It is just about that time now. Don’t procrastinate too much longer. Next weekend is the holiday weekend that pretty much precludes most people’s angling attempts and then you will find yourself catapulted into high angling season. Life does indeed come at you fast!For the most part, the weather has been good enough to make a run or two offshore and while things might have been a bit grouchy on certain occasions; there have been enough in the way of rewards to justify a bit of rocking and rolling.So far the emphasis has been on trolling with even the keenest chummers recognising that the circumstances just aren’t quite right yet. Most of the pickings have come off Challenger bank but there is no reason not to believe that the situation on Argus is somewhat similar. The north-eastern corner has been good but that intelligence is now a week or so old so the fish might have shifted anywhere. Never sell the south-eastern turn short; there is something about it that holds tuna and, as the season progresses, lures blue marlin in as well.The school-sized yellowfin tuna are willing to please and although these aren’t giants by any matter of means, they are capable of giving a good account of themselves on most sporting tackle and they are present in reasonable enough numbers to make life interesting. Figure on the individual fish weighing in in the 20-25 pound ranges and that is pretty much what you can expect to see.The wahoo are a little more variable. Some of the larger fish this past week have made it on up to the 50-pound mark but the average fish is still probably somewhere between 20 and 30 pounds. Most of this action has been a bit more scattered, but there is every reason to believe that whatever it is that is attracting tuna has to be of interest to the wahoo as well.While a lot of people turn up their noses at trolling, it does have its time and place. In the early season when the fish are on the move, it is a good way of finding them. It also offers a chance of some variety because all the open water fish adapt pretty much the same modus operandi when seeking out food.The action thus far seems to have been limited to the wahoo and tuna but one must suspect that a white marlin or two are due to put in an appearance. Part of this stems from the fact that whites often move with small schools of wahoo and once they arrive on the local grounds they all seem to scatter so that finding a small concentration of wahoo might also bring you into touch with a lone white.Another species that is far from abundant but that does seem to feature during April is the sailfish. They probably show up here for pretty much the same reason that the whites arrive along with other schooling pelagics. It really is a bit different in the case of the sail, simply because it is not a true pelagic species. It is rather commoner in coastal, continental regions.Those wishing to plan their lives may want to take note of the following schedule that has been approved and released by the Bermuda Game Fishing Association. This is done as an attempt to coordinate the efforts of the various clubs and sponsoring organisations that put on the various angling tournaments through the year.Naturally, there is bound to be a flaw or two because dates and circumstances change and Mother Nature has a lot to say about which tournament goes when. As things develop over the course of the summer (barely two weeks to the recognised start of the fishing season!) more information should be forthcoming.In addition, the relevant organising body can always be contacted for further details, entry forms, etc.Bermuda Game FishingAssociation 2011Tournament ScheduleMay 1 Bermuda Game Fishing Clubs Annual Tournament (IGFA Affiliated Clubs)May 15 Bermuda Anglers Club Fun Tournament (Members and Guests)May 29 Sandys Boat Club Tournament (OPEN)May 29 BWAC Chairman v Bar Chairman First Round (OPEN)May 29 Bermuda Game Fishing Clubs Annual Tournament; 1st alternate (IGFA Affiliated Clubs)June 12 BWAC Chairman v Bar Chairman Second round (OPEN)June 12 Bacardi Rum Fishing Tournament (OPEN)June 11-17 Bermuda Anglers International Light Tackle Tournament: 4 days fishing (Invitational)June 19 Bacardi Rum Fishing Tournament; alternate (OPEN)June 22-25 Brien/Pallot Fly Fishing Tournament (Invitational)June 26 Bermuda Anglers Club Annual Tournament (Members Only)June 26 Bermuda Game Fishing Clubs Annual Tournament; 2nd alternate (IGFA Affiliated Clubs)June 26 Sandys Boat Club Tournament; alternate (OPEN)July 3-7 Bermuda Blast Billfish Tournament; 2 days fishing (OPEN)July 4 Blue Marlin World Cup (OPEN)July 3 Bermuda Anglers Club Annual Tournament; alternate (Members Only)July 3 56th Bermuda Regiment Annual Tournament (OPEN)July 9 11 Bermuda Triangle Billfish Tournament; 3 days fishing (OPEN)July 11-13 BWAC v SSAC here in Bermuda (Members & Guests)July 1317 Bermuda Big Game Classic; 3 days fishing (OPEN)July 10 56th Bermuda Regiment Annual Tournament; alternate (OPEN)July 20-24 Sea Horse Anglers Club Billfish Tournament; 3 days fishing (OPEN)July 24 Bermuda Anglers Club Fun Tournament (Members & Guests)August 7 Blue Waters Anglers Club Junior Tournament (OPEN)August 7 BWAC Chairman v Bar Chairman Third Round (Members Only)August 7 Bermuda Anglers Club Fun Tournament (Members & Guests)August 14 Bermuda Anglers Club Junior Tournament (OPEN)August 21 Bermuda Anglers Club Junior Tournament; alternate (OPEN)August 28 Bermuda Anglers Club Fun Tournament (Members & Guests)August 28 Sea Horse Anglers Club Fun Tournament (Members & Guests)September 11 Royal Gazette News Wahoo Tournament (Residents)September 11 Sea Horse Anglers Club Annual Tournament (Members Only)September 11 BWAC Chairman v Bar Chairman Fourth Round Final (OPEN)September 18 Royal Gazette Wahoo Tournament; 1st alternate (Residents)September 18 Sea Horse Anglers Club Annual Tournament; 1st alternate (Members Only)September 25 Royal Gazette Wahoo Tournament; 2nd alternate (Residents)September 25 Sea Horse Anglers Club Annual Tournament; 2nd alternate (Members Only)September 25 Bermuda Anglers Club Fun Tournament (Members & Guests)October 2 Bermuda Anglers Club Fun Tournament (Members & Guests)November 6 Bermuda Anglers Club Fun Tournament (Members & Guests)Some of the dates will probably lead to grimaces and groans but not everyone can be pleased by tournament organisers all the time. The trick is to try and fit in as many as you reasonably can. Believe it or not the season does progress with rapidity and before you know it, it will be July when marlin take centre stage; then the August heat will be off-putting and, boom, it will be hurricane season and time to make the boat safe. Time does fly, especially if you are trying to have fun.So, getting to be a bit late to start proceedings but with still enough time to be able to make a full and enjoyable season of it. With the offshore just starting to unfold, who knows what it might hold and how many of those will turn into Tight lines!!!