Table 2. --Trolling effort and albacore catches 



An unidentified school, which may have 

 been albacore, was observed at the surface by 

 the Smith (cruise 29) at 37°41'N. latitude, 

 154'54'W. longitude, well within the so-called 

 "albacore water" with which troll catches have 

 been associated (Shomura and Otsu 1956). 



No deep-swimming albacore were taken 

 on either of the spring POFI longline cruises 

 (fig. 1). During May-June, 1955, 3 albacore 

 were captured by the N. B. Scofield (Anonymous 

 1955) of the California Department of Fish and 

 Game on longline gear at 28°N. and 29 °N. lati- 

 tude, 135°W. longitude, approximately 2 10 miles 

 east of where the Smith took a single surface- 



swimming albacore by trolling. The Scofield 

 surveyed the area roughly from the easternmost 

 leg of the Smith 's cruise 29 to the Pacific coast, 

 i.e., from 26'N. to 36''N. latitude and 135°W. 

 to 177°W. longitude. 



During the late summer, albacore are 

 caught commercially along the coast from San 

 Francisco (38 °N. latitude) to the central portion 

 (27 °N. latitude) of Baja California, and as far 

 offshore as 125°W. longitude (Clemens 1955), 

 The results of the Manning's survey (cruise 26) 

 in the late summer of 1955 appeared to extend 

 this productive ground (see outlined area, fig. 2) 

 to the n or t h w e s t into an area not presently 



Figure 2. --Summer cruises of the J ohn R. Manning (cruise 26), July 15-September 10, 1955, and 

 the Hugh M. Smith (cruise 30), July 15-August 28, 1955. The track of each cruise is shown together 

 with surface temperature (*F.) and the distribution of water of relatively low transparency, in rela- 

 tion to surface and subsurface albacore catches. The general area of the California albacore fishery 

 for the months of July and August 1951-53 combined is outlined (Clemens 1955). 



