THE unseasonably gusty weather has precluded many boats from taking advantage of what could be some rather good fishing offshore. Even the commercial fleet has taken a bit of a break in the hope that things will improve for the weekend. Other than for the weather, the fishing has been pretty consistent and there should be plenty to look forward to.

The spring wahoo run continued with boats catching anywhere from three to double figures of this species. Notable catches included an 80-pounder caught surprisingly by the Government Fisheries vessel, R/V Calamus while it was carrying cameramen shooting the documentary on Bermuda fishing that is part of the Bermuda Big Game Classic promotion. Doubtless this trophy fish will grace viewers' television screens at some point in the future. Happily, the weather co-operated for the duration of the shoot and the shows stars all managed a healthy sampling of some of the great springtime angling to be had here. Catches included wahoo, dolphin of reasonable size and yellowfin tuna. Keeping the action lively were smaller game such as mackerel and rainbow runners.

There doesn't seem to be any shortage of blue marlin offshore. Just about every boat that has put in any effort at all in the deep water has enjoyed the pleasure of a visit form a billfish. Even the R/V Calamus, in its role as camera boat, had a blue estimated at 350 pounds repeatedly attack a small Alien plug until it was firmly attached to a 50-lb. outfit. The fish peeled off a couple of hundred yards before the hook pulled out.

One of the reasons behind the early abundance of the blue marlin must be the large number of small to school-sized yellowfin tuna. These are commonplace on the Banks with, perhaps, a greater concentration of the fish on Argus. Although they are game fish in their own right, fish of this size and in these quantities spell out B-A-I-T for larger predators like the blue marlin and mako shark. Even with the moon on the wane now, there should be an increase in action from billfish even though the real effort won't start until the wahoo bite has eased off considerably. Then the routine is likely to be: work the deep water in the morning; spend a couple of hours chumming for tuna and then back to dragging for marlin before heading for home.

Although marlin will attack and eat small baits and plugs, there is a real advantage to using something larger. The advantage comes from the larger hooks that can be used with larger baits or lures. Provided that there is sufficient hooking power; something that can be a bit doubtful with a 50-lb rig that is fished lightly, the larger hook generally provides a better form of attachment.

Speaking of hooking power, it is usual practice to set the strike drag at about one-third of line test. So for a 30-lb rig, ten pounds of drag is about right; 16 or 17 pounds for a 50 lb. rig and a whopping 45 pounds or so for a 130-lb test set up. The hooking power of the 130 is nothing short of awesome. It will drive even the largest hook through bone or anything else that it comes into contact with. So it is not too surprising that this is the choice of those who hunt giant marlin and tuna.

Those interested in catching tuna will find that they will take trolled artificials and the occasional rigged bait. Last week's balmy conditions, in stark contrast to this week's lousy weather, saw quite a number of boats try chumming. Most successfully lured Allisons into their slicks with the net result being quite a few tuna caught and a few actually being released to fight again another day. Small game was plentiful and these species offer lots of fun on spinning tackle or other ultra-light gear.

Dolphin have been caught both from chum lines and while trolling. Some of these have weighed in at 20 pounds or more and make for almost as good sport as they do for the table.

Given the numbers of wahoo around, there should be some white marlin around. These frequently run with the hoos and are much better suited for wahoo-type tackle where they can perform than the heavier gear used for blue marlin. Expect a few to be caught over the next couple of weeks. In overseas news, three days of steady consistent fishing helped Dr. Mike Gallops to win the Third Annual Rolex/IGFA Inshore Championship Tournament in Islamorada in the Florida Keys. This prestigious event drew a field of 32 world-class fly and light tackle anglers from 10 states. The Naples, Florida, family physician caught eleven redfish, six snook and one bonefish to net the grand champion title of the event.

Consistency was the key, said Gallops, who used artificial baits to catch all but the bonefish. I had three great guides over these three days who combined their strengths with mine.

The runner up grand champion as well as the overall release angler with the most points was Jim Bokor. The events defending champion, he caught seven redfish, two tarpon and one bonefish.

All of the competitors had won at least one of the 47 International Game Fish Association (IGFA) sanctioned qualifying events during 2002, held in 22 states and on four continents world-wide. The mix of anglers included four women and several celebrities. The tournaments oldest competitor, fishing legend Stu Apte, 72, finished sixth overall. He is most famous for his exploits in salt water fly-fishing.

The Rolex/IGFA ICT features three days of fishing matching a different guide and angler each day determined in an earlier drawing. The targeted species for the championship were bonefish, tarpon, snook, redfish and permit in a catch-and-release format. No one was able to catch a permit in the competition.

Unlike local tournaments where the scoring is based entirely on the weight of the fish, in this event the point value of the fish is determined by species and the anglers choice of fly-fishing, using artificial lures or casting live bait. In a manner similar to the Bermuda Anglers Club International Light Tackle Tournament, the rotating guide and angler format relieves the home field advantage to a degree and lends itself to maximising not only the anglers' strengths, but also the guides.

The ICT is one of two world-class series events that include the fourth annual Rolex/IGFA Offshore Championship Tournament that is presently being held in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. In that tournament teams of anglers from over 20 countries including Bermuda representing over 80 qualifying tournaments, are competing for a variety of billfish around the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula in Mexico.

Still with tournaments, the Sea Horse Anglers Club has modified their annual swordfish tournament to include participation by all anglers during the period 1st May 2003 through 30th November 2003. Any swordfish caught by sporting means during that period will be eligible for entry into the competition. Forms are available from tackle shops and Sea Horse members.

There is no entry fee.

With the official start of summer only a few days away, it is likely that the weather will moderate and provide reasonable conditions so that the local angling fleet can plan for at least one day offshore. Given that things haven't changed markedly over the last few days, there should be lots of opportunities for Tight lines!!!