THE recent wintry blasts have knocked most ideas relating to fishing out of people's heads. Even the commercial operators are starting to think that this might be a good time to slip the boat and carry out the usual off-season maintenance. After all, it has to be done some time and the weather over the next few weeks is unlikely to be too conducive to working the offshore grounds.The weekenders will almost inevitably put this off until just before May 24 when it will be panic stations: summer is here and I'm not ready! Before giving up on fishing at this time of the year, it might be worth giving some thought to doing things differently. The usual summer operating procedure is so ingrained that most anglers fail to think outside the box. Not surprisingly, there is little of the summer procedure that lends itself to mid-February or thereabouts.

On a positive note the days are starting to lengthen. It is possible to go out in the dark and be in position just before daybreak without having to get out of bed at three in the morning. If conditions and the fishing warrant it, it is also possible to put in a decent day and then to come home in daylight with maybe just about enough time to get the boat washed down and put to bed before dark.

There may be some wet, blustery and even chilly days but, in between, there are some absolutely glorious days that are just nice to spend out on the water.

Trolling for wahoo and the occasional yellowfin can pay off but the trick is not to commit too much time to this pursuit. Something worth remembering is that the fish tend to feed in spurts. The tendency is for there to be a flurry of activity and them everything goes dead for a few hours. A while later, there will be another burst of activity. The message here is that after putting in an hour or so on the troll, the strategy should be to anchor up and chum or go on the drift for a couple of hours and then to give the troll another bit of effort. The early morning feed is often good but really short-lived. While there might be the occasional strike during the day it is more likely for the late afternoon or a tide change to signal the next bit of action. Organise your fishing to coincide with this pattern and you'll optimise your chances of success.

Most anglers really aren't sparing too much thought for competitive fishing even though some local records and even world records have been set during the so-called "off season". For just about everyone, some fresh fish is the name of the game.

Chumming can bring results from the robin, mackerel and maybe a few tuna but the best chance of a good haul will involve some bottom bouncing. The best result in the chum could be the robins as a live bait always offers the chance of a major trade up.

Working over the deeper reef areas or the tops of the Banks should bring results. Coneys and barbers are plentiful enough to ensure a supply of firm, white fillets and it should be possible to hook a hind or two.

Combining a light chum line with a surface or mid-water line out while bottom fishing often gets results. Yellowtails can please and the odd blackfin can provide a bit of a diversion.

Something that many people either forget or maybe they just aren't aware of it is that the winter months are probably the best time of the year for amberjack and bonitas. In fact even the lesser, or bastard, amberjack seems to be more common at this time of the year.

Quite apart from the school-sized fish in the 10 to 20-pound range that are so often caught while drifting on the Banks or along the Edge, there are some real trophy ambers and bonitas to be had. By way of example, just last week, Stanley Marshall was out fishing with Donnie Moniz on the Southwest Edge. Apart from the fact that the southwest Edge is one of the most productive parts of Bermuda's bottom, the pair were just inside Sally Tucker's Point, a well-known hotspot if ever there was one.As one tends to expect at this time of the year, the fishing was slow and they were just about to give up when something large snatched hold of a 30-lb test rig and proceeded to wear Stanley out over the next 20 minutes or so. Rather than give up on what might be a nice fish, Donnie took over and subjected himself to a further 25 minutes of hard work. This turned out to be well worthwhile because when the fish finally came to boat side it was a magnificent amberjack that later tipped the scales at 91 pounds!

Those looking to revel in the big time and willing to put their hands in their pockets will be pleased to know that some changes have been made to the July 4 Blue Marlin World Cup. The best news for local anglers is that the new organisers have teamed up with their lawyers and accountants and the upshot is that non-USA resident anglers will not be subjected to the withholding of a chunk of the proceeds for tax reasons.

Less welcome news is that the entry fee has now leapt up to $3000 which could be a mite rich for some of the locals who like to participate in the other July marlin events. If you plan to take them all in, you'd better be prepared to spend upwards of ten grand on entry fees. That doesn't take into consideration the cost of fuel, refreshments and boat wear and tear.

The gamblers will be pleased though. If the winner take all aspect isn't good enough, there is the option of a further $5000 Calcutta.

First off the winner-takes-all prize isn't quite that. It is actually 80% of the entry fees (still pretty substantial if there are the more than 100 competitors expected). The Calcutta isn't totally disbursed either; there is a 10% administrative charge, added for your convenience no doubt. If you aren't US tax liable you should see the lion's share of both pots. The only trick is that you have to win first and, with a 500-pound minimum, you will have to deal with some rather Tight lines!!

Try for something different during these winter months