Craig, William L.

English

Aquatic Commons

State of California 
The Resources Agency 
Department of Fish and Game 
Marine Resources Operations 
California State Fisheries Laboratory 
Terminal Island, California 
Cruise Report 66S4 - Albacore 
Prepared by William L. Craig 
Vessel: N. B. SCOFIELD 
Dates: Departed from San Pedro May 25; returned June 23, 1966 
Locality: Up to 1,000 miles offshore between the latitudes of Guadalupe
Island and San Francisco. 
Purpose: 1. To intercept the incoming albacore schools and determine 
their coastward migration route. 
2. To gather environmental data, both physical and biological,
that might be related to albacore occurrence. 
Results: 1. (a) Most of the 3,200 mile track was covered during 
daylight while fishing with assorted jigs on 7 
tro11 i ng 1i nes . 
(b) The first albacore (13 and 14 pounders) were caught 
June 10, 75 and 90 miles sOHthwest of Erben Bank 
(lat. 320 51 1. N., long. 132 32 1 W.). None were 
caught wh~le the vessel cruised southwesterly to 
long. 135 W.; however, 45 albacore (5 to 14 pound-
ers) were taken (and an equal number lost) after we 
turned and headed eastward (Figure 1). This area 
(170 miles south to 150 miles south-southeast of 
Erben Bank) produced the highest catch rate and best 
signs of fish concentrations. 
(c) Dart tags were used to mark 24 troll-caught fish which 
were released in good condition. 
(d) Sea surface tempsratures ~here fishowere cau8ht 
ranged from 17.6 to 18.5 6. (63.7 to 65.3 F.);
salinity from 33.8 to 34.3 /00. 
2. (a) Nine-hundred-foot bathythermograph casts were made 
at 134 stations. Most stations were 40 miles apart, 
but casts were made every 20 miles when there were 
sharp surface temperature and salinity changes, and 
where fish were located. In addition, BT stations 
were occupied every 10 miles while making crisscross 
patterns around Jasper Seamount, Fieberling Guyot-
Erben and Showboat Banks. All bathythermograph slides 
were read, coded and transmitted to the Navy's Fleet 
Weather Facility, Monterey, via Government radio 
station WWD. 
(b) A Hytech model 6600 salinograph provided continuous 
monitoring of sea salinity at keel-depth. Two water 
samples from 10-meter Nansen bottle casts were 
! 
- I 
Cruise Report 66S4 
- 2 - f 
r 
obtained at 40-mile intervals. One sample was retained 
for analysis ashore; the other sample, toget~er with 
samples drawn periodically from the salinograph 
reservoir, was analyzed aboard ship with a laboratory 
salinometer borrowed from the Hytech Corporation. 
(c) Sea temperatures were monitored frequently by a thermo-
meter placed in the salinograph reservoir; by bucket 
thermometer at 8T stations, and by 10-meter reversing 
thermometer at Nansen bottle stations. In addition, 
temperatures at keel-depth were recorded continuously 
by a Taylor thermograph. 
(d) An EDO-185 echo sounder was used at BT stations, and 
to locate and sound the seamounts. A Simrad 510-6 
was operated over the shallower portions of the sea-
mounts and in the best albacore fishing area. Marks 
on the tape revealed that the fish were relatively
abundant at 15 to 20 fathoms. The Simrad was operated
while cruising between San Nicolas, San Clemente and 
Santa Catalina Islands to check for the occurrence of 
anchovies. Many small anchovy schools were recorded 
on Simrad tapes between San Nicolas and San Clemente 
Islands. 
(e) A night-light station was occupied on 13 of 18 evenings 
the vessel drifted on sea anchor. Small numbers of 
Pacific saury and jack mackerel (adults) were present 
at nearly every station. Three myctophids, one Panama 
light fish, several squid, and other invertebrates were 
dipped under the light. 
(f)  The log of miscellaneous observations reveals that 
pelagic barnacles (~ep;s sp.) and Velella were seen 
most often. Very lltt e flotsam was observed; 
mostly small timber. Only three, small longline 
floats were retrieved. 
(g) Standard marine weather observations were made every 
6 hours, but only one coded summary each day was for-
warded to the U.S. Weather Bureau, San Francisco, 
because of continual communications difficulties. 
Personnel: Richard B. Mitchell, CFG, Vessel Captain
William L. Craig, CFG, Bio10gist-in-Charge
David Justic, U.S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries 
Kenneth A. Hashagen, Jr., CFG 
9-29-66/125
MRO-TI-jg 
N.B. SCOFIELD 
Cruise 66S4-Albacore-5-25/6-23 
Francisco 
00 - Albacore Catch 
'uadalupe 
lsI. 


Cruise Report 66S4 - Albacore

http://aquaticcommons.org/2369/1/CR_66-S-4.pdf

Cruise Report 66S4 - Albacore

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