THE big news relating to the fishing scene has to be the weather that we are experiencing this season. Normally by now, the temperatures are substantially cooler than they are at present and there will have been a regular procession of winter gales that turn the offshore into a maelstrom of foam. All too often most of South Shore looks green and white and it is obvious to even the hardiest of landlubbers that no one will be venturing offshore. It just hasn’t been that way — at least, not so far.And it is not just Bermuda that is experiencing a mild winter. The eastern coast of North America is enjoying unseasonably high temperatures and, partly because of this, better than usual weather conditions. It takes the bad weather coming off the mainland to define the local weather scenario and, so far, so good.

The effect of this is unclear inasmuch as most anglers have worked on the basis that the boat goes in the yard or is parked on the moorings from November until April because there will be no fishing in between. Usually there is a modicum of truth about this because the weather is enough to keep anyone home and, more often than not, the fish become decidedly fewer in number.

This year things are a bit more positive in both directions. While most sportsmen have opted to stay home, there have been fewer challenges for commercial operators and both have had some reasonably good action from wahoo. The numbers are not fantastic but most are managing to come up with between three and five fish in a day. The size of the fish is also pretty rewarding: apart from the expected 20 to 30-pounders, there have been a fair few in the 50-pound bracket. For most weekenders, just one of these justifies the excursion. The action has been spread all over with Bermuda’s Edge being a good place to start, especially if the emphasis is on a short day with fuel conservation in mind.

There are still enough tuna on the Banks to justify an attempt to have some chumming fun. The problem appears to have been the tide which most reports have as permanently to windward. This makes it difficult to establish a chum slick that will direct the fish toward the boat but, while difficult, it is not impossible and there is an advantage that such conditions often mean that an anchor is not required. Drifting just over the 100-fathom line should see a few yellowfin paying a visit. Although not really in popular use, another productive method could be to work up shallow and secure a few live robins and then take these out into the deep. Tuna have a knack of finding food, particularly if it is alive and any wahoo cruising by will also be inclined to declare their interest. A little bit of work but one which can provide the sportsman with some respectable action.

The commercial operator is not in a position to experiment and even to wait. There are only so many hours of daylight and a day’s wage has to be earned. The preferred method is drifting and here, again, the tide conditions can have a significant effect on the proceedings. With a windward tide many boats are held in virtually the same place for quite long periods. Sometimes this is great news; if you happen to be right over a vein rich in coneys, hinds and maybe even some “floating” fish. The situation is quite the opposite if you happen to have parked over a piece of bottom that resembles the Sahara desert. This requires a move to happier hunting grounds.

The inner bottom is still an option for small boaters. Getting out in and amongst the porgy holes can pay off with coneys and barbers. Occasionally, something larger like a hind or even a hogfish will provide a welcome distraction. Fishing blind works but it is amazing difference that the judicious use of a water glass can make.

There have been reports in the media that whales have been sighted off the South Shore. While this might be thought of as early, there are a number of questions that bear asking. True enough, it is normally mid-March to mid-April that sees the migration of humpback whales past the Island as they move northward to the rich feeding grounds off New England and Maritime Canada.

A quick look at the general life style of the humpback gives us a clue as to what might be going on. The normal procedure is for the whales to spend the winters in the Caribbean where the females give birth to their calves. A general location might be given to be around the Virgin Islands, basically due south of Bermuda. As spring beckons, the whales move north in the sure knowledge that the American continental shelf will be home to vast quantities of plankton and small fishes — a veritable feast for these great mammals! It just so happens that Bermuda lies about midway between the Virgin Islands and Nova Scotia, so it should come as no great surprise that the whales come past the Island. The surprising thing is that they come so close to the Island that boaters and fishermen regularly encounter them and quite close to land as they can often be seen from the road.

Whatever the cues are that get the whales moving is unclear. It could be water temperature; this year the warmer temperatures might have delayed their departure from the northern feeding grounds. Day length might also be a factor and, of course, the availability of food. Perhaps the real giveaway is whether or not the whales presently coming past Bermuda have their young ones in tow. If they do, then they probably are on the northward leg of their annual migration, if not, then they might merely be late back to the Caribbean, having dawdled on in an abundance of foods somewhere along the way.

There are no tournaments or anything else to look forward to over the next ten weeks or so. There is, however, plenty of action to our south and the tournaments down there seem to be endlessly crying out for qualified observers. There is also the Miami Boat Show next month and that will see some locals making the pilgrimage to ogle all sorts of new craft and gadgetry. Not to mention the opportunity for a good old-fashioned chinwag. After all talking about them is the next best thing to Tight lines!!!

Tournaments down south