The Albacore is the easiest way to learn trolling at Kaiji No Ri. It runs on the exact same rig I use for Striped Marlin, it bites readily in the same open water, and it does not demand the patience the big billfish and tuna do. It will not make you rich, my Trophy paid 12,568 coins, but it is a genuinely good fish to cut your teeth on, and a nice bonus while you work the same water for bigger targets. I landed mine at 33.920 kg and 137.5 cm. This guide covers the spot, why the squid gear suits this fish so well, and honest expectations.
What to Expect from the Albacore
Straight talk on the money first. My Trophy paid 12,568 coins and 5,108 XP. That is a fraction of what the Striped Marlin and Yellowfin Tuna return from the same water, so the Albacore is not the fish you troll for a big payday. It tops out at around 60 kg, well short of the tuna and marlin, so even a Unique will not pay like they do.
So why bother? Two reasons. First, it is the ideal fish to learn trolling on, because it bites more readily than the big pelagics and gives you a manageable fight to practise on. Second, it costs you nothing extra to add. Since it takes the same rig and lure as the marlin, you will hook albacore anyway while you are out working that water, and every one is coins and XP you were not going to turn down. Think of it as the reliable bycatch of a marlin trip rather than a target in its own right.
It sits in my Kaiji No Ri cluster with my Striped Marlin, Yellowfin Tuna, Giant Trevally, and Giant Grouper guides.
About the Albacore
The Albacore is a schooling pelagic fish of the tuna genus, easy to recognise by its unusually long pectoral fins. It reaches up to about 60 kg and ranges through temperate and tropical seas, sometimes in the surface layer and sometimes as deep as 600 metres. Like other tuna it flocks with fish its own size and stays in constant motion, feeding day and night. In real life its meat is prized as the best of all the tunas.
One detail matters more than the rest for how you fish it: unlike other tuna, most of the Albacore’s diet is cephalopods, squid in particular. That single fact is the key to the whole approach below, because it tells you exactly what to put in the water.
Where to Catch Albacore at Kaiji No Ri
I launched from Green Harbor and marked this catch near coordinates -1, 3257, in the open water. That is the same broad trolling ground where I take Yellowfin Tuna and Striped Marlin, which is exactly the point. You do not go looking for albacore specially. You troll the open water off the harbour for the big pelagics, and the albacore turn up in the mix. If you are new to the map, this is the water to learn on, because something is almost always willing to hit a trolled lure out here.
Trolling logic applies as it does for the other pelagics: cover water rather than sit still. Drop a marker buoy as a reference, keep the boat moving, and work runs across the open water. The albacore schools and roams, so the more ground you cover, the more likely you are to cross a group.
Timing: It Feeds Day and Night
Timing is forgiving here, which is another reason the albacore is beginner friendly. I caught mine at 12:26, Midday, under clear sun at 21°C air and 23°C water with a light north westerly around 6.5 m/s. But the game notes the albacore feeds actively day and night, so you are not locked to a narrow window the way you are with some fish. Whenever you are trolling the open water, the albacore is a candidate.
The map activity chart still shows the usual generalised bite rate rising and falling across the day and night, so use it as a loose guide to when the water is busiest overall. But do not overthink it for this species. If you are out trolling, you are fishing for albacore. Reach whatever window you want with Forward Time, and steer clear of Next Day, which sells your storage.
The Rig: Identical to My Marlin Setup
There is nothing new to build here. This is exactly my Striped Marlin rig, with no changes at all:
- Rod: Kōdo Kage 155
- Reel: Jōnin 22000
- Main line: ZenLine Braid 0.52 mm
- Teaser: Squid Chain 20 cm, 5 pcs
- Lure: Trolling Octopus 85 g, #7/0
Because this is the same outfit I have already broken down in detail, I will not repeat the reasoning here. For why the X Heavy rod and the high-drag reel are chosen, see the rig sections of my Yellowfin Tuna and Striped Marlin guides. The relevant point for the albacore is simply that you do not need to change anything. If you are already rigged for marlin, you are rigged for albacore, which is why the two come together so naturally on one trip.
If anything, the albacore is the fish that most justifies this squid-imitating setup, and that is worth understanding rather than taking on faith.
Why the Squid Gear Suits This Fish
Remember that the albacore, unlike other tuna, eats mostly squid. Now look at what is on the rig: a Squid Chain teaser that imitates a small flock of squid, trailed by a Trolling Octopus lure shaped like a cephalopod with tentacles. The whole presentation is squid, from front to back, which is precisely what this fish is hunting. That is not a coincidence in how it fishes, it is the reason this setup works so well on albacore specifically.
The albacore also lists Plugs, Crankbaits, Minnows, Medium Spoon, and Popper among its preferred lures if you want to vary things, along with baitfish like Finger Mullets, Scaled Sardines, Japanese Flying Squid, Japanese Jack Mackerel, and Japanese Anchovy. But if you are already running the squid chain and octopus for marlin, you are showing the albacore exactly what it wants to eat, so there is rarely a reason to change.
Landing the Fish
An albacore fights like a small tuna, which means fast and scrappy but nothing like the marathon a marlin or a big yellowfin gives you. At around 34 kg mine came up to hand rather than needing the crane, so there is no drama in landing it. It still runs, so let the drag do its work and recover line on the pauses, but on tackle built for marlin you have plenty in reserve. This is the fish where you practise the trolling fight without much risk of losing it.
Common Mistakes
Targeting it for profit. The albacore is a small, accessible fish, not a coin earner. If you want payout from the same water, fish for marlin and tuna and take the albacore as a bonus.
Buying different tackle for it. You do not need any. The exact marlin rig catches albacore. Changing gear just to chase a smaller fish wastes your coins.
Sitting still. Like every pelagic here, the albacore roams and schools. Keep the boat moving and troll to find them.
Overthinking the timing. This fish feeds day and night. Do not waste a session waiting for a magic hour that does not exist for albacore. Fish when you are on the water.
Pressing Next Day. It sells your whole storage. Use Forward Time instead.