IT is later than you think and it's high time to get the boat ready for the briny. Procrastination has to come to an end and, to be honest, there aren't so many weeks in a fishing season that one can afford to lose a few at the beginning. Actually, if you analyse it, it goes something like this. Figure, May, June, July, August and half of September - that's the season. That really is about it. If you start thinking about the half of September, just remember the last few years' wahoo tournaments. Postponement after postponement. Half a month is being generous.

A total of 18 weeks. For most weekenders that a maximum of 18 trips. Figure losing five or six to weather (that's only about one week a month) and then May 24 and Cup Match when family demands will preclude fishing. That leaves ten possible trips. And you think you can afford to lose a week or two at the beginning of the season - think again! Assuming that you do get on with it, what are you going to miss while you are getting the boat ready? Happily, at the moment, not much but that is very likely to change at the drop of a hat. The offshore scene is starting to pick up and the satellite thermal imaging strongly suggests that the water temperature will show a marked rise very shortly. Such conditions should see the fishing action pick up markedly over the next couple of weeks.

Yellowfin tuna continue to be encountered fairly regularly on the Banks by trollers and there are some indications that chumming may pay off as well. There seems to be quite a range of size of fish involved. While most seem to be "schoolies", a few fish in the hundred-pound bracket have also been reported. This is not without precedent and experienced fishers will note that some large yellowfin are often taken while trolling as part of the early season mixed bag.

The real harbinger of the angling season is the spring wahoo run even though this is often so short-lived as to not really figure into the equation at all. A few of the charterboats and the commercial trollers are starting to report some success with this species and this could well be the onset of the run. Any day now, should see a few boats post double figures. So far, there have been catches just short of that mark and even the half day charters have usually managed to scrounge up a couple. The size of the fish is variable with the average being exactly that, an average fish in the 25 to 35 pound range. There have been a few considerably bigger and, no doubt, someone has ended up with a 14-pound "lizard". Actually, given present offshore conditions, the next moon might just be the one that sees the action suddenly pick right up.

Other summertime transients are also on the offshore grounds. There have been a number of run-ins with billfish; notably blue marlin and these are only going to become more frequent. There are also some dolphin around and these add colour variety and flavour to almost any fishing haul. All told, it looks like there could be some good things ahead. Trust me! Those who only believe in the prophesies of 'experts'; that is, someone from far away who purports to know what is going on locally, please note the following. The Travelling Fisherman section of the current issue of the respected Salt Water Sportsman magazine lists Bermuda as a hot spot of choice for three species. These include blue marlin, wahoo and yellowfin tuna. So even if you choose not to believe local anglers and charterboat operators, you can put stock in the "experts".

The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) has been pleased to announce the re-appointment of John Barnes as one of the two Bermuda representatives for a further two-year term. The role of representatives is to facilitate the processing of world record applications and to provide IGFA with new on local tournaments and other events. The IGFA also directs inquiries from individuals to the local representatives as recommended sources of local knowledge. In this capacity quite a number of inquires are fielded each year. Bermuda has two IGFA representatives; Keith Winter is the other.

A couple of noteworthy world records have recently been ratified by the IGFA. One is a line class record for an Almaco jack that weighed in at a whopping 105 lbs. 13 oz.! Perhaps, surprisingly, this was a Pacific Almaco jack and is treated as a separate category from the Atlantic version. Even though, they are deemed to be the same species this separate ocean format has been used by IGFA for some years now. Other examples are Pacific and Atlantic blue marlin, as well as Atlantic and Pacific yellowfin tuna.

Referring specifically to Almaco jack, they seem to enjoy a rather odd distribution. They are fairly common in the tropical/temperate western Atlantic; slotting in the Bermuda to Brazil range which, of course, includes the Caribbean, Bahamas and Florida. They are found in the eastern Atlantic as well, but there the details of their range become spotty. This author has caught one off Madeira so it would seem that they are known from that region. There is some question as to whether or not they are found off the Atlantic coast of Africa. In the Pacific, they are found in the eastern Pacific along the coast of the Americas, notably Mexico where this record was caught but they are apparently absent from some of Micronesia. Not much rhyme or reason to it but it helps to explain why it took IGFA so long to recognise this species as a gamefish. One of the basic criteria for recognition is availability and there certainly were some questions with respect to this species.

If this year is anything like last year, Bermuda should be able to make serious inroads into the Atlantic Almaco jack record book. There were some sterling performances last year and, if only a few drag the light tackle out of mothballs, lots more opportunities for fame and Tight lines!!!