So, the holidays are over and we are rapidly settling into an angler’s winter of discontent. The days are grey, there are winds that seem almost endless and the sea is all churned up. The overcast is not limited to the sky and horizon but it has rapidly settled in on all but the heartiest of soul and even most of those do not have the urge to venture into the cold, heartless and probably fishless offshore.Not that we are totally sure about the “fishlessness” but there is little evidence to suggest otherwise. With even the commercial fleet putting in minimal effort it is hard to get an accurate handle on what the offshore situation might actually be.It is time to put things into some form of perspective. Although most offshore fishing is probably not going to happen, its dominance has led many to forget that there has always been some alternative to working the bright blue briny.Once upon a time, back in the day, as they say, Bermuda had much to recommend itself in terms of inshore angling. Indeed many early records were set here and there is probably little doubt that more local catches could make their way into the record book.ATaking into account that it is winter may colour the outlook somewhat, but it need not. The sort of fish that inhabit Bermuda’s inshore waters do not suddenly disappear with the onset of winter and then, magically, re-appear when the water warms up. These are not species likely to undertake any vast ocean crossings and even if they did, why would they be in such a hurry to return in two or three months’ time?The answer is that they remain here and can be caught year round. A little effort and a lick of common sense can make a difference and there is some sport to be had; particularly of the light tackle variety.Don’t worry; this holds true in other places too. Sea bass are seen as summertime targets for British anglers but the truth of the matter is that they can also be caught during the winter. In fact, where the species is protected, this is during what would best be described as the spring months, suggesting that they must indeed be present during the winter. While things like warm water outfalls from power stations and the like will have some effect on their location, the fish will be there even if they are in depleted numbers. Think about this: fish have to eat and much of their food species are more seasonal and as food becomes scarcer the fish are more likely to spread out over a greater area, thus giving the impression that there are far fewer of them. Cold miserable weather probably does more to keep anglers home than the apparent lack of fish. Angling is after all, a hobby; and a hobby is supposed to be pleasurable. Freezing and catching pneumonia is not.Happily, here in Bermuda the temperatures and conditions need not be so extreme. During the course of January and February, there will be some gorgeous days: calm, warm and sunny. These are ideal conditions for grabbing a light spinning rod, armed with a fairly high capacity reel and heading to the beach. The beach? Incredulous as it may seem, a sunny winter’s day can provide some sporting action.The use of a small silver lure, like a spoon or Swedish Pimple® will catch palometa or what is mistakenly referred to as a “pompano”. Even though they aren’t usually very large, they provide a good tussle on suitable tackle and every so often, a larger than average one might actually test you out. The use of chum in the form of sardine oil-soaked bread or cat food allows baitfishing to get similar results and this can and does work all year long. Best of all, palometa fillets can usually satisfy the most fussy fish eaters at any time.Now for something that you probably never think of. Despite having some of the best bonefishing in the world; certainly in terms of quality, that species seems to get a free ride these days. Fishing the grassy flats is the traditional way of catching this ghost of the shallows but they can also be caught off the sandy beaches.When the water is too deep to see the fish, as is the case off most South Shore beaches, bait is a handy solution. Despite the advice to use cockworms or other exotic creatures, plain old bits of squid or fish will work. Cast out and retrieve slowly along the bottom. Slow is good, very slow even better. You will know when a bone latches on.In the cooler months, many of the bones working the South Shore beaches are juveniles, weighing in at about a pound or so. Here size might not matter so much, hooking a baby bone will provide way more excitement than you think. In fact, when you finally pull it into the shallow surf, you will be amazed that something so small could pull so hard.The only word of caution here: there may be lots of babies about but that doesn’t mean that Mom or Grandma isn’t around. If you hook into a full-sized bone, even a four or five pounder, you will be hoping that your reel holds enough line. Using 6lb or 8lb test means a light drag and a bone will easily take well over a hundred yards. Traditionally, here and most other place, bonefish are revived and released back to fight again another day. They are not rated as a food fish, provide excellent sport value and generally survive a battle. Maybe that is why they have always been around in good numbers. There are probably still a few trophy ones out there. So, there are a couple of easy options to wet a line while waiting for the onset of summer.Those who liken fishing to huge money-making industry will be interested to learn that the Japanese have yet again set a new record for the sale of a single fish. Not surprisingly, the fish in question was a bluefin tuna. The 593-pound fish, caught in the Pacific off Japan very recently, went to the main fish market in Tokyo where it fetched a cool $736,000 or about $1241 per pound not exactly what you want to find in your local supermarket!In the early days of the glorification of the bluefin tuna; when the Japanese starting concentrating their effort catching and purchasing North Atlantic bluefin tuna, the adage, ostensibly stated by a Japanese skipper, was “ one bluefin tuna, one Toyota”, clearly educating New England and Maritime fishermen on the value of these fish. The previous record was also set in Japan in January, where the opening of the New Year market is a major event, when a 752-pounder earned almost $400,000.More information on this story and some interesting insights into the industry can be found on the Internet at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-16421231.Should you happen to get offshore don’t be surprised to come across a bluefin. They have been caught here at this time of the year and although they are hard to stop the right tackle and a bit of luck can change things in your favour. Don’t expect the massive payday, though that depends on the condition of the fish and access to the right market. The one thing that you can count on though is some incredibly Tight lines!!!