AND so time marches on (pardon the pun!) and the weather continues to be strongly suggestive of an early spring. Some fishermen and offshore boaters seem convinced that the main body of the migratory whales have already gone by. Whether this is true or not is unimportant as anglers are more concerned with the seasonal fish species putting in an appearance.

Certainly the offshore water temperatures are warm enough to support most of the game species that we expect to see during the summer and, as the days progress, their length and the increasing intensity of the sun will bring about further rises in surface temperature.

Still no influx of yellowfin although there are enough wahoo around to justify a trip offshore. This should start to improve any time now and regularly working the Banks or Bermuda's Edge should start paying off with some bumper hauls. The spring run cannot be too far away. Just don't get caught with the boat on the slip or the engine in the shed when the fishing commences.

The inshore water is really spring-like. There are already schools of jacks to be seen and while not too many anglers go in search of them, they can offer a bit of entertainment on light tackle. Small lures can be trolled or cast with success and, as with all the jack clan, you are assured of a feisty foe on the other end of the hook-up.

Things are shaping up nicely and there should be some quality angling in the not too distant future. Quite apart form the wahoo, tuna and marlin that seem to gather all the attention, there are a couple of other game species that have made their mark with the International Game Fish Association, albeit to some degree of detraction from Bermuda.

Although we do compete in the big blue marlin arena ¿ it will pay off big time one day ¿ in most other international record setting, we tend to take a bit of a backseat. No, we can't compete with certain species but with these two, we are in with more than just a shout.

Realistically competitive are the line class categories for Almaco jack. A new 8-lb test men's record was set in North Carolina with a 25lb 14 oz fish but the real challenges come from Playa Flamingo, Costa Rica. There one woman named Stacey Parkerson set new women's records on 20, 50, 80-pound test lines. Another woman, Sjon Harless set the 130-lb record. The fish setting the records ranged from 23 to 77 pounds. Perhaps not so surprisingly, the largest fish, a 77 lb 3 oz specimen set the 80-lb test record while a "mere" 56 lb 2 oz fish set the 130-lb test record.

Given the size of the Almacos, "bonita" locally, there is no reason why all the line class records shouldn't be held here. Something that may have something to do with the lack of input from Bermuda might be the confusion between amberjack and Almaco jack. Some people, both anglers and commercial operators, work on the basis that if a fish is, say, less than ten pounds, it is a bonita. More and it's an amberjack. Not true! Both are recognised species, similar in some ways but separate and distinct.

An even more serious assault has been launched on the gray snapper with ten new line class records being recognised recently. Amazingly, considering the size that grays make, the largest of these is only a two-and-a-half-pound fish! The 4-lb men's record is 1 lb 4 oz; the 6-lb test class is held by a 1 lb 7 oz specimen while the 8-lb class is held by two 1 lb 8 oz fish ¿ one caught off Rabbit Key, and one caught at Flamingo, both in Florida.

In the heavier line classes the 12-lb test record is a 1 lb 8 oz snapper; 16-lb test honours are shared by two 1 lb 3 oz fish (both caught where the 8-lb line class fish were). The 20-lb test holder is a two-pound fish with a 2 lb 8 oz gray dog. There is also a women's record on 20-lb test, weighing in at 1 lb 6 oz.

Not to put too fine a point on things ¿ there are plenty of snappers over two pounds hanging around just about every dock and jetty in Bermuda, especially during the summer months. There are some real monsters on the site of Argus Tower, making for plenty of potential records, provided someone decides to go on a crusade and put in the effort.

Gray snappers are smart but they are not infallible. Full moons, fresh fry and suitable live baits can all pay off. Some commercial fishermen know when and where to go. While they rely on heavier line classes than the size of the fish suggest as being regarded as sporting, the way the present records are held, it might be profitable just to concentrate on the middle class light tackle: 8 to 16 or 20-lb tests.

Land-locked anglers or even juniors might want to think about putting in what it takes to catch a class snapper. Just about anything in the two-pound bracket should give you a place in the record books. Don't think that we are particularly disadvantaged here by their habitat. After all, they are called mangrove snapper and in Florida and elsewhere that's where they hang out - lots of underwater roots and struts to tangle lines on and break lighter lines. If they can be caught there, they can be caught here.

While having decried most of the lack of world marks held by Bermuda, mention must be made of two new fly-rod records set here. On August 27 of last year, Jodie L. Johnson set a 12-lb tippet record with a 20 pound wahoo caught at Challenger Bank with Capt. Joey Dawson as guide.

Two days later, the same woman set a 2-lb tippet record for tripletail with a 5 lb 8 oz fish, also taken on Challenger. Tripletails are not common here but they are caught from time to time and are often associated with floating material. Wise move on Capt. Dawson's part to see something with some potential for notoriety ¿ well done, that man!

Now it is time to think about doing your part. Whether it is over the reef, off the shore or out on the deep blue briny, there will come a time when a record-sized fish comes across your path. Using suitable line, might make things a bit more challenging, but that's what fishing is all about anyway. After all, isn't what you want ¿ some Tight lines!!!