The anticipation of a week ago seems to have faded somewhat considerably as the bonanza of wahoo on the Banks, gorging themselves on little versions of the common little tunny or “mackerel” have failed to come to fruition.

At least, so far although it is growing late on in the year and the arrival of the usual winter gales cannot be far away.

For many anglers the next couple of weeks is a swansong to the year’s fishing and many are trying to mark the occasion with a freezer full of locally caught fish for the winter months ahead.

After all, properly frozen is the next best thing to fresh caught when the weather has prevented even the hardiest commercial operators from venturing out to the offshore grounds.

Happily, though, the chances of collecting a mixed bag of migratory species are still better than ever. Recent hauls include wahoo, yellowfin tuna and dolphin, all of which are considered first class dining fare.

The numbers have not been exemplary nor has the quality astounded but, by and large, three or four wahoo in the 25-to-35-pound range with yellowfin of a similar size do add up and fill a fish box adequately. The very desirable dolphin have been fewer in numbers and, as is the norm, seldom more than about 15 pounds.

Trolling remains the preferred method offshore with Banks apparently more productive than Bermuda’s Edge. Rigged baits are standard with a few choice artificial lures garnering the attention of some fish. Most boats are still inclined to drag a daisy chain in the hope of securing some live baits.

A lesser-known option to using frigate mackerel as live bait sometimes comes about as the season draws to an end. The main reason that it is lesser-known stems from the fact that most times when the season has progressed to this point, very few anglers are opting to venture on the briny.

By mid to late October most boats have either been taken out of the water for the rest of the year or have been otherwise “mothballed” to await the coming of spring.

So, what is this so-called option? Whether or not the frigate mackerel make an appearance, there is sometimes an influx of similarly sized blackfin tuna. Where these little tuna come from is a bit of a mystery although experts feel that the local blackfin population is a resident one.

This is unlike the yellowfin tuna that migrate large distances for most of their lives. While blackfin are totally capable of accomplishing the same thing, there is evidence that they stay put.

Blackfin that have been tagged have shown up repeatedly in the same areas, such as around the Banks. Also, the fact they can be caught year-round makes people think that they must be resident. A combination of resident and migratory individuals is also quite likely.

In any case, these juveniles can be caught on daisy chains just the same as frigate mackerel and they are the same sort of size making them ideal as live baits. Best of all, they are even hardier than their “mackerel” counterparts, often lasting hours. Not that any angler wants a bait to last that long; it kind of defeats the reasoning.

This weekend should see the holding of The Wahoo Tournament although the weather might have something to say about that. The forecast is for rather changeable conditions this weekend and while the moon will be in its darkest phases and therefore near optimal for wahoo fishing, heavy seas can deter many of the smaller boats.

In the event that it does indeed go ahead, it is probable that most of the effort will be in the direction of the two offshore banks even though history suggests that it is a grave error to ignore some of the lesser worked patches of the Edge.

Most boats will troll although over the years various strategies have come up trumps in this type of tournament. Chumming for robins and then going live baiting has had its moments although the adage of “match the hatch” suggests that the migrating species may be feeding on something else.

A really different spin on wahoo fishing that has worked on occasion, albeit rarely, is to actively chum, not for live baits but for wahoo. Wahoo frequently position themselves in the vicinity of chum slicks where they do a good job tormenting anglers fishing for tuna by taking the baits.

These are presented on monofilament leaders that are easily parted by a wahoo’s razor chomps. On rare occasions, a hook can lodge in a corner of the wahoo’s mouth, preventing severance but it is fair to say that most get away quite handily.

There are a few tricks and well-kept secrets that will allow an angler to catch wahoo from a chum line and there may be one or two who resort to such tactics.

The one thing that is certain, there are a few wahoo out there that will provide some screaming Tight Lines!!!