FOLLOWING on all the rather grim reports of the last few weeks, there finally has been some sign of life offshore. Probably not as much life as would be needed to spark off renewed interest in sport fishing but probably enough to justify an excursion offshore.

Combine this with the interim phase of weather that we are currently enjoying and there may well be a few opportunities to actually get out on the briny. It won't be too long before the winter weather pattern sets in, making it virtually impossible for the weekender to plan a foray offshore.

A couple of boats have actually managed to approach double figures of wahoo. There have been hauls of six and eight although these have been few and far between. On the other hand, one's and two's have been pretty common, making it worthwhile to stick in a couple of hours' trolling effort.

Even though numbers are low, some consolation can be had from the fact that many of the fish are of a better class than the run-of-the-mill summertime lizard. The average fish is now pushing 30 pounds and there are some larger specimens about. Truth to tell, the genuine amateur really only needs one halfway decent fish to justify the effort. Even a 30-pounder will provide enough fillet or steaks to take up space in the freezer. After all, how many times do you go to the supermarket to buy 20 pounds of anything? Apart from the wahoo which are pretty much the mainstay of the local commercial fishery, there have been a few dolphin caught here and there. As is generally the case here, there is no real way to go looking for them. It is not like the Carolinas or Florida where a floating patch of seaweed is likely to harbour dozens, if not hundreds, of dolphin. The rule over there is: find the weed, find the fish. That just doesn't work here. In fact, around here, there seems to be precious little associated with mats of seaweed.

As is so often the case this time of year, it is the amount of water covered that makes the difference in the fishing. An ability to hit both Banks in addition to Bermuda's Edge is a distinct advantage. The reasons are several fold: with the lack of effort no one is really too sure where the fish are; second, the fish are usually not concentrated in any numbers so you are looking for stragglers, and, finally, there aren't many pointers as to where the fish might be. Lack of schools of bait or physical objects make this more of a hunting than a fishing expedition.

The real trick, though, is making the shots count. There are horror stories of boats trolling all day then finally getting a good strike only to have it run off a lot of line and come unstuck. Goodbye to whatever potential profit there may have been.

A limited number of yellowfin tuna have also been caught on the troll. It is hard to think that there are just singles swimming around out there. Tuna are school fish and there should be numbers of them even if only the odd individual is willing to strike at a trolled bait. One has to suspect that, with good conditions in terms of tide and lots of bait, it should be possible to chum up enough tuna to make life interesting.

It is no secret that the yellowfin tuna have always stayed around at least until the end of the calendar year. Even twenty-odd years ago, when the belief that fishing ended at the end of November was firmly entrenched, a few progressive operators made a point of chumming for Allisons right up through December. In recent years, there has been a good run of yellowfin off the southeast of the Island that lasted from mid-December until almost February, so it is reasonable to think that there should be some fish around.

The deeper reefs should remain productive for some time yet. It is a little early to go in pursuit of porgies but the other reef dwellers should be willing to please. With the emphasis shifting from the sporting aspects of angling to the more basic appetite for some fresh fish, reef fishing starts to come into its own.

Yellowtail snapper, amberjack and bonita are all good bets for at least the next few weeks. Mackerel (little tunny) will also be common but these are shunned as "eating" fish. Robins are also likely to invade a chum slick and while these are prime live baits for larger predators including rockfish, they actually yield up some rather tasty fillets. This should not be too surprising as they are actually members of the jack family and so are closely related to amberjack, bonita, rainbow runner and common harbour jacks, all of which have their fans. Just remember to take care when filleting robins, there are some tiny bones.

Working the bottom will result in coneys and barbers, both of which produce excellent, if rather small, fillets. With luck, you may encounter a red hind or two, a class grouper that offers endless possibilities in the kitchen. Fishing for black rockfish is indeed a speciality, but it is possible to get lucky especially if live-baiting down deep. For this reason it is best to leave the light tackle at home and to concentrate on the "hook and hold" method of angling. Other rockfish species are unlikely due to their rarity and, in any case, they are, for the most part, protected by law.

It is also not too late to take a spinning rod down to the South Shore along with some bread and sardines to go casting for pompano. This species is largely ignored even though it is both an incredibly sporting species as well as being a select species in the culinary department.

Although just plain bread can be used successfully, the addition of sardine oil or even fish-flavoured cat food will greatly enhance your chances. Palometa, as they should really be called, have an excellent sense of smell and can be quickly lured into casting range. Once in sight they will readily attack a chunk of bread on a hook. Using a bobber (float) gives the rig a bit of weight and will make casting a bit easier. The fish don't seem to care if the bobber is there or not. In any case, the bread won't have to last long either. Those who do not want to sully their hands with such substances can try using a small silver spoon-type lure. These work too but depend on blind casting in the hope of crossing the path of a fish.

Any palometa over a pound is a nice fish and they do grow up to about four pounds. And if a four-pounder latches on, then you will really know the meaning of Tight lines!!!