They're in! Fast schools of false albacore blitz the coast, supercharge fishing

It's late August, and like clockwork the false albacore are in.

It would be hard to pinpoint their exact arrival but on Wednesday, like the flick of a switch, albie reports starting coming in from boat captains. It's probably a combination of the change in wind direction and the late summer build up of bait that has the speedsters darting over the inshore lumps and coming into the nearshore water. It's making for some electric fishing.

Greg Cudnik at Fisherman's Headquarters in Ship Bottom was on his way to drift a couple of small wrecks off the north end of Island Beach State Park for fluke when a small school of albies popped up in front of his boat. On board with him was Carey Harmon, Ian Harmon and James DeMatteis. They followed the fish to the north, jigging the schools, and when the quick flurry died down they had boated eight fish. Cudnik said the albies came in as shallow as 25 to 30 feet of water.

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Capt. Howard Bogan on the Jamaica party fishing boat had shots of false albacore between 6 and 12 miles from Manasquan Inlet. The biggest one landed was 8 pounds. His fare also reeled in a bunch of bluefish and bonito. Bogan said his high hooks had 30 fish. The fish were caught on bait and jigs, but small metals were certainly drew the most attention from the fish. Bogan said most everyone tied up with Epxoy jigs or AVA jigs size 017 and 027.

The albies had not yet come with casting reach of surf and jetty hoppers, but the bonito and blues have. Both fish are coming in on the tides for the bait schools schooling at the mouth of the inlets. Grumpy's Bait and Tackle reported a bonito catch of the off the north jetty of Manasquan Inlet on Thursday morning.

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Before he left, Cudnik said they stayed in Barnegat Inlet for a couple of hours jigging tons of 4 to 8 pound bluefish. Cudnik said some bigger bluefish have moved in because before Wednesday he had been catching the smaller, cocktail size variety. Cudnik said the bay and inlet were loaded with peanut bunker, spearing and rainfish, or anchovies as they're also called.

Capt. Dave DeGennaro on the Hi Flier charter boat is catching weakfish in Barnegat Bay. He took a party of anglers out and chummed with grass shrimp to get the weakfish in the slick. He said they used light, 6-pound tackle and had a lot of bites. Three of the weakfish they reeled in were legal size limit of 13 inches. They also dropped another one by the boat that would be have been a keeper.

The fishing was pretty non-stop as his party also caught fluke, snapper blues, perch, spot and sand sharks as the bay fishery is peaking.

When Jersey Shore native Dan Radel is not reporting the news, you can find him in a college classroom where he is a history professor. Reach him @danielradelapp; 732-643-4072; dradel@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: They're in! Fast schools of false albacore blitz the coast, supercharge fishing