The hype has already started. Just about every fishing report I have read today says "bonito and albies" are being caught as if these are the same fish. They are not and a number of uninformed fishermen out there simply do not know the difference between the two species. They use the names albies and bonito interchangeably as if they are the same fish.
Here's the REAL report from a guy who is out fishing seven days of the week. I have not seen a bonito landed from shore yet in RI. I know of no one who has caught one from a boat, though some reliable reports and photos are surfacing. So, we can assume a few have been taken. Note that I have not even seen any breaking on the surface in my travels in the past week. No one else that I know has seen any. So, chances of getting one from shore right now are nil. From a boat, your chances are bit better though slim.
As far as albies, a different hardtail species, there are none right now in RI. I don't know of a boater or a shore fisherman who has seen any or caught any. It's simply too early here in RI. I like September 10th (give or take a few days) as the start of it if it happens here in RI.
Everyone assumes we will see good numbers of albies every year. I don't know what basis they have to predict this as these fish are highly unpredictable. These are pelagic fish that spend most of their lives way offshore in the depths of the ocean. They might come to shore to feed briefly in the fall, mostly from early September to mid October. But, there are years in which none have appeared. Over the last 50 years, my logbooks will show that about a third of those years saw big numbers, a third of those years had none and a third of those years produced a few. I have no idea what will happen this year.
