Summer rapidly progresses and with the official rites behind us, the first of the season’s major angling events is upon us.

The ever-popular Bacardi angling tournament is planned for tomorrow and there will be lots of people keeping an eye on the weather conditions.

To fish or not to fish? This is always an angst-ridden decision.

The difference between conditions that make for a pleasant day on the water for all boats, and one that discourages smaller craft, is very fine indeed. There is often plenty of criticism from participants in the larger craft, or those who have chartered boats, but the idea of spending a day bouncing around on a 22-footer is less than appealing to the smaller boat entrants.

Still, that is a problem for the organisers and everyone awaits the outcome of their deliberations.

Now, the name of the angler’s game is find the big one. With sharks and billfish completely out of the equation, the real big fellows can be left aside. That leaves the three categories: wahoo, tuna and “other” to be contested. With line classes completely out of the picture, the tournament becomes a test of strategy.

The first of these is the “where”.

Many prefer the Banks simply because the location offers shots at just about all the species that the blue water angler might hope to encounter, both surface feeders and predators that lurk down deep. Although Bermuda’s Edge has produced plenty of trophy-sized fish over the years, there is also something of an issue relating to the seasonally protected areas. On the other hand, they are closer to home and that is easier on the fuel bill and will afford, for most boats, a quick run to the weigh station.

If choosing to work the Edge, don’t sell “down north” or the East End short. They have all had their moments, although the yellowfin tuna don’t seem to set up there until later in the season.

The second question is whether to troll and cover a great deal of water, or to select a spot and throw a load of chum into the water, hoping that it is well invested. Again this may be decided by sea or tide conditions; or it may be the species that one elects to pursue.

Of these the wahoo looks to be the simplest proposition. Trolling is the preferred method and there are still enough out there to justify the effort. It is just a matter of finding the biggest one you can. In this respect, the boat class doesn’t a matter a whole lot since even a little boat can catch a respectable ‘hoo. There is no real advantage to a larger boat or a disadvantage for a smaller craft.

It is finding a big wahoo that is problematic. At this time of the year, most of the fish are school-sized and although larger specimens will take trolls, it might be worth chumming and waiting for a biggie to take up residence near the slick. This can then be baited and perhaps conned into taking a short wire leader. If things really go right then a live robin or mackerel may be used to entice a large predator. The rationale here is that if the chumming is done correctly, then it should also attract tuna and so cover that base as well.

While it is by no means impossible to catch a sizeable yellowfin while trolling, the usual technique is to find a concentration of largish fish and then to chum them up. In tournaments where light tackle is favoured this is the preferred modus operandi, but that isn’t an issue here. Just getting some fish in the 40-50-pound bracket into the chum is a pretty good start. That is not ridiculous for yellowfin; they actually come considerably larger.

Other tuna species also present possibilities although their abundance leaves something to be desired. Big-eye tuna are uncommon here and albacore, while fulfilling all the requirements, remain fairly cryptic and are not often encountered by anglers. Oceanic bonito or skipjack tuna are mostly in the same size range as the blackfin. That leaves the bluefin tuna which is an occasional species at best and one that will likely require the heaviest of heavy tackle for a successful outcome. Pretty definitely not what a small boater wants to hook up with, but a delight for a professional boat.

It is the “other” category that is difficult to predict. With a 20lb minimum size requirement, which pretty much excludes: dolphin, rainbow runner, yellowtail snapper and barracuda.

The likely candidates are amberjack and bonita (Almaco jack). Live bait, mackerel or robin, offer the best chance although fresh bait will attract candidates. Lunkers are found both on the Banks and almost everywhere else so this can be combined with some old-fashioned bottom fishing.

All a great tournament really needs is some good weather, calm seas and a hefty dose of Tight Lines!