A far better forecast for this weekend augurs well for the annual Bacardi tournament. Several days of inclement weather and a forecast for worse and more of it, was enough to convince organisers to practice some discretion and to postpone the event.

This was undoubtedly a source of disappointment for many of the approximately 50 boat crews entered but although the really bad weather forecast never developed, there were probably not too many who really wanted to brave the miserable conditions.

Possible more important than the conditions on the day itself, the recent weather and sea conditions are more conducive to good fishing.

The tides around the Banks are starting to settle and that will make for optimal chumming conditions; a marked improvement on the haphazard situation of the prior few weeks.

For whatever reason, the tuna are more susceptible to chum slicks when the current flows are more predictable and reliable.

This usually occurs by about mid-June and is one of the reasons why chumming for yellowfin and blackfin tuna along with other species during the 1950s and 1960s gave Bermuda its reputation as a light tackle capital of the world.

Although there won’t be too much light tackle in evidence this weekend, the yellowfin are expected to figure prominently among the tournament winners.

With the emphasis on the largest of each species in the various categories, the yellowfin is the tuna species that achieves the size necessary to win on a regular basis. In spite of its prowess as a game fish, the blackfin simply does not grow much beyond 40 pounds and, even that, is a huge one!

The commonly caught school-sized yellowfins are mostly in the 20-30 pound range but some considerably larger specimens have been caught recently and, while the winners are likely to be in the 60 to 70 pound range, something in the 100-pound bracket cannot be discounted.

There are still some wahoo around although the trolling action has eased off much as expected. Wahoo tend to be on the move early in the season and toward the autumn.

At present they are easing up as the warming water and settling conditions see a reduction in their level of activity. The summer months seem to be dominated by small school fish in the 12 — 25 pound range and this class of fish is not likely to furnish any tournament winners.

At the moment, there are some wahoo as large as 70 pounds around and these have pleased on occasion. Although they can be caught on regular trolling rigs, the preference could be to use a live bait whether fished on a slow troll or from a stationary boat. If the bait is desirable, a big ‘hoo will come to find you.

Finally, do not forget about the “Other” class. There is a nice crop of amberjack and bonita waiting to be exploited. Often found on top of the Banks, live robins are the way to go but they have no hesitation in inhaling a live mackerel either.

If the robins prove elusive, good, old-fashioned bottom fishing with cut bait or squid has also caught its fair share of these battlers. Those who need a work out can try using jigging lures — ambers will take them; but, wow! they are a lot of work in 25 or 30 fathoms!

Another noteworthy tournament with similar targets slated for next week is the Bermuda Anglers Club International Light Tackle Tournament. This highly respected tournament has made a few changes this year that will help to focus on its light tackle tradition.

Further restrictions on the tackle that may be used and a reduction in the fishing days will make this already competitive event even more so.

Another change that has encouraged some to enter is the fact that the rules no longer require the use of charter boats so that the angling teams have the option of making their own arrangements. The recent full moon has probably seen the billfish in the area liven up but the lack of effort has kept the fleet from capitalising on this.

The weather had a lot to do with this as will the requirement that the visiting sport fishing boats must vacate their berths at the yacht and dinghy clubs to accommodate the Newport Bermuda race boats.

Having to make such arrangements definitely deters the fishing. For this reason, many of the visiting gladiators arrive towards the end of the month just in advance of the first tournament, the Billfish Blast which starts on July 3.

Having said this, the marlin have not been totally silent. Capt Kevin Winter’s Playmate caught a white earlier this week and at least one commercial boat reported pulling the hook on another white.

One has to think that a white marlin is just about the last thing that a commercial boat wants to waste time on. Although marlin meat is excellent bait for chumming with, there isn’t much of anything on a white marlin so the usual solution is to release the fish. Even a small to medium-sized blue at least offers the possibility of a season’s supply of bait.

There are already some big blue marlin on the offshore grounds and with the June and July moons thought to be the spawning period, there should be some really large fish arriving everyday.

Hence the reason the big billfish tournaments are all scheduled during the month of July. If you don’t want your hands full of trouble, refrain from dragging tempting lures across the deep water and troll close to the drop-off.

If you can’t make it to Vegas just yet and still want a high stakes gamble, remember that the Blue Marlin World Cup is coming up on July 4.

The entry fee is a cool three grand but with Bermuda’s record for getting results in this one winner, take all event, there could be a few hundred thousand reasons for wanting those especially. Tight lines!!!