Had enough of picnics, barbecues, raft ups and camping? With still some time left for most of us in the long holiday weekend, the smart option is to take advantage of the predicted calm weather and to head offshore for some sport. This can have the advantage of allowing some fresh fish into the diet, a change from the overdose of fishcakes, hot dogs and burgers that has been the hallmark of recent days.

Although the billfish tournaments are over for now, that does not mean that the marlin are not still there. This can present a problem for anglers who want some action that results in some edible proceeds. Wasting an hour or more on the uneatable does not appeal to lots of grassroots anglers and can be hard to justify when the total result of a day’s fishing is something that is turned loose anyway.

A discouraging notion comes from some of the commercial trollers having abandoned the idea of working the drop-offs solely in search of wahoo. The lack of school-sized yellowfins that normally show in chum slicks has also helped to prompt a shift in strategy. They are now working the deeper water along the edge of the Banks in the hope of encountering some of the large yellowfin tuna on the prowl. The downside to this is that this is also the domain of the billfish, not what the local market wants for sushi!

The method to this madness is that, historically, it has been the month of August when the largest yellowfins show up. Unlike their smaller relatives in the more common schoolie class of fish, fish in excess of about 100lb tend to stay on the move and are more susceptible to trolling than chum tactics. They are usually found off Bermuda’s Edge, particularly down north, behind North Rock and in the Churn and deep water between the Banks.

Although they have been known to take lures intended for billfish, they exhibit a real preference for baits. Naturally rigged flying fish are the ideal bait and fishing them a long way behind the boat seems to be advantageous.

An artificial that can have its moments — rather than the more “Kona-head”-derived marlin lures — is the Mold Craft Soft Head® Wide Range Colour combinations of pink, white and bright blue often get results; the suggestion being that they resemble squid, a real tidbit for tuna.

If this is the sort of fishing that you want to do, make sure that you have geared up properly. These tuna are not light-tackle candidates. In fact, some of the fish in question can put a good bend in a 130lb test rig intended for a monster marlin. One fish caught this week tipped the scale at 160lb and, while no one has yet caught a 200-pounder here, there is no doubt that such beasts lurk out there and it is only a matter of time and having the right stuff out there.

If you are determined to catch a wahoo, rest assured that there are still some around. It is just that they are not as plentiful or as co-operative as they were a few weeks ago. A concerted stint of trolling the usual areas will result in enough strikes to allow the final catch to consist of two or three ‘hoos. The size of the individuals is not too exciting, either. Expect fish to weigh in the ‘teens, with only a few making it into the 20lb bracket.

Good, old-fashioned chumming on the Banks, will see the usual small game: rainbow runners, mackerel, jacks and robins. Getting a bait down deep should pay off with some nice bonita (Almaco jack) or amberjack. Both species seem to be around in good numbers and they are not noted for being reluctant to take most any bait.

Regarded as nuisance by some, barracuda are entering that summer phase when they seem to be everywhere and ready to take any live bait or to mess up any fish being brought to the boat. In some respects, this represents an opportunity for the weekender looking for some fresh fish. Shunned in many places and considered downright poisonous in others, here the barry produces a good, firm white fillet that has been widely accepted. Although not the game fish that some writers have claimed it to be, it does put up a brief but decent effort on suitable tackle and will relieve any boredom that might have set in on a slow day.

The crown of the Banks is home to some real trophy yellowtail snappers, but they share that domicile with some full-sized tiger sharks that specialise in keeping anglers from catching any intact snappers. Closer to home, there are also some good numbers of yellowtails, even if they do not attain the size that the ones on the Bank do. Fresh fry and a good tide can see the yellowtails co-operate on a reliable basis even into the hours of darkness.

The key when catching a good number of these is to have enough ice on hand to ensure that they do not spoil. It is far better to just catch what can be properly iced to maintain the quality of this highly desirable fish than to waste the fruits of those hard-sought Tight Lines!!!