Anything remotely resembling a fishing report would have to consist totally of lies and other tall tales spun by fishermen who have been kept ashore by blustery conditions and the arrival of Hurricane Joaquin.

Joaquin’s moved out into the North Atlantic, leaving behind stirred up, confused seas ensured that commercial fishermen took advantage of the first reasonable weather to go out; locate their lobster gear and count the cost or reap the rewards.

In any event, it was not until the end of the week that the offshore had settled down enough to even consider what anglers call fishing.

And given the various outcomes of last weekend, it is not too likely that any of the amateurs are going to jump into their boats and head offshore.

In fact, mid-October usually means that boats that aren’t up yet might well be coming up around now and, unless the wahoo suddenly go wild offshore, the boats that stay on year-round moorings are very likely to be neglected for the next few months.

Even near-shore the water, which has been cloudy, is still settling out, and so the time is not quite right to have a late season look at some of the inshore species that garner some attention from the sporting crowd.

There is, however, a species that is readily available, largely ignored and well worth pursuing. And that would be the hogfish.

The hogfish is a wrasse. And what might that be? Well, most of the pretty little fish that are characteristic of coral reefs around here are wrasses of various types. Probably most representative are the blueheads and slippery dicks that are familiar to most.

Naturally, nothing that deals with fish is ever simple and the wrasses are complicated in that they change sex, change colour and just make it difficult for even the scientists to sort out.

Their relatives, the parrotfishes, do the same, and did a great job of driving many early researchers half-crazy trying to identify species that underwent numerous pattern, colour and sex changes.

Male hogfish are distinguished by their snout like noses and sometimes swim in smalls schools with a number of females.

So much for the wrasse part of things. The hogfish is a species that is highly desirable as a food fish and is considered by many to be the ultimate fish for baking.

Back in the days when fish pots were the tool of the commercial fishermen they were fairly commonly available at roadside stands and in supermarkets, but those days are now gone and hogfish are largely in the province of the spear fishermen. Hogfish are not particularly wary fish, offer a large target and are a favourite with skin divers who look for them in the sandy bottom areas between the reefs.

However, bear in mind that spearing fish is restricted to a mile offshore so the fact that the hogfish will come right inshore is an advantage to line fishermen.

Hogfish can be found right inshore and in shallow water – really shallow water, as in not even deep enough for them. They can be seem bottom grubbing over grassy areas with their tails and fins above water. Sheltered coves are frequented by even large specimens and it is there that they are vulnerable to amateur fishermen.

Traditional hook and line fishing for hogfish would largely be a waste of time unless it had already been spotted and was being stalked. This sort of fishing calls for a set line that can be checked a few times a day.

As with most forms of specialized fishing there were a few who concentrated on hogfish and were successful most of the time. The preferred bait was a live land crab and although these are probably still a top bait, catching one is a lot more challenging than it was in days gone by.

Large pieces of squid or shrimp, which is expensive but effective, and even chunks of fish work as well for hogfish, which are essentially carnivores with the ability to crush shells in their throats and blow the pieces out of their gills before swallowing the meaty portion of the prey.

This bony adaptation suggests the wisdom behind the use of a strong hook, not a cheap bent wire one. Using the more common baits means that you will have to put up with other fish picking away at it, but the hogfish is going to be the big fish and will take the lion’s share of whatever is on offer.

The areas that they frequent are unlikely to be home to hordes of bream or grunts or other nuisances.

If you do decide to try for a hogfish, remember that there is a legal minimum size of 18 inches. Smaller hogfish tend to be females best returned to help ensure their continued reproduction, while males are likely to be a delicious source of Tight Lines!