FOR once, a really mild winter but fishing effort is, as usual, really at a minimum with most of the really keen anglers only managing the very odd expedition afloat and the rest of us staying home.

It is okay for those who have the luxury of being able to take off mid-week when conditions suit, but, for most of us, the only time we can go is the weekend and things just aren?t reliable enough for us to plan ahead. So we end up sitting home carrying out ?honey do?s? and maybe thinking about getting the boat ready. The latter is the big mistake; before you know it, it will be May and panic stations.

To return to the present, it is not as if there are not some fish out there. Wahoo are being taken with some measure of consistency even though little directed effort is being put in by the commercial fishermen. They are concentrating on lobsters and other fish that find a ready market niche.

With fuel costs the way they are, trolling is probably not the best bet for the amateur seeking a bit of fresh fish. Chumming offers something in the way of an option but fish, including, yellowfin tuna are likely to be a bit thin on the ground.

So, what happens if we do get lucky and manage a day out? The best bet is to get the bottom gear out and to fish multiple hooks for coney, barber, red hind and whatever else happens to come along. The tops of both Banks offer good drifts and every once in a while you may be fortunate enough to run through a vein of fish that will please. If you pay attention to the wind and current conditions, it often pays to fire up the engine and run back ahead so that you drift over the same bit of bottom again. These little veins can sometimes be surprisingly rich and it is possible to work them over several times with pleasing results.

If you are really enthusiastic and don?t mind heavy winding, try drifting out along the drop-off into deeper water. There are several species of interest here. One is the misty grouper or John Paw. Guaranteed to put a serious bend in your rod and provide some back-breaking work, the misty grouper gets to be quite large, over 100 pounds. Several decades ago, deep lining for this species was a common practice and this species has enjoyed a free ride in recent years, so you just might get lucky.

There is also the lesser or ?bastard? amberjack. It looks like an amberjack but boasts a larger eye, presumably an adaptation to the light conditions in the deeper water that it inhabits. This fish is quite game and, if not totally overpowered by the tackle in use, will give a good account of itself.

Another species likely to be encountered by the deep drifter is the red snapper.

What red snapper? The real red snapper isn?t found here. Neither is it found in the Bahamas or through much of the Caribbean. Actually, this is the beginning of a lesson that will leave many confused. Let us look at this complicated picture stepwise always remembering that we don?t get red snapper here.

First off, there is an African red snapper. That species is not the subject of this treatise. It is only found in a narrow geographic region off West Africa and nowhere else. Good, it helps to simplify things.

Now we come to the red snapper. This is found in the Gulf of Mexico and ranges along the United States east coast to the Carolinas and rarely northward. This is a real snapper, closely related to the grey snapper which we do get here.

This snapper gets big. The all-tackle record for the species is over 50 pounds and there have probably been larger specimens taken by commercial fisheries.

It is also a very valuable species and has supported important commercial fisheries in the southern United States and Mexico. As is so often the case, overfishing has reduced numbers and raised the price of red snapper when it is available. In fact, there is a fair amount of legislation in the U.S.A. to protect this species, particularly during its juvenile stages.

Now, we said that this snapper wasn?t found in the Caribbean. Well, So what is it that we get here that we call ?red snapper?? It is actually a deeper water species that is more correctly called ?glass-eye?. There are actually several species including the queen snapper that are caught by vertical lining multiple hooks (a form of longlining) or by dropping your bottom fishing rig down deep, like 100 fathoms deep. From a practical point of view, it really doesn?t matter which species you get, they are all pretty good in the pan. So much so, that, years ago, it was traditional to have a ?red snapper? for Good Friday.

Not had enough of red snapper, yet? Next time you go for sushi, there is likely to be ?red snapper? on the menu. Is this one of the above-mentioned fishes? Never fear, this is even more far removed from snapper than you can imagine. It is not even a marine species. The fish on offer is usually a variety of a freshwater fish, the tilapia. A variety because tilapia are a species that has undergone significant genetic modification as well as selective breeding over generations. Incredibly well suited to aquaculture, this is an important food fish that marketing has made great strides in promoting. As a result it is to be found in supermarkets worldwide and frequently makes appearances on restaurant menus under a variety of names. For sushi lovers, the usual title is ?red snapper?. While it is nowhere near being a snapper, it is exceedingly popular, a tribute to its tastiness.

Now is also a time to look at the state of your gear. Chances are that it hasn?t been properly winterised and there are probably a number of things that you have been meaning to do. Stripping down roller guides and cleaning them out properly is a worthwhile but often if ignored exercise. It is amazing how the various spray on lubricants build up and often cause the rollers to stick. A proper cleaning out is easy and doesn?t take long. After all, it might make a difference in a few months? time when you are attached to some Tight lines!!!