The calendar’s progression and the arrival of overseas sport fishing boats in the marinas should put people in mind that the angling season is on the verge of swinging into peak mode.

Without a doubt, the offshore is definitely into summer season with all the usual species occurring in varying numbers. Schools of tuna have been seen busting bait on the Banks, chummers have had a good selection of smaller game and those working the deep blue water are encountering billfish pretty consistently.

Earlier this week, Captain Alan Card’s Challenger had a billfish catch and release as well as later pulling the hook on a blue marlin as it was close to the boat.

With just about two weeks left to register for the Blue Marlin World Cup, there will be numerous crews around the world coming up with the rather hefty entry fee for this winner take all event. As in past seasons, Bermuda is one of the hotspots on the angler’s globe with the potential for producing a fish large enough to take the pot.

Incorporating this event into the first tournament in the Bermuda Triple crown Series, the Bermuda Blast will also get under way on July 4 ensuring that the deep water around this Island gets well and truly worked over. Given the history of these events, it is fair to say that results are expected.

After an initial postponement, the Blue Waters Anglers Club Open was successfully fished in good conditions on Sunday after a week of rainy, inclement weather. While this should have been an indication of good fishing, the reality turned out to be almost the opposite.

Despite reports of the offshore banks resembling parking lots for the number of boats taking advantage of the conditions, the overwhelming view of most anglers is that it was very slow fishing.

But as is always the case, some boats strike it lucky and manage to catch enough to keep the weigh master gainfully employed. In the case of the tournament, there was a nice selection of species including both blackfin and yellowfin tuna, barracuda, amberjack, horse-eye jack and wahoo.

This particular event separates the participants based on boat size and whether or not they are commercial (professional) craft. As it turned out this year, it was the smallest class of boats that provided the big winner.

Catching the High Point Wahoo in boat Class A at 28.5 pounds was Jack Bridges. He also caught the High Point Tuna with a 48.9-pound yellowfin. In addition, he amassed a total of 11.2 points from his best three fish while his boat, Blue Moon, ended with a tally of 135.8 points.

This combination made Jack the Overall High Point Angler while his boat won both the Class A High Point Boat award and the Overall High Point Boat award.

In Class B, the High Point Wahoo was won by Conner Stout with a 48-pound specimen and the Class B High Point Boat was Captain Larry Martin’s Ocean Mile.

In Class C, the professionals, the High Point Wahoo was won by Leon Stines with a 23.6-pounder. The High Point Other Species category was won by Roddy Nesbitt, Sr with a 33.3-pound barracuda.

Brenda Segaria, fishing on board Captain Scott Barnes’s Hakuna Matata, scored 78.4 points from her three best fish, winning the Overall High Point Lady Angler and gave the boat a total of 122.9 points.

Those were enough to win Hakuna Matata the Class C High Point Boat award with the runner-up place going to Captain Bobby Lambe’s Last Chance with 56.9 points.

Although it was slated for last weekend, circumstances apparently forced the Regiment to cancel the Royal Bermuda regiment tournament for this year. A shame, really, because with its many prizes on offer, it was an opportunity for many to get involved with a chance of winning.

Through this past week, there have been continued good catches of wahoo with the larger fish now giving way to more common smaller fish.

There are good numbers of blackfin tuna willing to please and, once conditions really settle down, the chumming for yellowfin should be good judging by the numbers reported as jumping in the vicinity of the Banks. There should be some really good times ahead.

Those who disparage shoreline fishing as being all right for those not interested in catching anything of decent size or game quality, be educated.

Last week, a keen angler the Reverend Gavin Tyte caught a fine 12-pound bar jack off the shore at Ferry Reach. This is a notable catch for two reasons.

First, this is a species that many locals colloquially refer to as a” never bite”; well, obviously they do on occasion. Second, the present record for this species is a mere 7lb 12oz, substantially smaller than this prime specimen.

Like most jack species, it is very much a game fish in its own right; and, before dismissing this as a one-off event, consider that he has broken off several fish in the same general location.

Whoever said you had to go offshore for Tight Lines!!!