Mid-August, somebody sees the first albie at the mouth of Buzzards Bay and every phone on the dock starts buzzing. By September it's Peak Albies: the whole system firing, Derby boats everywhere, fish up on anchovies one minute and gone the next. In October it shrinks down to the holes at Cuttyhunk, Quicks and Robinsons, and the first hard cold front shuts it off. The same fall run lights up the Rhode Island beaches, Montauk and the Jersey Shore.
Call it eight good weeks. The Albie Junkie spends the other 44 getting ready. This lineup is what I'd put under the tree for one.
A light tackle caster who chases false albacore, a small, fast tuna, with long casts and small lures. They run the Cape and Islands from mid-August into October. Trips are early mornings on a small boat or a beach, waiting on fish that pop up, eat for a minute and vanish. They care about matching tiny bait and being in the right spot when the fish come up.
If he checks the wind before his coffee every September and has an opinion on epoxy colors, this is him.
The full set is $80.70 MSRP. One of each covers the whole season, from the first scouts to the October hold.
Already has some? Buy them anyway. Albies break lures off all season, and a junkie never has enough EPOs.
Giving the full set? Print the guide and tuck it in the box.
THE LINEUP
1 Epoxy Jig “The Every Day”
WHEN Peak Albies is an anchovy and silverside game, and the EPO's hovering fall stays in the zone longer than any jig I own.
FISH IT Skip it fast on top, swim it mid-column, or count it down. Let the fall do the work. The 7/8 is the workhorse size: enough weight to reach, and it still hovers.
WHY THEY'LL LOVE IT The original EPO. It's properly keeled, so it swims instead of spinning, and it's the first lure out of my bag. Every junkie has an EPO color opinion. This gives them one more.
“If I had one lure to use anywhere and survive on fish, it'd be a Hogy epoxy.” Stanley M.
Add to cart | MSRP $14.95See details ›
2 Surface Eraser Classic “The Shape-Shifter”
WHEN Fish blow up on poppers and won't commit, or the blitz sinks right as you get there. It glides just under the surface where they're still looking.
FISH IT Walk it on top, twitch it subsurface, or dead drift it through a rip. Same plug, no retie.
WHY THEY'LL LOVE IT Topwater, subsurface and drift in one plug, so they stop retying and keep casting. It's the plug that sold out in 18 hours.
“By far my go to albie lure. Casts like a jig, can work it like a soft plastic.” Paul S.
Add to cart | MSRP $15.95See details ›
3 Heavy Minnow “The Wind Beater”
WHEN Windy September days when the feeds are small and just out of range. Tiny profile, serious weight.
FISH IT Fast. Burn it or reel-reel-pause. This jig wants speed.
WHY THEY'LL LOVE IT They reach the fish the guy next to them can't. I once hammered fish on one off Oak Bluffs and didn't say a word until my buddy walked over to look.
“Cuts through wind and goes a mile.” Sam G.
Add to cart | MSRP $11.95See details ›
4 Peanut Jig “The Fixer”
WHEN Late August through the October hold, when peanut bunker show up. The flat body falls horizontal like a stunned one.
FISH IT Cast, point the rod at 45 degrees, reel slow. It does the rest.
WHY THEY'LL LOVE IT The fix for slow days, when fish are suspended and nothing fast is working.
“...caught a nice Albie then caught another.” Robert P.
Add to cart | MSRP $10.95See details ›
5 Peanut Sand Eel Jig “The Glide Stick”
WHEN September and October fish get on sand eels. Long and thin, it matches them and cuts through the wind.
FISH IT Reel-reel-pause to dart and glide, or a steady glide through mid-column. Keep it moving.
WHY THEY'LL LOVE IT The long body works as a built-in leader when bluefish crash the party. Olive is the color I start with when they are on sand eels.
“All the epoxies from Hogy do the job when it comes to finding Bones and Albies.” Dean W.
Add to cart | MSRP $9.95See details ›
6 Micro Chug Popper “The Sniper”
WHEN Fish locked on micro bait on the surface. The pop calls them in from a distance.
FISH IT One clean chug, pause 2 to 5 seconds, let the flag flutter. The pause is when they eat.
WHY THEY'LL LOVE IT Topwater albie strikes. That's the whole pitch.
“These move like you want and make a ruckus for being on the smaller side.” Douglas H.
Add to cart | MSRP $16.95See details ›WHICH ONE, WHEN
| WHEN YOU SEE THIS | TIE ON |
|---|---|
| Calm water, anchovies or silversides, classic surface feeds | 1 Epoxy Jig |
| Fish blowing up but won't commit, or the blitz just sank | 2 Surface Eraser |
| Wind up, feeds out of range | 3 Heavy Minnow |
| Peanut bunker around, or the bite goes slow | 4 Peanut Jig |
| Sand eels, or bluefish in the mix | 5 Peanut Sand Eel Jig |
| Micro bait on top and you need to call them in | 6 Micro Chug Popper |
7-foot medium spinning rod. 12 lb fluorocarbon leader, 15 lb for the 2 oz jig or when blues show up. Single inline hooks where you can: faster unhook, cleaner release.
Keep the fish in the water. Want a photo? Phone ready first, two hands, one shot, straight back.
New to albies? Start with Albie Fishing 101, then Top Tips for Fooling Finicky Albies on Salty Cape. More from me on Hogy: my guide to early season albie recons and walk and gun peanut jig casting for albies. Fishing from the beach? Read Best Shore Lures for Albies.
QUESTIONS ANGLERS ASK
What are the best lures for false albacore?
Small lures that match tiny bait and cast a long way. The 7/8 oz Epoxy Jig is the first lure out of my bag for anchovy and silverside feeds. Then the Surface Eraser for fish that won't commit, the 2 oz Heavy Minnow on windy days, the Peanut Jig and Peanut Sand Eel Jig for peanuts and sand eels, and the Micro Chug Popper for micro bait on top.
When is albie season on Cape Cod and the Islands?
Mid-August into October. The first albies show at the mouth of Buzzards Bay in mid-August. September is Peak Albies: the whole system firing, fish up on anchovies one minute and gone the next. In October it shrinks to the holes at Cuttyhunk, Quicks and Robinsons, and the first hard cold front shuts it off. The same fall run reaches Rhode Island, Montauk and the Jersey Shore.
What leader should I use for false albacore?
12 lb fluorocarbon for most of it, on a 7-foot medium spinning rod. I step up to 15 lb for the 2 oz Heavy Minnow or when bluefish show up. Use single inline hooks where you can, like the one on the Epoxy Jig: faster unhook, cleaner release. Keep the fish in the water, and if you want a photo, phone ready first, two hands, one shot, straight back.
