the weather, tide, and baitfish presence align with some larger schools of fish, be it albies, stripers, or a mix of species, then all hell can break loose in the best way possible.
For Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts anglers, as well as those on Long Island, October is a huge month for chasing false albacore. Mottled emerald camouflage, black striping, electric speed, and a whole lot of mystique make albies one of the most sought after and toughest to catch fish that come inshore. I’ve spent thousands of hours chasing them, and have what some would likely classify as an unhealthy obsession with them. There’s just something about the hunt, the visuals, and the fight that make them my favorite inshore species to chase, especially in a pedal kayak or small skiff.
For Long Island sound anglers who want to catch albies, the first thing you should pay attention to are the anglers in Montauk and Rhode Island to see if they’re finding albies. If they aren’t in those spots, there’s a low chance they’re in our local waters. But they arrive quickly, and sometimes reports will go from nil to wildfire within a few days. Albies are fast swimmers, so if they find what they’re looking for in terms of water, bait, and tide, they can cover a ton of water. Having a strong network of fishing buddies throughout multiple states can help you piece together the puzzle.
Once you think there are albies around, your strategy should be to maximize your chance of coming across them by getting to places they like. If you’re in a boat, be prepared to cover a lot of water on some days. If you’re in a kayak and aren’t sure where specifically the albies are, I recommend getting a good pair of binoculars and checking multiple boat ramps before launching. Spending a couple seasons chasing albies will help you figure out which local haunts they like to spend time in, and more importantly the spots within the spots where you can quickly watch for activity and see if they’re around.
Albies tend to like anywhere that bait gets corralled naturally or where bait can be corralled by them. This includes beach fronts, points, and coves. They’ll often do “laps” along beach fronts or run with the tide as the bait gets moved with the water. The best thing you can do when albie fishing is be patient and observant. Try to figure out their patterns within the area you’re seeing them, and rather than chasing down every little feed, try to put yourself in a place where paths will cross and you can get a shot at them. Depending on their mood, albies may stay up on the surface for merely seconds, so being smooth and offering a pinpointed cast is key.
For lures, I love a ¾ or 1oz epoxy jig, with Hogy and Game On Lures being local favorites. Fish Snax famous Albie Snax are also a killer albie bait, though I’ll usually start off with an epoxy simply because you can cast them a mile. An ideal albie rod is one that has a whippy tip but also some great backbone. For line, my true albie setups have 15lb braid to a long 8-10’ leader of 15lb fluorocarbon. Do not use swivels or clips if you can at all help it. Albies have great eyesight, so the less hardware in the water the better.
I always tell customers that albies splashes look like someone hitting the water with a sword. They’re not the poppy splashes of striped bass, but moreso a fast, horizontal slash in the water. F you’re lucky, you’ll catch a glimpse of their emerald green coloring which is an easy confirmation.
Once you know you’re seeing albies, you’ll want to figure out if they’re traveling in one direction, in which case you’d lead them with your cast, or if they’re actively blitzing in a multidirectional manner. In that case, I always try to cast past the blitz (which is where that long, clear leader comes in) and retrieve my lure through the blitz at about twice the normal retrieval speed of a regular lure. Albies hit quite hard and usually will immediately run and rip off a ton of drag. Once that happens, it’s your job to keep the rod bent. Sometimes they’ll turn so fast it’ll seem like you lost them, but keep reeling. Take your time, let them run, and enjoy the fight. Net or tail grab to end the fight, get a quick picture if you want but don’t keep them out of water long as they are not hearty fish. A face-first spike back into the water will get water moving through their gills quickly, and they’ll usually swim off well.
There are a hundred nuances to albie fishing, but as with all type of fishing the best thing to do is get out there, be observant, learn from others, and enjoy the process. All it will take is one albie and you’ll be hooked!
And that’s it! As promised, this month was all about albies! Hopefully we see a strong run of them this year than we did previously, but only time will tell!