April 1999

April 11th - The first week of April saw good weather, lots of Humpback Whales and moderate fishing. Trolling is producing scattered Wahoo action with fish between 15 - 70lbs., while small Yellowfin Tuna (15 - 30lbs) are being caught, chumming.  This is the beginning of Bermuda’s fishing season and the fishing will improve with every passing day.

April 18th - This is been a bad week for fishing.  There has been a small craft warning up all week, with winds at 15 to 30 knots.  For the brave fishermen that did go out a few days, there was some fair Wahoo & Yellowfin Tuna fishing. The good news is that the weather has broken and should be good the next couple of days, allowing the fleet to get out and find the hot spots.  The Tuna & Wahoo fishing is improving everyday and it should not be long before the first Marlin of the year is spotted.

April 25th - The third week of fishing in Bermuda produced some good catches. Wahoo catches of up to 14 fish a day were reported, with some nice size fish like the 76 pounder caught by Mr. Felthan on the Mako 4. The Yellowfin are still small (15-30lbs), like the ones caught by the Rizzo family while fishing with us this week.  As I predicted, the first billfish were seen this week, although all White Marlins.   I’m sure the Blues are not far behind.  The weather has greatly improved and the water temperature has reached the low 70`s.

May 1999

May 2nd - The last week of April saw some good Wahoo fishing, with catches of 10 or more Wahoo not uncommon. Frank Feltan, while fishing with us on Wednesday, managed to catch the largest Wahoo for the season (so far) - a 114 pounder!! The Yellowfin Tuna are still small and few, but the Billfish are starting to make a showing. We released a small Spearfish this week, plus pulled the hook on a 70lb. White Marlin, close to the boat and had a shot at a 400lb. Blue.  A few other encounters with Billfish were reported by the fleet.  With the beginning of May will come the first Blue Marlin for the season, which is usually a big fish. I guess we will have to wait and see if the Blues make me out to be a liar.

May 9th - Well, May is here and so are the fish.  What a week!  As I predicted, the first Blue for the year was caught, PLUS the second and the third.  A lucky fisherman, in a 22ft Aquasport, caught & released the first Blue, a 400 pounder and, later in the week, there was a 500 pounder, and then a 550 pounder caught. The 550lb Blue was caught on our headboat, the “Eureka,” with our able crew, Capt`s David Soares and Big Jeff.  (It looks like it`s going to be another big Blue Marlin year for Bermuda, by the size of what has been seen so far.) THE YELLOWFIN ARE HERE!!!  Good Tuna fishing all week with catches of 10-25 fish per day, with some fish in the 40lb range. Wahoo are also still biting well plus, inshore, the reef fishing and Bonefishing  has started.   The best thing this week is the weather.. flat calm all week… I mean cccccalm!!  Can`t wait until next week!

May 16th - The second week of May brought about the same amount of action as last week with the school of Yellowfin Tuna still biting nicely (10 - 15 fish per trip). We caught a lot of the Yellowfin this week on flyingfish, rigged on the kite, plus casting a #109 Mirrolure was very productive on the spinning tackle. A few more Blue Marlin shots and some pick up in the White Marlin department, was reported this week. The Wahoo were being a real nuisance this week, always cruising in the chum slick, cutting off the mono rigs set for the Tuna and staying well clear of anything that even looked like wire.  We did manage to trick a few into biting though!! The weather remained great up until Saturday, but it`s raining today and is forecasted to last until Tuesday.

May 23rd - The third week of May continued to produce lots of action, with Wahoo and Yellowfin Tuna as the main source of the catch.  As the season begins to settle in more, the schools of fish keep growing in size, with a guarantee that everyone onboard will almost surely land a couple.  The Blue and White Marlin still haven’t started to show themselves in large numbers, but it won’t be long before we will report some good catches in that area.  The end of  the week provided some Bermudaful weather for us and the fish seemed to enjoy it also!   Yes, Bermuda fishing has begun.  Come on out and join us!

May 30th - The last week of May saw little change, with continued good Yellowfin Tuna fishing and some bigger fish showing up ( 40 - 90lbs ). Catches of 10 fish per day was the average, with good catches up to 25 fish. The Wahoo are still being caught in good numbers, but the size is falling (it’s summer lizard time!). In case you didn’t know, a “lizard” is a small Wahoo ( 10 - 20lbs ) One thing is for sure… the Marlins ain’t small!   A few more Blue Marlin encounters this week, with the best catch, a 700 pounder, released by my best friend, also named Alan DeSilva, on his boat “Treasure Isle.”  Congratulations Alan!! The next report will be June already, so stand by for lots more Marlin action!

June 1999

June 6th - The first week of June brought great weather again. Seas are flat, with wind speeds less than 15kts. and lots of sunshine (80F). The Yellowfin Tuna catches are good, with the average size increasing to about 30lbs., with 40 - 70 pounders mixed in. Our best Tuna catch of the week was   23 Tuna, with the largest at 72lbs. Wahoo fishing is still okay, with a few Dolphin showing up. The White Marlin have arrived!!   Quite a few have been seen and caught in the last few days, but the Blues are still few and far between. Hopefully, I can report better Blue Marlin fishing next week.

June 13th - The second week of June and the weather & fishing are GREAT!! Seas are still calm, with light winds most days. The temperatures are in the low 80’s. The Yellowfin Tuna fishing is first class, with catches of 10-20 fish per trip ( 25-65lb.) The best fishing is the chumming, which we do with 30lb. standup gear (lots of fun). The Wahoo & White Marlin remain a bit slow, but the Blue Marlin are picking up everyday. We tagged & released a 550lb. Blue on Tuesday and pulled the hook on another fish about the same size. There were Blue strikes everyday this week, with some catches but mostly “losts.” (You know…. usual Blue Marlin fishing!!) On the reef fishing scene, the Eureka reports better catches with Snapper & Triggerfish, but no Sharks yet.

June 20th - The third week of June was interrupted by Tropical Storm “Arlene” but there was some good Tuna fishing before then, with the Blue Marlin fishing pick up on the weekend. Our best catch of the week was on Tuesday, with the O`Briens, who managed to catch 28 Yellowfin Tuna, plus 3 Wahoo, as well as an assortment of Rainbow Runners & Bonita’s. The biggest Blue of the week was a 700 pounder released on the “Chaos” ( Good Job Brooks!!). Seas are back to being flat calm again and are forecasted to stay that way for sometime. Temperatures on the climb, now in the mid 80`s.

June 27th - For a while, I thought I was going to have nothing to write about this week. The fourth week of June was a quiet one, with very little Tuna, Wahoo or Marlin to report about, until the weekend. Saturday & Sunday brought some of the best Marlin action we have seen so far this season. Finally, boats reported seeing 2 or 4 fish in a day, instead of the one here or one there. Hopefully, the Marlin season is finally off to a start. Better late than never!  WATCH OUT WORLDCUP TOURNAMENT! Bermuda`s Blues are still running BIG!! Most fish seen are over 400lbs. and we were 1 for 3 today, releasing a 450 pounder in the morning, then losing a 700 pounder just 30 feet from the boat in the afternoon.   Plus, rising another Blue.  That`s not all too shabby a day!  Well, I can`t wait `til next week.  It`s the week of the full moon, so it`ll be HOT!!

July 1999

July 4th - Blue & White Marlin bites have been good this week, plus the Yellowfin Tuna have returned. As many as 20 Tuna a day were caught this week. The Seawolfe had a great week with the Blues, but the catch of the week goes to Kathine, on the “Reel Action” for her 600lb plus Blue Marlin release. (Great job Kathine!) 16 boats fished the World Cup Tournament in Bermuda today, but no big Blues could be caught, just 7 small Blues (150lb - 250lb). Oh well, we`ll give it our best shot again next year!! Seas are still flat and it is hot with temperatures in the mid to high 80`s. It seems that August weather has come early, and I love it! Well, that`s all for this week. I am going to bed early, planning on terrorizing a few Blues tomorrow!

July 11th - Second week of July`s report: Calm seas, with lots of Tuna & Marlin! The Yellowfin Tuna bite was good this week with our best catch of 22 Tuna going to Mr. Scully & crew ( Great Day!!)  Most days averaging 10 or more Tuna. The Blue Marlin fishing was okay, but still room for improvement. Our CONGRATULATIONS go out to Mr. Barnes for his first Blue Marlin release… Great job!!

July 18th - Sorry for the delay in this week`s report. This week`s report is MARLIN, MARLIN, MARLIN!  Yes, the Blues have arrived, with as many as 5 fish per day being seen and still a good number of large fish (400-700lbs.) CONGRATULATIONS go out to Mrs. Crosland, Chip, James & Julie, Ricky & LaLa for their Blue Marlin releases, plus a special congratulations to 13yr. old Daniel Dickinson for his 550lb Blue Marlin release. The Tuna & Wahoo fishing is slow with very spotty catches being reported by the fleet. Weather is still great and we have fished everyday this month (I love it!). The Marlin fishing will be the ticket for the rest of this month, plus all of August. So, if you want a chance to catch a Big Blue, best come fishing here!!

July 25th - This week`s fishing was interrupted by some wind, for a few days. The rest of the week saw mainly Blue Marlin fishing, with still spotty Wahoo & Tuna action. Visting boat “Chaos” from Virginia had the catch of the week, on Tuesday, with 5 Blues out of 7 shots, and one fish over 700lbs. The rest of the fleet all reported stay Marlin action for the week. With the full moon coming this Wednesday, next week should be RED HOT!! for the Blues. (Don’t waste any time fishing for anything else!) Next week is also the local Marlin Tournament and, with the extra effort being focused on Marlin, it promises to be the best Marlin week for the year. Stay tuned for next weeks report!

August 1999

August 1st - BAD WEATHER was the main event this week. Unfortunately, the weather stopped most of the fishing on the full moon week. Today, there was a break in the winds and there was good action from the Blue Marlin. Most boats reported having 3,4 & even 5 shots at the Blues. CHAOS was the name of the day today, with the visiting boat from Va. (Chaos) going 2 for 5 on Blues, (pretty work Steve) plus the local boat, also named Chaos, released a 400lb (one of many shots today) which was the last Blue caught in the Marlin Tournament and enough to give them the win. (CONGRATULATIONS TO BROOKS AND CREW!) The Mako`s best Marlin day was on Thursday.  We went 2 for 5, missing a shot at a 800+lb & releasing a 180lb and a 325lb. (Good job to John Malloy & Ray Miller). We also had some luck with the Yellowfin Tuna this week, no big catches but stay bites.  (See photo as Tracyann shows off her Tuna) The CHAOS is going back home tomorrow. Sure going to miss all the great Chaos crew and wish them a safe trip back to Virginia. I am looking forward to their return next July.

August 8th - The week started off great, with good Marlin action and good weather . We had the privilege of having Dr. Eric Prince, from National Marine Fisheries, onboard, Monday and Tuesday, and were successful in tagging 3 Blue Marlin with 5-day satellite tags. (CONGRATULATIONS to your Satellite anglers, Al Minella, Carl Carman,& Steve Donahue). Unfortunately the weather did not last and winds of 15-25kts, with lots of rain, kept most of the fleet at the dock, with ourselves and a few diehards fishing the rest of the week in rough conditions, with some success, catching a few Yellowfin, Wahoo and Marlin. I hope the winds subside and we can get on with some serious HOT Marlin action this week!

August 15th - WAHOO!! That`s right, the Wahoo have started to bite already. Catches of 4-6 are common, with catches of 6-12 being caught by the Wahoo experts. Where have all the Tuna gone?   Everyone is on the hunt for the elusive Yellowfin. Sure hope they show up soon.  We had to cancel our trips on Monday & Tuesday, due to bad weather, but the rest of the week was fine. We had some good fortune with the Blues this week, with Mr.Bentley Fondren as our luckiest angler, with 3 Blue Marlin releases in two days of fishing. Bentley’s best catch was the 700lb. Blue released on Friday. CONGRATULATIONS  -  GREAT JOB BENTLEY!

August 22nd - Pretty quiet week, with some Yellowfin Tuna, some Wahoo, & some Marlin. All in all, no great catches reported by the fleet.  Our best catch was definitely on Friday, with Mr. Ed Murphy releasing three Blues ( 180#, 200#, 270# ). CONGRATULATIONS ED, looking forward to your return trip in October.  Weather still great, calm sea & hot ( 85F water temp ).  We are happy to report that all Marlin tagged with satellite tags on the Mako ( five fish in all ), have reported back and are doing well!!  Next week is the week of the full moon.  Let’s hope that the weather stays good so the fleet can get a fair crack at the Blues.

August 29th - What a week!!  We are surrounded by storms, but the fishing and the weather is great! Good Wahoo fishing reported by the whole fleet.  Our best Wahoo catch was with Karen & Steve Smith.  The duo caught 16 Wahoo, plus a 46lb Dolphin. Not bad by no means. The Yellowfin remain slow, with a 70 pounder being the Mako`s weekly best.   Not a lot of effort being put into the Marlin fishing, with the Wahoo fishing being so good, although we did manage to release a few.  The catch of the week goes to ME!!  That’s right, on Friday, we had a last minute cancellation so what do I decide to do on my day off?  GO FISHING!  I went out fishing by myself in my 23ft. Seacraft, “Rabbit Hunter,” and while live bait fishing for Wahoo, I hooked a 400lb Blue Marlin on 30lb. test line.  Well, after 2hrs. 20mins., I grabbed the leader, held the fish alongside the boat, then released her and proudly watched her swim away.  With the start of the live bait season, look forward to lots of great catches by the fleet ( Wahoo,Yellowfin, Dolphin & Marlin ). Catches of 10 to 20 fish a day should be common.

September 1999

September 5th - Just another great week of fishing!  The Yellowfin Tuna are back, adding to the fun. Blue Marlin are thinning out, with just a few encounters this week reported.  Congratulations to Micheal & Roger for their combined effort to release a 250lb Blue on Monday, on light tackle.  Great catches: On Thursday, Big John, Colin & Steinar, while fishing all day in the rain & thunder, managed to catch 10 Wahoo, 6 Tuna, 1 Dolphin & a few Dragons ( Barracuda ).  On Sunday, the Bennett’s catch of 5 Wahoo, 8 Tuna, a 46lb Amberjack, & yes, more Dragons, was a fine end to the week for the Mako.  With the end of Dennis, we are seeing improvements in the weather, with the swell flattening out.  Live bait fishing will be the ticket for success the rest of the month.  Expect great fishing right through this month, regardless of the weather.

September 12th - Wahoo!! Wahoo!! and More Wahoo!!   That’s this week`s report.  Wahoo catches in the double figures were commonly reported by the fleet this week.  Some Yellowfin & Dolphin catches, but Wahoo are the main game in town.  The weather has been fine all week, even though the Wahoo Tournament was cancelled today (Sunday) because of forecasted 12-18 kt winds.  It was a bad call as many boats fished today with good results (Wahoo & Yellowfin). The Mako crew ( Ricky, Lala & Feeds ) had a sizeable side bet with the “Challenger” Crew for the boat that caught the most Wahoo today.  Even though the tournament was off, the bet was still on!  AND THE RESULTS: The Challenger lost 4 Wahoo to the Mako’s 11 Wahoo.  It was definetly Ricky`s week as he fished with us on Wednesday and caught 8 Wahoo, 3 Yellowfin, 5 Barracuda and a trusty old Shark… great catches Ricky!! Blue Marlin reports are slow, due to all efforts being focused on Wahoo fishing, but the Challenger did manage to release a 150lb while Wahoo fishing, and there were a few other hookups reported around the fleet this week.

September 19th - Hurricane Gert brought this week`s fishing to an early end. There was some great Yellowfin Tuna fishing, early in the week, reported by the fleet ( some fish up to 100lbs ), plus the usual good Wahoo fishing ( 5-15 Wahoo a day ).  Our best catch goes to SUPER Jeff Radke, who caught 17 Yellowfin ( 20-60lbs -  total gutted weight 540lbs ) all by himself on 30lb standup tackle. ( How’s those blisters, Jeff? GREAT CATCH!! ) Due to Gert, we probably will not fish again until mid-week.  Well, let me go and tie the Mako down.

September 26th - Well, Hurricane Gert missed us, but it did stop us from fishing most of the week.  The first day of fishing was on Friday, and I am glad to report that the fish are still out there.   There were some good Wahoo catches ( 5-12 fish ) with some bigger Wahoo showing up ( 40-60 pounders ). The Yellowfin Tuna have shown up on the northern side of Challenger Bank, with fish ranging from 15- 70 lbs.  Lots of them jumping, but a little tricky to get them to bite! On Sunday, Brooks, on his boat the “Chaos,” decided to go Marlin fishing and hooked 3 Blue Marlin.  Not bad for late September.  The weather is still great and seas have been calm for the most part, with the temperatures still in the mid 80`s.  The water temperature continues to be 82F.

October 1999

October 3rd - October is here, and with it some choppy seas & cooler air, but some good fishing. The catch of the week goes to Ricky`s gang, on Saturday, with 10 Wahoo, 6 Yellowfin & 5 Dolphin (Not Bad!!) The biggest Wahoo, 62lbs., goes to Jeff Radke, on Sunday ( Nice One!!) We got blown out on Friday, but managed to fish the rest of the week, with good results most days. Conditions, and the fishing, should remain the same for the rest of October, with things tapering off in November. Do not miss October`s great fishing. Let’s go fishing now!!

October 10th - Lots of wind this week.  We only fished Monday, Saturday & Sunday. Juan`s trip on Monday saw some good Wahoo fishing, with a total of 8 Wahoo, and the biggest Wahoo, a 70lb, caught by Juan himself. ( nice hook!! ), Plus, we even had a 150lb Blue Marlin come and eat one of our live baits. Unfortunately, the light wire leader broke after 15 mins.  We fished with Richard Carrie, on Saturday, and, even with a 11:30 a.m. start, he managed to catch 7 Wahoo and some Barracuda by himself (The Lone Angler!).  Most of the fleet reported the same good Wahoo fishing, on the few days they could get out. Hopefully, next week`s weather will let us get some more days in!

October 17th - This was a tough week!  The fleet was struggling to catch some fish to keep their clients happy. Mainly just a few Wahoo & Yellowfin being caught. The weather is not bad for October, but the fishing is definitely not up to par!! I hope the rest of October improves but, with the normal slow fishing of November just around the corner, I have my doubts. Even with the slow fishing, we did have a few great days with the HMY group. (Great to see you, Steve!) Well, I hope I have a better report for you next time.

October 24th - No change! Fishing is still slow, with a few good catches here and there, like Ricky & lala`s twin Wahoo, at 69lb each. Plus, a few Yellowfin.  Lucky Bermuda missed another Hurricane (Jose). There is some advantage to being small!  With the peak of the fishing season ending, and less and less boats fishing, it will be difficult to get the true perspective of the fishing in the coming months.  But, stay tuned, as I am sure the fishing will improve.

November 1999

November 7th - It’s the end of Bermuda`s busy season, but there is still some good fishing taking place off shore. I will be reporting to you as the fishing warrants. There has been some good Yellowfin Tuna catches NE of the island, as well as on Challenger Bank. The Wahoo catches are up and down with some Mai Mai being caught at the same time. Believe it or not, there has been some Blue & White Marlin spotted.  I guess they have not all left yet!! The weather this time of year is more rough (15 - 25kt.) than calm, so if you are planning on fishing, please have a few days to pick from.

November 14th - STILL SOME GREAT FISHING HERE!!  And to prove it, Hanish chartered the Mako on Thursday, for his sister (who had never fished before), to show her some Bermuda fishing before her return to England .  After having good sucess with 4 Wahoo & 11 Yellowfin Tuna, I decided to try our luck with the Marlin ( YES, in November).   My mate, Bigger James, set up the two 130`s for the ride home, while Hanish was making Pina Coladas.  After just 10mins. of trolling, we got a double hook up.. one 40lb. Yellowfin & one 200lb. Blue Marlin release by angler Allan DeSilva (No, not me, but another Allan).  A great day, anytime of year!! The rest of the fleet have all reported better Tuna catches than in previous weeks.   Maybe the fishing will remain strong to the end of the year.

December 1999

December 24th - With the Holiday season upon us, you know there is not much fishing taking place! For those of us lucky enough to get out fishing, there still is some good Yellowfin Tuna fishing.  Forget any trolling as the seaweed is thick… everywhere!!   So, if you get out, plan to chum either to the NE of the island or on the SE of Challenger. Hopefully, the seaweed will clear out by the New Year, as January can be a good month for the Wahoo, but it will be hard work if the weed persists.  Well, until next CENTURY……..  Have a very HAPPY HOLIDAY from MAKO!!!