MIXED bags are the order of the day as anglers step up efforts to take advantage of what should be the autumnal wahoo run. All the sporting species are eager to please and it won't be too long before this season's angling is nothing but a memory. Wahoo, dolphin, tuna and rainbow runner are all finding their way into fish boxes and just about every tactic and technique is paying off.

Even though there have been no signs that the frigate mackerel intend to please this year, the wahoo themselves are proving to be a bit more encouraging than they were last year. And this is not limited to those found around various floating objects. Some rather nice ones are being taken by traditional trolling on the Edge and on the Banks.

Regular trolling baits on flat lines and downriggers are the best bets. Stick with darker colours such as black and purple as wahoo seem to favour these. Naturals work as well but tuna have a definite preference for a rigged flyer fished way back.

Upping the speed and going to plastic also works for wahoo and allows the coverage of lots of water. On days when regular trolling seems slow a couple of hours spent dragging artificials at 10 knots can turn pretty productive.

The flotsam has brought with it an influx of dolphin. Always a welcome sight, the majority of these are small (plenty big enough for a fillet!) but there have been a few real trophy fish taken as well. A 20-pound dolphin is considered big by local standards, but there have been fish bettering the 40-pound mark taken recently. Unfortunately, most of the tackle is a bit on the heavy side for these fish to give a good performance but a 40-pounder on 30 lb. test would be not much short of spectacular. The yellowfin are plentiful on the Banks. They range in size from schoolies to big fish in the 150-pound range. In fact, there may be some substantially larger. The 200-pound mark is yet to be broken here despite the fact that there have been a number of fish that have knocked on that particular door - all the way up to 199 lbs. 12 oz. - not quite there! Fish well in excess of 200 pounds have been caught off the Carolinas, so what is the problem? Maybe the matter will be remedied this year.

The smaller tunas often concentrate on smaller baits. One year the most effective things were some almost ridiculously tiny South African lures that drew the attention of even some middleweight fish. The old adage: "elephants eat peanuts" certainly holds true when it comes to fishing as even marlin have been known to crash small lures while ignoring the larger plugs intended to get their attention.

On that note, billfish continue to be fairly abundant and the full moon last week probably contributed to the activity. Capt. James Barnes' Captivator went two for three one day last week with both fish being halfway decent. One was estimated at just over 300 pounds while the other was better than 500 pounds - more the sort of fish that the island has gained a reputation for than the smaller fish that seem to predominate during the late summer.

In fact, there is often good action from small blue marlin during September. It is thought that the majority of these are male fish that hang around after the summer spawning ritual is over. Many of the fish are in the 100 to 200 pound range and make worthy opponents on 50-lb. class tackle. This is indeed fortunate because as the emphasis shifts to wahoo, many boats downsize their gear, putting away the 130's. Naturally there is a downside to this because the odd big fish does continue to pop up, sometimes on into October. Not surprisingly, there are lots of stories about getting dumped by sea monsters.

As the month draws to a close, bottom fishers will be pleased to note that the seasonally protected areas such as Southwest and Northeast open up again (September 1) and these are great spots for fishing for yellowtails, bonitas and ambers. All three species should be available in good numbers. Another plus is that the seasonal limit of ten red hinds per day is also lifted at the same time, so it can be worth spending a day bouncing lead off the bottom.

In the channels, the silk snappers will continue to please although their days are numbered. The first couple of cold fronts will put paid to them and then it will be just the turbots that can be relied on. Right now, it is a better bet to work a bit deeper and try for yellowtails.

The august calms make shore fishing for bonefish ideal. Spots like Somerset Long Bay and the secluded coves along West Side are all home to the grey ghost and scouting along there an hour or so ahead of high water should allow for a few casting opportunities. Fly fishing for this species under such conditions is getting on toward the epitome of sport fishing but some considerable ability with the long wand is called for. With a spinning outfit, just about anyone can enjoy some good shallow water action. Artificial lures work well and the bonefish will give an exceedingly speedy account of itself on tackle in the 4 lb.-12 lb. test range, with 6-8 lb. being ideal.

According to the tournament calendar, this is one of the busier weekends; not to mention that the season is rapidly drawing to a close.

On Sunday, Sea Horse Anglers Club stage their annual club tournament. Fishing starts at 8.00 a.m. and concludes at 4.00 p.m. with all boats having to be at the weigh station at Spanish Point Boat Club no later than 6.30 p.m. The exception, of course is when an individual is hooked up at "lines out", he or she then has an additional hour to fight the fish as well as an hour's grace at the weighstation.

Also scheduled for this weekend are the Bermuda Anglers Club Fun Tournament and the Blue Waters Anglers Club Member/Guest Tournament. Further details may be had from the respective clubs.

A final note, because this a long holiday weekend, the deadline for entries for the Mid-Ocean News Wahoo Tournament is Tuesday September 3. Better get it in, if you intend to spend next Sunday looking for some Tight lines!!!