This may be the dead of winter in most northern places but it has always been a bit of a funny one for the Bermuda fishing scene.

Happily, we are not subject to snow and ice, but there is definitely a winter here that affects plants and animals. Plants, especially the flowering ones, tend to be pretty obvious and most people are clearly aware of their patterns. Animals can be a little more subtle. As fish are very definitely animals they show certain movements that are reflective of the seasons.

For the most part and for the fish that anglers are most concerned with, the winter is the off-season, while summer and sometimes warmer than usual spring or autumn months are the season.

Some species such as the blue marlin are decidedly tropical, not showing up until the water is warmer than 75°F. Still others like it even hotter, the skipjack tuna, or oceanic bonito, only show up in July and August here when the water is at its warmest.

As a possible comment on recent years, the oceanics have been thin on the ground locally. They often occur in huge schools and have been known to invade chum lines, but there simply have not been too many caught here over the past couple of years.

Even reef and inshore species respond to the cooling off that occurs as October moves into November. Grey snapper suddenly disappear from haunts where they have been in residence since about April. No one in their right mind would go fishing for white water snappers in January or February, although these fish will “magically” appear in the channel again come July and August.

Perhaps not surprisingly, it isn’t all a one-way street, so to speak. Some less desirable species, at least from the sporting point of view, actually revel in wintry conditions.

Bream, for instance, not only come inshore during the winter but actually use this season to spawn. When spawning is mentioned, just about everybody thinks of high summer and the roe-laden fish that are caught then. So, most game fish are summer spawners and there are some that might be classified as extended season spawners too, they sort of tailor the season to their needs. They do this by staying in warm water all year long, migrating north and south with the changes in temperature.

The bream, or by its proper name silver porgy, common at most times, is more present in the inshore waters during the cold weather months and they do spawn in inshore waters. Again, sort of the opposite that most other fish get up to.

Although not too many go shoreline fishing during the winter, the bream are there to please with some of them achieving substantially heavier weights than most people think. Fish weighing more than 2lbs are considered large but there are four pounders around as well. Despite the nasty reputation associated with this species’ lifestyle, they do produce a firm white fillet. Don’t be squeamish, you don’t want to know what lobsters eat.

Another species that is commonly encountered inshore during the winter is the “pinfish”. Superficially similar to a bream but actually very different on closer examination, this is often caught off docks and bridges at this time of the year.

Again, this is a Bermudian moniker that is used for a species that is known as a “pigfish” elsewhere. A member of the grunt family, it apparently makes pig-like noises. Not much difference between a grunt, grunt and a pig grunt when it comes to catching either.

Probably the reason for the pinfish name is the large number of needle or pin-like bones that pepper the flesh of the fish, rendering it pretty undesirable all around. Another possibility would be the spiny fins that make handling specimens difficult.

With fishing effort probably at its lowest ebb at this time of the year, it is hard to paint a picture of the offshore scene with any degree of accuracy. As a general rule, wahoo are to be found throughout the year and there have been some runs of really nice fish during the month of February, but that is moving on into the realm of ancient history. The so-called spring run can kick off as early as March but again, it takes people going looking to become aware of such events.

Dragging the deep blue might lead to an encounter with a bluefin tuna as these have been known to traverse these waters at this time of the year. Such a bite might prove exciting, but unless the tackle is suitable and the circumstances are perfect, these are likely to be extremely short-lived Tight Lines!