It is the bleak mid-winter, or so it seems. The passage of one cold front after another has reduced the local fishing effort to near nothing. With the holiday malaise having passed, even the commercial fleet seems to have turned to other practices with lobsters probably the dominant aspect of the local fishery.Rain, blustery winds and grey rolling seas do little to inspire the weekender to consider talking the boat off the mooring and if it is already in the yard, then that is where it is going to stay for the duration.There may be an intrepid few who boast about fishing all through the winter but these are few and far between. If nothing else, there needs to be some sort of incentive to even consider a trip offshore at this time of the year. The lack of overall effort makes it unclear as to whether or not the yellowfin tuna that were on the Banks are still there. The suspicion is that they will remain but, then again, there are no guarantees.Although yellowfin are classified as a tropical species, they are found in quite a wide range of temperatures with the sixty-something degrees that the offshore drops to around here pretty much acceptable to them. Mainly what they need is a reason to remain here and that could be the presence of bait.That bait could be the shrimp-like planktonic organisms that are often found imparting a red or orange colouration to the gut contents of mackerel and other species.Although the plankton in question is thought to spend most of its time deeper in the water than to allow casual observation, there is plenty of evidence that the tuna do feed on them. Another suspect for dining on this sometimes prevalent species is the humpback whale and there have already been reports of sightings of this great mammal in offshore waters.The probably question is are the whales coming back north after having already gone south or are they late movers that are still making their way to the Caribbean. In either case, if there is any substantial amount of bait here then they are likely to remain in the vicinity for a while. The same would apply to the tuna if the bait was there in any quantity.It may come as something of a surprise but the Carolinas actually have a winter sport fishery for yellowfin. This consists of a run out to the Gulf Stream or thereabouts which should be significantly warmer water than found inshore and then trolling for the tuna.Modern techniques such as satellite imagery of water temperatures are an important part of determining where and when the fish might be but this is all available now.Some of this information can be had for free on the various governmental and educational websites while there are commercial operations that consolidate the data and give you an accurate picture in exchange for a subscription to their services.When Bermuda is thrust into the equation, although we lack the proximity to the Gulf Stream, it does serve as a temperature barrier, effectively reducing the likelihood of cold waters actually making it this far from the continental shelf. Given that buffering effect, if there are fish in or close to the stream near the mainland, then there is no reason why some shouldn’t travel on the eastern boundary of the warm flow and find their way into local waters.Unfortunately, there aren’t many local boats that wander offshore with the intention of finding tuna willing to take trolled offerings. Most opt for the nearest thing to a sure thing and plan on doing some bottom-bouncing when conditions suit.A quick drag along the edge while travelling to the desired drifting are might be in order and while this often turns up the odd wahoo, no one is looking to spend an hour or more on the off-chance of coming across a school of tuna. Not when that time can be productively spent on winching coneys, hinds and amberjack into the boat.Having said that, there have been occasions when the drift was suitable and chumming off the bank has produced yellowfin tuna fairly consistently. It is a while since this has been tried but there are a couple of commercial operators who really concentrate on chumming and, if there are any tuna out there, they will be the first to show the results.Once again, it can pay for the amateur to be observant of what the pros are catching and, if possible, eliciting the site of the action.Anglers insistent on a trip offshore might just want to concentrate on Bermuda’s Edge. There should be a few wahoo around and going bottom fishing form an anchored or drifting boat should scare up enough to put something in the fish box. Apart from coneys and barbers, there may be a porgy or other bottom fish willing to please. All good for the galley, at the end of the day.As part of its on-going development the International Game Fish Association is introducing a new record category.This one is based on fish length and requires that the caught fish are measured and then returned to the water alive. It is an all-tackle category so that only the longest fish will be recognised.There is an official measuring device which is made of a waterproof paper-like material on which the fish can be placed and photographed, showing the certified length. Fish entered in the length records are ineligible for the usual weight records.The measuring device is available from the IGFA on-line shop at http://store.igfa.org/Category/21-igfa-world-record-tools.aspx for the sum of $49.95. In time, for those who may wish to acquire one, it will also be available through some of the better-known tackle shops.This new programme started on the first of this year and there are 67 saltwater species that are eligible for entry.Although it is early days yet, it is apparent that this will apply to the smaller species of fish such as snappers which can be taken out of the water for a photo op and then returned to the sea.It is obviously not suited to large pelagic species like tuna or marlin and even some of the inshore species such as tarpon attain lengths in excess of four feet and will not really be suitable for the measuring task.As a result, it is rather unlikely that local anglers will focus much of their attention on this pursuit, but it is an option. Details of the programme will be in the forthcoming issue of the 2011 IGFA World Record Game Fish book or you can try contacting IGFA in the person of Jack Vitek via jvitek[AT]igfa.org or on telephone (954) 924-4246.The other major event on the horizon is the Miami Boat Show. Apart from literally tons of boats and boating stuff, there is an increasing proportion of fishing-related stuff and this can make for an entertaining distraction while you wait for the winter to be over and for the sun to shine in anticipation of tight lines!!!