IS it hot enough for you? The dominance of the Bermuda-Azores high pressure system has pretty much ensured hot, humid, calm days that an really take the energy out of you. Not to mention making a day on the water a rather exhausting experience.

Still, if you really want to wait for it to cool off, you could do yourself a disservice. This might be because the weather could suddenly deteriorate at a great rate of knots and we suddenly find ourselves in the throes of winter. That will surely put paid to any idea of planning for weekends out on the briny. With that in mind, it might be just as well to brave the heat and to make a few sorties offshore before the weather does set in.

There are ways of making things a bit more bearable. Leave early, preferably in darkness; this is easy this time of the year, and look to come back just after noon. Chances are, if the fish haven't shown up by then, the heat of the day will keep them down deep away from your offerings.

There are still some wahoo around and trolling will get results. After a remarkable year in terms of the quality and quantity of wahoo which continued to be caught throughout the summer, it is amazing that the trend is still continuing. Having said that, it is a bit disappointing that the autumnal run has not materialised, even though it has been known to happen in October. Getting late, though.

Some fishermen are still reporting good results with using robins as live baits in the hope of catching the larger 'hoos. Other nice specimens have been caught in chum lines even though they can turn real finicky if you use wire leaders. It is possible to catch wahoo on a monofilament leader but the tick is to make sure that the fish is hooked just in the corner of the mouth. Another useful ploy is to use a short, 2-3 inch, piece of wire and to conceal the hook and wire in the bait. That little bit of wire can often be just enough to prevent the wahoo's razor teeth from parting the nylon line.

Part of this might be attributed to the lack of juvenile (frigate) mackerel but, in the past, there have been lots of good runs without the mackerel. There is a possibility that the fish have continued to move past and around the Island on a less organized migration so that rather than having a spring and autumn run, they have pleased throughout the summer. Certainly, the average size this summer has been in excess of the usual summertime "lizards" that usually weigh between 12 and 18 pounds. There certainly shouldn't be any complaints about the wahoo performance this year.

Wahoo trollers are still running into the odd blue marlin and there might well be a few white marlin mixed in with the remaining wahoo. What is a bit surprising is that no one has come across a sailfish yet. There is normally one or two caught here each year around September or October. Perhaps we shall see.

Speaking of complaints, many light tackle anglers and others have been dismayed at the apparent "no-show" of the yellowfin tuna. Normally nothing short of abundant, this year they have been few and far between.

There were reports of a few large yellowfin tuna being caught earlier in the week. This should come as no surprise as it is consistent with some of the late summer catches of the past. The thing that has really stood out this year has been the dearth of yellowfin on the offshore grounds. A few yachts transiting the area between Bermuda and the East Coast reported seeing schools of tuna and some similar observations were made by some of the visiting boats working the deep water for marlin this summer but very few concentrations of tuna have been located on the Banks or along portions of Bermuda's Edge.

Just recently, there have been reports of a few school-sized yellowfins feeding in chum slicks on the southwest edge and, if they are there, they are probably also on the Banks. The jury is out as to the numbers involved but there may be some tuna to be had. Don't forget that there have been years when the Allisons spent the winter here and maybe that is just the case for the months ahead.

There have been quite a few dolphinfish on the offshore grounds. While hardly ever really numerous here, this tends to be the best time of year for them as they arrive along with flotsam being pushed into the area by the tropical activity to our south. Although it is difficult to go with the intention of catching dolphin, which may not even be there, carrying a bright colour like yellow/green in your spread often works.

Should you encounter a school, then it is time to get the spinning gear out and to enjoy some really great light tackle fishing. If there isn't any obvious floating material in the water that is holding the fish in an area, try leaving a hooked fish overboard. As long as it is there, the rest of the school will stay in the vicinity. With a bit of luck, it is possible to catch the entire school.

Another useful practice when trolling at this time of year is to drag a daisy chain. While this technique is usually used for frigate mackerel, there is another species that often has juveniles late on into the season. These are baby blackfin tuna which are pretty much the same size as frigates. Like frigates they make excellent live baits and they last a lot longer than frigates. This is spite of the fact that it is the object of the exercise to trade the live baits in as quickly as possible. In short, they can usually be trolled for hours and they remain lively. They also make for quite a delightful fillet, should you catch an excess.

Most of the competitive fishing is over now even though there are a few intra-club tournaments left. Most anglers try to take advantage of good days to stock up on some fresh fish because the season end has to be at hand. With fuel process the way they are, anchoring up or drifting along the Edge or on the Banks are good options. There should be some fish willing to please and there is every likelihood that something respectable will turn up. It is migration season and the fish should be starting to move. Fish on the move tend to be more inclined to feed and feeding fish make for Tight lines!!!