November, time for most anglers to put the tackle away and turn to other avocations. The Bermuda Fishing Information Bureau, a long-lost branch of the Department of Tourism, used to advertise that the Bermuda fishing season ended at the end of November but admitted that it usually came to an end somewhat earlier as the weather made it difficult to indulge in the sport.

For a change, this weekend looks to be just what an angler would desire but it is unlikely that many will take advantage of it. Although the much-awaited autumnal wahoo run failed to materialise, there are still enough out there to make an excursion worthwhile. After all, for most amateurs, a couple of wahoo or even a decent-sized single should provide enough meat to stock a normal freezer. The tuna will have slackened right off, making them unlikely while the shortening day lengths will have most anglers curtailing their day afloat. Given the circumstances, the best strategy is to troll rigs and baits and to try and cover as much water as possible. Expect wahoo but do not be surprised if a barracuda or some other species takes the carefully prepared rig instead.

One of the best indications of the state of the sport fishery comes from the charter fishing fleet. Unfortunately, at this time of the year, most of these operators have shifted to other pursuits. This is due to an overall lack of customers and the weather making it difficult to be able to accommodate any potential clients. The reason that it provides such valuable information to the recreational fishery stems from the fact that the methods in use there are very similar to the anglers.

So, with the season winding down what are the best options? For many a simple solution and one which can be used if the sea is a bit too rough for the offshore Banks but calm enough to allow the deeper reefs to be exploited is basic, old-fashioned bottom fishing.

Probably the oldest form of fishing known to man, bottom fishing means dropping a line down in the hope that a fish will take the bait and get hooked so that it can be retrieved by the angler. The ideal form of this is drift fishing and this is most easily and probably best practised on the Banks. Those areas allow a lengthy drift in one direction, something that is very hard to accomplish on Bermuda’s Edge where the bottom constantly changes direction so that the depth varies considerably. The top of either bank is relatively flat and so a drift can maintain a fairly consistent depth for a period of time.

While the results of such a mission today are hardly comparable to those of 40 years ago, the method should see a collection of red hinds, coneys and barbers (on the Edge in particular) with a smattering of “floating” fish. That latter term generally means the amberjacks, bonita and gwelly that take baits fished down near the reef bottom. The very lucky angler might just happen to snag an even more occasional monkey or “flag” rockfish. This species tends to hang about ten feet above the reef floor and will snatch at a hook fished at about that level.

There are a few tactics that can help to maximise the yield of this form of fishing. While many anglers stick to the time-honoured method of using drop loops on a bottom line – usually two or three about a foot or so above the lead sinker, they would do better to use a series of stiff rigs, either wire or thin rod. The object here is to keep the hooks and baits away from each other, more like a tree than the collapsed shrub which is what happens when the monofilament loops hit the bottom and start to entangle each other. Visibility is not worth worrying about because the fish in question are not known for their subtlety. The use of circle hooks also works to improve the hooking rate as does the use of octopus, squid or other tough baits.

Less drifting and more directed bottom fishing on the crown of the bank should see some action from large yellowtail snappers although there is competition for these from the sharks that call that area home. It is late in the year but the addition of a few handfuls of chum into a slack tide will increase chances. By any standard, the yellowtails taken here are trophy-sized compared with those in Florida and elsewhere.

While any form of bottom fishing at almost any location is unlikely to provide any thrilling sport it is an efficient means of collecting enough white fillet as an alternative to the rapidly advancing turkey and ham season.

Well, all good things come to an end and as the sport fishing season draws to a close for this year so will this go into hibernation until the spring. There will be a few hardy souls who will continue to wet a line when the winter weather permits and to them the best of luck. Wahoo will please though those months and recent years have shown that less likely species including bluefin tuna, albacore and even African pompano may surprise. Though, for most, angling will take the form of dreams and hopes for future Tight Lines!!!