FISHING? What's that?

Now that the Island has moved right into holiday mode, the amount of sport fishing effort is close to nil. The weather has actually been reasonably good but things are subject to rapid change and the outlook for the weekend is not all that sporty.

It is actually late January and early February that sees the lowest levels of effort because then even a lot of the commercial operations either concentrate on lobsters or take time to carryout routine maintenance work. There are a handful of sports fishermen who try to get offshore over the winter but the cost of fuel and the thought of having to endure a good shake-up dissuades even some of the heartiest.

Seasonal distractions on the weekend, having plenty to do with getting the house ready and taking advantage of all that the shops have to offer, will probably keep all anglers land-bound.

The fact of the matter is that while game fish are to be found year-round in Bermuda's waters, the numbers often drop off dramatically. The real warm water lovers like blue marlin have moved south and there is some evidence that they winter in the Caribbean or even the southern or central Atlantic. White marlin reputedly travel through the local area during January and February but there simply isn't anyone here that goes looking for them.

Wahoo remain here throughout the year and there are distinct peaks in the spring and autumn when both numbers and quality are at their best. Having said that, there have been occasions, even in months as unlikely as February, when there was nothing short of spectacular wahoo fishing to be had on the offshore banks. The weather is frequently foul and it takes someone to stumble on the concentration of fish and for circumstances to be such that allow a return to the hotspot in short order. A break of a few days is all that it takes for the fish to move significant distances, often not to be re-located. Even so, it is usually possible to troll an hour or so along the Edge and to merit a strike or two.

The lack of yellowfin activity through the summer cannot go unremarked. The usual situation is that the fish arrive on the offshore grounds and then hang around into the winter. Late summer sees them go on the move with action being recorded along the northern edge and down off the East End. Some years have seen some good tuna fishing off the southeast point during late December and early January but that presupposes a good year with some of the fish opting to stay in the local area. Given this year's performance by the Allisons it is hard to predict whether there will be any around through the winter months.

There are always some blackfin tuna around and these will feed during the winter. Although they really are a warm water species, they do seem to be resident here and they will put in an appearance in a chum line along the Edge or on the Banks. Unfortunately, they are nowhere near as sought after as food as the yellowfin is. The darker meat seems to be off-putting for many people. A bit of a surprise when you consider how the Japanese and others place premium value on the fat content of the big eye and bluefin tunas.

The late autumn and winter is arguably the best time of the year for amberjack and bonita (Almaco jack). They can be caught almost anywhere from inshore bays all the way out to the Banks. Most of the inshore fish are small but even over the reefs it is possible to tangle with some large fish in the over 50-pound range. Chumming strikes many as the best way to go after these fish but you should not discount drift fishing over the Banks or along Bermuda's Edge. All that is needed is reasonable sea conditions and, preferably, a light breeze which will keep the boat moving so that you are fishing various pieces of the bottom on a changing basis. Fish a bait, preferably a single anchovy or a chunk of squid about eight feet off the bottom. Bonitas and other so-called "floating fish" will snatch at these offerings and then the battle will be on.

Other jack species are also common but most of these are not favoured as food species. Night fishing will produce things like the cottonmouth jack. This particular species is usually not recognised but is fairly common. It is often encountered by commercial fishermen putting in the extra hours after sunset to try and maximise the yellowtail haul. If you can get the yellowtails up in numbers and the tide conditions don't change, they will feed after dark. The only problem is that the sharks usually put in an appearance as well.

Probably the most common of the jacks is the horse-eye jack (not to be confused with the horse-eye bonita, aka Almaco jack). This is the species that occurs in large schools during the summer months. They actually grow to be quite large and can be found in great numbers and size around wrecks or other structure. The site of Argus Tower has to be one of the best places for finding large jacks. They are so plentiful that they actually change the colour of the water. Although they are not much in the way of eating, they are a recognised game fish and, given the size that they attain here, most of the world line class records should be held here. This is a fish worth specialising in, if you really want your name in the record book.

Realistically, we are entering the serious turkey and ham season. There won't be a lot of fresh local fish around. Commercial operators will be concentrating on high value items like lobsters and there is still plenty of wahoo in the Island's freezers. The weather will probably start to make weekend excursions problematic but if fresh fillet is what is required, try the shallow reefs and even areas such as the Great Sound. These are not far away, cheap to get to, accessible even on fairly windy days and there are fish in there. In fact, there are likely to be lots of willing turbots (triggerfish) and although a bit of a nuisance to clean, they do produce a firm white fillet. Quite apart from that they are capable of giving you some Tight lines!!!