PENINSULA – If you have been waiting to go albacore fishing, now is the time to do it.

Charlie Tuna and his friends have ventured into the friendly confines of the waters off our Washington coastline ranging anywhere from 20 to 40 miles. This puts them well within the range of our faster and long-range charter fleet.

The charter boats making these runs must carry special survival and radio equipment and skippers and boats alike are licensed for over 20 miles offshore. Pacific Salmon Charters (642-3466) and Sea Breeze Charters (642-2300) both offer trips at $200 per person. The boats generally leave at 3 a.m. and return before dark. There is no limit on albacore tuna and you do not need a license.

Albacore in this area range from 8 to 20 pounds – on many occasions larger fish are encountered. They can probably live to 10 years, maturing around 5.

Albacore meat is not your average tuna fish – albacore has a mild flavor and is labeled as “white.”

Also, albacore cannot be filleted like other fish because of its unusual bone structure and the soft consistency of its meat; this means that fresh or frozen albacore is available only as loins/steaks.

It is known that young tunas grow quickly and remain near the surface of the ocean for the first three to four years. These are the fish normally targeted by sport fishing boats, the older fish swim at deeper depths and are more of a commercial fishery with long line. Tuna are very sensitive to water temperature. So, if your favorite is albacore, now is the time.

Buoy 10 Salmon Opener  The Buoy 10 Salmon Opener in the Columbia River was, as many had expected, a non-event. There was certainly fish in the river, as we have seen for the past several weeks but certainly not in the quantity of the expected Chinook run. The tides were almost as non-existent as the catch and the fish that are in the river have so much bait to feed on that it fills the screen.

The ocean salmon catch for Chinook is nearing 70 percent of quota and Coho 30 percent of quota. We probably have a couple weeks before the ocean is closed.

Generous limits are being taken with Chinook the rule rather than the exception – some really healthy fish with many wild Coho and short Chinook to chew up your bait.

Be sure to read our feature article about fighting Oregon for fishing rights.