Time does indeed march on and it seems that the next thing on the agenda is Hallowe’en. Having said that, it needn’t mean that the fishing has to come to an end just yet. There are a few weekends left before winter really arrives with authority and puts paid to all thoughts of marine excursions.

At present the offshore scene is certainly a bit limited, especially for the weekender. Long range forecasts can allow the planning of a trip but all too often the fine weather will fall mid-week or at the drop of a hat when it is inopportune to take off and go fishing. Still, it should be possible to get lucky and manage at least one more trip out.

Any trip out to the Edge or the Banks should take the shotgun approach with baits and rigs that are intended for just about anything. Wahoo are the expected species but tuna, barracuda and even dolphin may take the trolled offerings.

Difficult tides may make chumming a waste of time but there may be some opportunities for working the bottom.

The time of year is right for amberjack and bonita and they are usually more than willing to take whatever is on offer. Fresh anchovy would be the bait of choice but considering how hard it is to get, fresh cut fish like mackerel or robin usually works pretty well.

Fishing reports out of North Carolina have revealed that they are enjoying a good run of wahoo with a high degree of quality. This stems from the fact that a number of “citation” fish have been taken. The State regulatory authorities recognise certain catches with a citation; something like the Department of Tourism used to award here.

So, a higher than usual number of citation catches suggests that the wahoo are better than expected.

Although October is considered one of the best months for wahoo out of the Carolinas, the fishing there has been hampered by poor weather conditions and, given the present forecast for Hurricane Joaquin, that isn’t going to improve any time soon. But we can’t catch their fish anyway.

Although there have been some quality wahoo taken locally, the numbers have certainly not lived up to expectations and it does look like a bit of a grim winter ahead for commercial fishermen and the chefs who look to be able to do something with the catch of the day.

Given that much of the winter is blustery enough to mean no fishing then those catches can be severely limited; and even the most gullible tourist is not going to accept that the fish of the day is salmon.

Looking ahead to the rest of the weekend, things are not going to improve much. The storm to our west is going to keep churning up swells and seas that will make our offshore uncomfortable and certainly send some message to the pelagic fish, helping them to keep a low profile.

For this reason, it may be better to concentrate on things closer to home.

If you are limited to the inshore waters, now is the time to go looking for what the old- timers used to call “fall fish”. These are the larger version of the jacks that have been erupting all over the harbours and sounds all summer long.

While those would have been in the one pound range, the older fish may make as much as three pounds and, as such, can perform pretty well on suitable tackle.

Great fun can be had with small, shiny lures trolled behind a boat or cast into a school of these fish. Mackerel also take such lures and often run with jacks as do school-sized amberjack and bonita, making such fishing interesting.

Over the reef areas, say from 18-22 fathoms, there should be some respectable yellowtail fishing. Once an important aspect of the commercial fishery, it seems that no one cares to specialise in them anymore. A true member of the snapper family, they are a fine food fish and a good game fish.

Success can be had by using traditional chumming methods but this can be amplified by the use of fresh fry and sand. Many see it as a fine art but if the fish are in the mood, they are more than willing to please and a cooler can be filled quite quickly.

The problem with yellowtail snapper is that they tend to spoil quickly, especially in the heat, so either be optimistic and carry a lot of ice or, if they do please, quit once you have caught as much as you can reasonably handle.

While waiting for the snappers to make their way up from the bottom, drop a line down to see what is home. Apart from yellowtails which can also be caught off the bottom, there should be some coneys and red hinds which also make for welcome Tight Lines!