DESPITE many promising signs, the 2007 sport fishing season has gotten off to a slow start. And, sadly enough, there really isn’t a single factor to which the blame can be assigned. The weather has been good, if not near perfect; sea conditions have been good and there has even been a bit of bait about. Oh, there are still a few whales around and there are some who believe that the presence of whales usually means a dearth of fish. That probably isn’t true, but at least it sounds better than saying that there are no fish out there.The Banks have been dead or pretty close to it. Although a few wahoo have been caught, there really hasn’t been much in the way of heated action. Reports of yellowfin action have also been sporadic and while there have been some respectable fish caught, boats putting in some chumming effort have had little to show in the way of results.

The lack of action to the southwest has caused a number of boats to try their luck up north and east of the Island. A few met with success because there seemed to be a small concentration of fish east of North Rock.Capt. Allen DeSilva’s DeMako was doing reasonably well up there towards the end of last week. Catches of six to eight fish seemed the norm although this dropped off rather markedly at the weekend. Whether this means that the fish have eased off as a result of the full moon or that they have actually moved on to another area remains to be seen.

There is a thought that the wahoo action drops off with a bright moon because there is enough light for the fish to feed by during the night hours and, consequently, they are less hungry during the day. Certainly, in some places, notably Baja California, the dark side of the moon is preferred for fishing. But, just to put the cat out amongst the pigeons, blue marlin enthusiasts in the US Virgin Islands and elsewhere favour the period around a full moon. Who knows?There has been a bit of action from other species as well. There is a crop of young blackfin tuna around. Most of these are smaller fish in the five to seven pound range. They are active and quite cooperative in hitting small trolled lures, preferably a long way behind the boat. They do form schools so it is not unreasonable to expect doubles or multiple strikes. While they are recognised game fish, their small size means that they don’t provide much sport on any gear that is likely to be trolled. On the other hand, they do make for some exceedingly nice fresh tuna.

A few dolphin (dorado) have also been caught. The fish have been in the 12-15 pound bracket and have added some welcome variety and colour to the day’s hauls. Unfortunately, they are simply not numerous enough to justify concentrating on this species but carrying something brightly coloured, like yellow or green, in the spread may attract any dolphin that happen to be in the area.

Blue marlin are definitely offshore with a commercial fisherman recently releasing a blue estimated at 350 pounds. With no one actually seeking these fish just yet and their migration well underway, there will be increasing numbers of attacks on lures or baits being trolled over the waters between the Banks and Edge. Just remember that there is nothing to stop a blue marlin from making a sortie up onto the Edge and helping themselves to one of your baits intended for a wahoo or other smaller game. It is May now and it will be just a couple more weeks before the 80 wides and 130’s start appearing in the fleet’s cockpits.

Nearer shore, reef fishing is proving to be reasonably consistent with bonitas and some yellowtail snappers providing the action. Both are desirable game species and can provide a bit of sport, not to mention some fine fillets. This is an attractive alternative to continuing to troll along an edge that hasn’t produced anything for a few hours but it is still too early in the day to return home empty-handed.

Anglers interested in competing on the world stage may be interested in the inaugural World Championship Billfish Release Tournament (WCBRT) that will be staged in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico from the May 27-31. This is an all release format tournament and requires anglers to use circle hooks. The entry fee is a mere $4,000. As an additional draw, there is also a prize of $1 million for the lucky angler who catches a billfish that has been tagged with a special tag. While this sounds incredibly good, there is an element of gimmickyness attached to it. First off, although the fish may have been tagged and released in good condition, who is to say that it has remained anywhere near where the tagging occurred. In fact, if the movements of the blue marlin tagged in Bermuda are anything to go by, once tagged, the fish heads for the frontier. Secondly, it makes the assumption that the fish will survive long enough to be caught again. Natural attrition could well have an effect and, the target fish may have departed this mortal coil. Still, it does provide some incentive not only for keen anglers but for those who have a weakness for a bit of a gamble. Details can be found on-line at www.worldchampionshipbillfishreleasetournament.com.

Looking ahead locally, the official tournament schedule has already proven wrong. The Bermuda Fishing Clubs Annual Tournament (BFCAT) which was scheduled for May 13 has already been postponed because it has been pointed out that the first date coincides with Mother’s Day and, apparently, some anglers have mothers. The alternate day, now the scheduled date, is May 20. Club members may wish to check with their respective committees for details relating to entering this event.

On that same day the Sandys Boat Club Annual Fishing Tournament will also be fished. Although the BFCAT is restricted to recognised fishing club members, the Sandys Boat Club tournament is open to the general public. Copies of the rules and entry forms can be had from Flybridge Tackle, Spanish Point Boat Club and Sandys Boat Club.

So, quiet at the moment but surely on the verge of suddenly swinging into high season. At any time now, the fish could start biting madly and more species should start putting in an appearance. One thing for sure, as long as the boat stays in the yard or on the slip, there won’t be too much in the way of Tight lines!!!