Wow, where did June go?

It is already July and here we are well into the summer angling season.

And it is a bit of a different one. Whether it has been the month-long rainy season that was May and into June, or some other factor, the offshore scene has not settled into the chumming for tuna that it usually does.

So far, trolling has continued to be productive with many boats boasting catches of decent-sized wahoo. Something that usually goes quiet as summer reaches its zenith.

Other species are also continuing to please.

Notable mention here is for dolphin. This tropical species is seldom very numerous in local waters and seldom attain the sizes that they do elsewhere.

Farther south, fish over 50 pounds are not unlikely but here something more in the 15 to 25 bracket is considered a nice capture.

Dolphin, dorado or mahimahi, all names for the same beast, are fine light tackle fish that usually put on an aerial performance and are stunning to behold as their gold, green and blue hues are a feast for the eyes.

They also make for a fine feast in the galley and, throughout the world’s warm oceans are much sought after as a food fish.

There are tuna on the Banks as often evidenced by having numbers of them jumping clear of the water as they crash feed on various bait species.

Good conditions will allow anglers to establish good chum lines which should see loads of small game like rainbow runners, mackerel and jacks feeding on the bait tossed overboard.

Shortly after they show up the tuna should appear.

Farther into the bank, where the water is a bit shallower, the blackfin tuna will be the predominant species but as the depth of water under the keel increases the yellowfin become the more likely arrivals.

This party can occasionally be crashed by wahoo, barracuda and even billfish.

Even casual observers might have noticed the springing up of outriggers and towers at the yacht clubs and marinas about the island.

This is in advance of the several billfish tournaments that set the month of July apart on the angling schedule.

Up until now, local boats have put in little effort for marlin, but those that have done so have not gone unrewarded.

Recently, billfish success has been had by captain Alan Card’s Challenger and, on one occasion, captain Kevin Fox’s Gladys Fox went three-for-four on blue marlin, giving some indication of the abundance of the fish offshore.

Other boats have also hooked both white and blue marlin with varying degrees of success and excitement.

This is all good news as the first leg of the Bermuda Triple Crown gets under way on Monday with the Bermuda Billfish Blast hosting its captain’s meeting ahead of the first day of fishing which coincides with the Blue Marlin World Cup.

Although the Blast is a modified release format tournament with the emphasis being on scoring points for releasing fish, boats are all owed to take one blue marlin a day.

This allows the boats to participate both in the one-day World Cup and in the Blast. Both events have minimum weights of 500 pounds.

This World Cup is fished all around the world with teams each fishing for eight hours in their own time zones.

Thus, by the time Bermuda starts to fish, the western Pacific and Indian Ocean angles have finished, and the eastern Atlantic boats are a few hours into their fishing day.

When the fishing is over here the boats in Hawaii have just started their day.

This can make for nerve-racking conditions if a potential winner is caught early on and the anglers have to wait until all the fishing is done and to hope that nothing larger is caught, especially as true big marlin hotspots span the globe.

This event is strictly big money with last year’s purse close to $700,000. It is a winner-takes-all competition with the team catching the largest fish on the fourth grabbing all the cash.

Expect anywhere from 100 to 200 boats to compete, some form rather unlikely locations on the global map.

Since its inception in 1985, there has been a winner every year except twice. On both occasions, there was no entry that made the minimum qualifying weight.

What is strange about this is that back in those days the minimum weight was just 400 pounds.

Over the years, the winner has been a grander, or a fish over 1,000 pounds, on four occasions; with two of those coming from the Cape Verde Islands and two from Bermuda.

Anyone interested in trying their luck should note that tomorrow is the deadline for entry; forms and details may be found online at www.bluemarlinworldcup.com.

While it will be the billfish that will be taking the limelight over the next few weeks, there are plenty of other, perhaps more profitable, angling opportunities.

The quality of bottom fish available over the reef areas is high and even the inshore offers some fine sport with species like palometa and snapper also helping to ease the grocery bills.

That is a real added benefit of Tight Lines!!!