JUST this week the air took on that wintry feeling. The passage of a cold front brought a bit of wind and some rain but most noticeable was a subtle change in the humidity and an inkling that it was just about time to give up the notion of fishing for sport. Naturally, there are a few die-hards who will want to fit in just one more shot at a troll around Bermuda’s Edge or the Banks.The wahoo continue to please even though finding the fish can prove to be a bit of an effort. Several boats have caught more than eight fish in a day and there are probably a few boats managing double figures. The size of the fish is erratic. Gone are the earlier days when all the fish were of a respectable size. Now, they range from a mere five pounds (suitable for a fish sandwich) to class specimens in the 70-pound plus bracket. Right now there is no telling what size wahoo is going to take your trolled offering.

With the good run of wahoo having successfully flooded the market, the fleet’s emphasis is now on other species of marketable fish. This generally means heading on over to the Banks and working the bottom. The target species are hinds and coneys with contributions made by the “floating fish” variety being ever so welcome. These add-ons take the form of bonitas, amberjack and gwelly. Rarely, a monkey rockfish will please but they are few and far between.

A couple of hooks, ten or a dozen ounces of lead and a little patience will usually pay off with one or more of the bottom dwellers. But, like anything else, there are some proven tactics and a few well kept tricks that can go a long way to improving the day’s haul.

At the risk of giving away some of the trade secrets, weekend anglers should arm themselves with some circle hooks. These are extremely effective when bottom fishing because the fish almost invariably hooks itself. This means not having to be too precise when it comes to “firing” when you feel a bite.

Another thing is to use some sort of stiff rig that keeps the hooks away from the mainline. When dropping down and especially when coming back up, the usual knotted monofilament loops will spin and get tangled around the mainline. This can make a baited hook less presentable and can actually make it difficult for the fish to get at it. That’s something you would not want happening. A stiff rig using wire or other material will keep the hooks clear and give the fish every chance to latch on. It might sound silly, but it is worth a try! Trying some good, old-fashioned chumming may lure some small game fish to the boat with blackfin tuna being likely candidates. There are some Allisons around but it would take a lot of time and effort to seek these out and, for most people anyway, they are hardly worth it. It pays to stick to what is likely to put a few fillets into the freezer.

Things all come in for a bit of a change this weekend when the clocks change. Although most would argue that the return to standard time is beneficial in that it has daylight at an earlier hour — something to do with children going to school in the dark — it doesn’t do much positive for anglers and fishermen. The net effect is that while they might set off in daylight, they are very likely to be cleaning fish and washing down their respective boats in the dark. Add to this the fact that there aren’t too many public docks, or any others for that matter, that have decent lighting and this has most trying to catch the sun’s last fading rays. Going offshore in the dark was not a problem; it is the working alongside in the early evening that presents the problem. One that is only exacerbated as the winter solstice approaches and darkness is complete at just after 5.00 p.m.

Those interested in pursuing one of the other highly ranked billfish species might want to take note of the outcome of the 20th Riviera Lizard Island Black Marlin Classic held in Australia. This is a seven day event and attracts competitive anglers from all over the world. This year saw 47 boats with 140 anglers. Most locals would be shocked to learn that the tournament fishing starts at 11.00 am with a more normal finishing time of 5.30 p.m.

The weather was apparently rougher than usual and the water temperatures were cooler than expected. Add to this a two to three knot current and the results are some difficult fishing conditions. Despite these challenges there was a total of 113 fish entered with six more were disqualified. As is the case with most other tournaments in the world, this was a release event The size of the fish was impressive if highly variable. There were 58 fish in the 100-300 pound bracket, 33 in the 300-700 pound range. At the top end of the scale were 27 fish estimated at between 700 and 1100 pounds with two fish thought to be even bigger than that.

Statistics keepers will note that the catch per unit effort measured in fish per boat per day was a healthy 0.40, or almost half a fish a day. Therefore it would be reasonable to expect to catch a black every other day. Naturally, the averages don’t quite work. The winning team had eight releases, the second place side had seven and, in third was a boat with six releases. Actually, the competition was quite hot with two boats each boasting five releases and another seven boats on four releases. The best single day saw one boat release four blacks.

Anyone contemplating trying their luck at this event can plan for the October 13-20 2007 with information available on-line at www.lizardislandgfc.asn.au.

The real trick for the weekend warrior now comes in the form of picking a weekend that the weather will please. Long term forecasts are much more reliable than they used to be but, no matter how accurate they are, you really don’t want to hear of high winds and lousy conditions. For a while at least, marginal weather means that you do have some options over the deeper reefs where a nice variety of fish including yellowtail snappers and other species suitable for the menu will oblige by providing you with some Tight lines!!!