OKAY, it is later than you think. Before you know it, it will be high summer and the best of the spring trolling will be long gone. The unofficial start of the summer, the 24th May long weekend is only a fortnight away and June comes along really quickly thereafter. In fact, dawdle a bit more and time will have flown by with hardly any fishing done. Cut the procrastination and take advantage of some of the rather good weather that we have been experiencing.

The wahoo are proving to be as predictable as usual. The spring run is underway with the fish moving quickly around both Bermuda's Edge and the offshore Banks, making for fast action, provided that you pick the right place. Catches of five and six are commonplace and some boats have gotten into the double figures with little difficulty.

The majority of the fish being caught are of a nice size; probably somewhere in the 30-40 pound range. There have also been some really nice fish in the over 50 pound category. Unfortunately almost all of these are caught on line that can hardly be described as light tackle and this takes the fight out of most fish. Scale on down to 20-lb test or less and experience the sizzling action to be had when a wahoo uncorks its initial high speed run. Just remember to wind like crazy when the fish comes racing back toward you. This tactic often wins the fish some slack in the line and that might well be all it needs to shake the hook. When things come unstuck there is that horrible sinking feeling that anglers come to dread. Mixed in with the wahoo are a few dolphin. These bright green and yellow gamesters put in an appearance when least expected and often travel in pairs or small schools. They are seldom fussy and will hit almost any trolled lure or bait. Some feel that dolphin prefer bright colours like green and yellow but most anglers have found that just about any colour works. And so do natural rigged-baits. They will even attack the small lures fished on a daisy chain with abandon, sometimes straightening out the hooks on these little rigs.

The old trick of keeping a hooked fish in the water in order to entice the other fish travelling with it really works. A spinning rod with a lure will often get a strike from a free-swimming dolphin that is remaining in close company with the hooked fish.

Yellowfin continue to be scarce although a few have made their way into mixed bags taken by trollers. These fish have not been particularly large but they are certainly not of the "school" variety that usually provides the numbers in local fishing. Whether this is indicative of the summer chumming season is unclear and a lack of such fish will probably have some impact on the numbers and duration of the blue marlin season. Some people who know whereof they speak suggest that this year will see a fast but shortened marlin season. The lack of suitable bait, that means tuna, will see the billfish pass through and then move on to greener pastures, wherever they might be. On the plus side, moving fish tend to be on the feed and actively hunting fish are more likely to assault a trolled lure than a satiated, lazy fish.

There is enough small game to make chumming enjoyable. The barracuda aren't as thick as they will be in a couple of months' time and it should be possible to get the robins up. The careful use of live baits should be enough to secure a wahoo or two with the larger fish usually dominating the proceedings.

The main thing is to try and get out to enjoy this early season fishing. It is often one of the most action-packed times of the year and there really is no telling what might bite. The fish are all on the move and there are unexpected species like mako shark, spearfish and albacore that can all put in an appearance before the water really warms up and causes them to move deeper or away.

l The Bermuda Triangle Series, headed by Capt. Jimmy Loveland who is a mover and shaker in the Virgin Islands Boy Scout tournament, is part of an ever-expanding empire. The newest event, now in its second year is the Spanish Main. This tournament series is fished at five locations in the Caribbean: Venezuela, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.

Slated to start next year is another series event. This will be called the Pacific Rim and will involve fishing in Costa Rica, Panama and Guatemala. Looking further ahead, there is talk of a fish-off on the Great Barrier Reef and, in 2011, another series titled the Southern Cross, involving Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand. Those interested in taking in the Boy Scout tournament should know that now is the time to sign up as an observer. Observers have to have been certified by the IGFA and Bermuda boasts a fair few of those. This year's dates are the August 13-17. The Boy Scout event is quite a lot of fun and usually sees some good fishing. Last year a new record was set with an average of more than 5.5 fish per boat during the four day event. That's a lot of fish! In any case, additional information is most easily accessed on the internet at www.abmt.vi.

l Looking back at the weekend, it quickly becomes apparent that the fishing community was not ready for the good weather that prevailed. As a result of a number of circumstances both the Bermuda Fishing Clubs Annual tournament (BFCAT) and the Sandys Boat Club tournament were postponed. The alternate date for both events is set for Sunday May 25. One must assume that this affords anglers a further chance to register to participate in the events. Additional details can be had from the organisers and from tackle shops.

There is nothing scheduled for this weekend but there are two tournaments next weekend. These are the Bermuda Anglers Fun Tournament and the first round of the Blue Waters Anglers Club Chairman v. Bar Chairman tournament. Both events are restricted to members only. Looking further ahead, the ever-popular Bacardi tournament will be requiring would-be participants to register in advance of the event, so keep an eye out for the adverts.

And if you are thinking of taking part in a tournament, do the smart thing and have a trip offshore to shake the cobwebs out of the gear and yourself. A winter's respite often takes the edge off the fisherman and you would not want to be too late getting to the rod that is screaming Tight lines!!!