Put all thought of winter behind you. It is May and that means that fishing season is here whether you are ready for it or not.

Not surprisingly, the commercial fleet was ready to take advantage of whatever might happen and so this week, despite some blustery conditions, a burst of wahoo activity had a number of boats working Bermuda’s Edge, primarily to the south and southwest where the Island provided some sheltering effect from the predominantly northwesterly breeze.

It is not as if commercial fishermen enjoy bouncing about the briny but when there are pickings to be had, it is a must. For most boats it was a worthwhile exercise with double figures being common. Most of the fish are what one would normally expect: fish in the 20lb-25lb bracket with the odd larger one being a bonus. Still a dozen of those schoolies makes for a decent day’s effort and justifies both the fuel and the discomfort. It will be interesting to see what this weekend brings as the amateurs start to gear up with the weather forecast anything but encouraging.

As it appears, it is the time of year to go trolling. It is still too early to expect concentration of tuna around the Banks and while there are, no doubt, some yellowfin cruising the blue water, these are still more susceptible to carefully presented troll baits than they are to bait randomly tossed overboard.

With the wahoo the primary target species, the same techniques are plenty good enough for foraging tuna and any dolphin that there may be out there. Something else worth bearing in mind is that pelagic predators often form mixed groups as they hunt for food. Thus it is not a surprise to have a multiple strike comprised of wahoo accompanied by a dolphin or even a tuna.

Because the fish are most likely moving in schools or groups, be prepared for doubles and even multiple strikes. A mistake often made by novices is to slow down the boat immediately after a strike. The trick is to give it a few seconds; this continued forward motion often results in additional strikes. The rationale here is that if the baits stop moving suddenly, the other predators lose interest but if the other baits continue moving after one is attacked then that is more like what happens when a group of predators goes after a school of bait. Then the logic is what is good for one is probably good for the others; sort of a “mob” effect and one that can be played to the angler’s advantage.

Don’t be surprised what a double or multiple strike might bring. White marlin frequently run with wahoo as do dolphin. All three species seem to like the same types of baits with the dolphin and white marlin showing a tendency to go after brightly coloured lures or feathers. For this reason it usually pays to have at least one hot pink or other bright colour in your spread. That’s the essence of trolling; you never know quite what is going to bite.

In case it escaped notice, the official gazette recently brought into law the closure of the seasonally protected area off the East End in the vicinity of the oil docks that has been a preferred ground for catching large numbers of large or “bull” grunts. The proper name for this species is the blue-striped grunt but it has been often referred to by a variety of names including “yellow grunt” because of the dominance of the golden yellow colouration on the body.

They get the moniker “grunt” because they do grunt both in and out of the water. They achieve a maximum length of little more than a foot and weigh something in the neighbourhood of a pound. While never a game fish by any stretch of the imagination, these fish were important to the fillet market and quite a few older people used them as a tasty whole fish. Although they are true grunts, that group of fish is not too far from the snappers, which in their turn are highly valued as a food fish. In any event, until the end of next month stay out of that area.

Shore-bound anglers should start to look for small schools of grey snapper starting to aggregate on the shady side of docks or under boats that are seldom moved. These fish are arriving form the reef areas where they winter and although they are still difficult to catch they are a little less wary than they will be in a few weeks’ time. Bright moonlight and fresh fry are definite advantages but there is little substitute for good, old-fashioned patience. If using a light hand line be careful, they work well but, when least expected, burned fingers can result from sudden Tight Lines!