Record Details
Albacore oceanography off Oregon : 1970
ScholarsArchive at Oregon State University
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | Albacore oceanography off Oregon : 1970 |
| Names |
Pearcy, William G.
(creator) |
| Date Issued | 1973 (iso8601) |
| Abstract | During July 1970, albacore boats trolling surface jigs (jig boats) had record catches in an area off the mouth of the Columbia River. The jig fishery declined suddenly in late July and was poor throughout the remainder of the summer. No obvious oceanographic changes were correlated with these drastic changes in fishing success. Favorable water temperatures extended through August, traditionally the month of highest albacore landings in Oregon. Bait boats, which chum with live bait, had good fishing off Oregon from mid-August to October, indicating that the poor success of jig boats during this time was caused by the behavior of albacore relative to surface-trolled fishing gear. It is postulated that albacore descended into subsurface water in response to a change in availability of their preferred prey, the saury; here they were less accessible to jig boats than bait boats. Saury were common in the stomachs of albacore during periods of good jig fishing and were usually the dominant food where high albacore catches were made by our research vessel. The first albacore catches of the season were probably from an area of warm temperature and low salinity representing Columbia River plume water. The subsequent migration to the north appeared to be along the oceanic edge of the plume. In general, high catches by boats were not within the core of the plume but in 15.5°C water, especially in areas where a horizontal thermal gradient was apparent. |
| Genre | Article |
| Topic | Albacore |
| Identifier | Pearcy, W. G. (1973). Albacore oceanography off Oregon - 1970. Fishery bulletin, 71(2), 489-504. |
