Captain Mike Hogan sneaks away for a mid-day “hookie” fishing trip aboard a buddy’s Boston Whaler Guardian, chasing early September false albacore on Cape Cod.

In this episode, Capt. Mike breaks down the anatomy of a low-stress Albie trip. Instead of battling the chaos of the “fleet,” he highlights his preferred “Walk and Gun” approach — a calmer, more tactical way to target finicky fish. This method emphasizes patience, controlled boat positioning, and reading the water to find your own schools rather than chasing crowded feeds.

Capt. Mike demonstrates how to tactically approach breaking fish, when and where to present a cast, and how lure choice and retrieve style can make the difference in converting follows into hook-ups. Special attention is given to the Hogy Epoxy Jig, a proven tool for imitating the tiny bait often found in early fall, and how to maximize its effectiveness with the right retrieve speed and cadence.

Along the way, he shares insights on rigging and knots, strategies for working small bait scenarios, and practical tips for anglers looking to improve their Albie game while keeping the experience enjoyable and productive.

Walk & Gun Approach

The slow approach is the ideal way to target albies and is usually associated with good fishing where there are numerous schools and plenty for everyone.

1. Keep it slow and easy: No need for hard running. Idling up to a school at 10 knots or less is ideal. There is no need to hurry in this situation as there are plenty of scattered feeds and they are popping up and down. If you go slow and happy, you might not even get to the school before seeing fish. The main goal is to be slow and deliberate to keep from spooking fish as you close in on the distance.
2. Approach slowly: When a nearby school pops up. This is a great approach when there are a number of fish breaking in a wide area.