It’s hot and with it the ocean has also heated up, right up to the point where the marlin like it. Definitely species that favour tropical temperatures, it is not until mid-June or July that the billfishing really turns on here and, just lately, it has done exactly that.

This year’s Bermuda Triple Crown got off to an exciting start as most of the fleet also competed in the Blue Marlin World Cup.

The search for a really big fish proved fruitless however, as the appointed fishing times came and left Bermuda without an eligible entry. This despite there being ten blue marlin and nine white marlin caught for points in the Bermuda Billfish Blast, the first leg of the Triple Crown.

Meanwhile, the Western Pacific and Eastern Atlantic had failed to come up with a qualifying fish for the World Cup and things in Bermuda were no better. The United States East Coast was largely blown out thanks to the attentions of Arthur, the season’s first hurricane.

This left it to the Hawaiian Islands, another noted blue marlin hotspot, to come up with a winner and, left late as it was, there was no doubt about it when Miami, Florida-based angler Stephanie Choate came good with a 656-pounder from off the coast of Kona. This year’s title makes Kona, Hawaii the world’s top spot with nine winners, one ahead of Bermuda.

With the July 4 past, the competition continued with 268 anglers aboard 49 boats taking part in the Billfish Blast raking the deep water for fish that would score points. And it seems that they did a good job of that as well.

The final tally was 69 billfish: 34 blue marlin, 33 white marlin and two spearfish.

The latter are unlikely captures at the best of times and are never sought after specifically here. There are a few locations in the world that see more than most places and that is where some anglers head to round out the achievement of catching a grand slam or even managing to capture all the billfish species.

The winning boat in the Blast was captain Bull Tulson’s Sea Toy that staged a come-from-behind win by catching and releasing two blue marlin and two white marlin for a total of 1,400 points.

A blue and a white were caught early on Day Two, securing 700 points but leaving them in third place behind two boats boasting two blue marlin releases apiece. Then a white marlin on the morning of the third day along with another blue release in the early afternoon secured top spot for Sea Toy.

Local boat, captain Ricky Sousa’s Overbudget was second and captain George McElveen’s Swagger third, based on time, as each had scored 1,200 points.

Leg Two of the Triple Crown is continuing today with 48 boats jockeying for first place in the Bermuda Big Game Classic Tournament. The three-day event, now into its final stages, is the premier feature of the Bermuda billfishing season and was the first to garner international attention.

At its midpoint the leading boat was captain Travis Butter’s Que Mas with 900 points, hotly pursued by El Cazador, Artemis and Paradise One, all on 700 points. This is making for what promises to be an exciting finish because in marlin fishing a lot can happen in a very short time.

Unlike the earlier billfish tournament this month, the Classic also has an award for a game fish other than billfish.

The early leader in this category was captain Allan Bean’s Paradise One with a 34-pound wahoo. So, with a day still to fish, there are plenty of possibilities and just about any one of the competitors could still make it into the winner’s circle.

Moving away from the glamour world, a species that is getting the attention of commercial fishermen is the triggerfish. There is plenty of this for sale at the present time, mostly in the form of fillet.

While the actual fish on offer may involve more than one species, they are all notoriously hard to clean, but are usually very keen to take most any baited hook. They can be found in the channel waters, over the deeper reefs and out on the Edge and Banks.

Triggerfish, inanely called turbot locally, often show up while chumming for other species. For some reason, they are more abundant than usual and while not a game fish by any matter of means, they certainly have food value. They can also get a lot bigger than most people think, topping out at twelve pounds or more. Unfortunately, given their tough skin and compressed body shape, there is a lot of weight lost when cleaning them, so it usually takes several to add up to enough fish for a family-sized serving.

Traditional anglers and some commercial operators are still directing their effort toward the usual summer species. Wahoo are not as active as they were and most of the fish encountered are smaller but they are nonetheless, welcome.

The calmer conditions are ideal for chumming and although the most sought after species, the yellowfin tuna, are in rather short supply, there is a plethora of small game in the form of rainbow runners, jacks, mackerel and barracuda. The latter will be more obvious as the summer progresses but, in spite of its detractors, it does offer some sport, especially on light spinning tackle.

This weekend is a landmark one for the Blue Waters Anglers Club as they celebrate their 50th tournament against the Boston Sea and Surf Club.

While it is unlikely that either team will be going in search of billfish, anything that has gone on that long deserves congratulations. Let’s hope that their efforts are rewarded with plentiful Tight lines!!!