If you're going to the beach, keep an eye out in the surf, or you may find albacore nibbling at your toes. Yesterday, July 11, numerous boats reported contacting longfin at close quarters. Bruce Smith, who skippers the Shogun when owner Norm Kagawa isn't at the wheel, reported to 976 TUNA. He said that vicious albacore were biting 100-pound line "?Ķinside the Coronados Islands." The Shogun is on a lengthy scientific collection and tagging expedition. No doubt they tagged a good number of albies during that bite, and we may get some useful information back later. It seems unlikely that they'll try to keep albacore alive for such a period, as those fish have a poor record of survival in captivity.

"They can live in the slammer okay," skipper Kagawa told me, "but they don't eat

Fishing on a 5 to 5 trip yesterday, the Oceanside 95 reported catching 34 albacore, said a spokesman for Helgren's Sportfishing.

Mike Gauger at Seaforth reported that the Cortez found limits of albacore at 30 miles. They also had four bluefin, for 20 anglers. The San Diego will leave tomorrow morning at 5:30 to fish for albacore before returning at five p.m.

According to H&M Landing spokesman Ollie Patrick, yesterday was a good day for a couple of one-day boats fishing at 40 or 50 miles. The Producer caught 14 bluefin tuna to 60 pounds, and 75 albacore. The International Star had 3 bluefin to 68 pounds, and limits albacore.