January 2004

 

January 5th -  2003 will go down as one of the best fishing seasons in the last ten years. We saw good Tuna & Wahoo fishing, starting in January and running through to May.

 

June, July & August was some of the best Marlin fishing ever seen on this island, with “De MAKO” finally breaking the magical 50 Blue Marlin mark! The final total for “De MAKO” was 56 Blue Marlins.

 

Then, hurricane “ Fabian” tried its best to screw things up in September, but the fish would not have it. The Wahoo & Tuna bite got red hot again in October and the fishing remained good all the way through December.  What a year!

 

2004 looks to be getting off on the right foot as well, with the Tuna bite on Challenger still good. On Saturday, Ricky & Barry decided to take the kids for a little fishing/fun trip on“ De Mako” before the new school year started.  It was a fun day.  The weather was great, the company was great and all the kids caught a Tuna while withstanding lots of guidance and comments from the adults!  Great Fun!

 

February 2004

 

No report for this month

 

 

March 2004

 

March 7th -  This weekend marked the start of the season for “De MAKO” and what a great start! The first trip, with Johnny & friends, saw us catching 18 Yellowfins, one Wahoo and a few Rainbows & Bonitas.

 

Second trip, with Hamish’s crew, saw much the same, with 20 Yellowfins, one Wahoo & Bonitas.  Actually, the fishing has been great all year, with plenty of Tuna action on the inside of Challenger bank.  From the beginning of the year, Joey & Margaret on the “Gringo “ have had many good Tuna catches. Maybe this season will match up to last year’s great one - it sure has had an early start!

 

For all you whale watchers, we saw two Humpback’s on the SW edge yesterday.  We can expect to see more everyday, with the best of it usually happening sometime between the last week of March to the middle of April.

 

March 30th -  It’s the end of March, the Whales are here, the fishing is as good as it gets and the weather is.. well, you can’t have it all - it is March, after all!

 

As you know, the Yellowfin’s have been putting on a good show, for sometime now, but now the Wahoo’s have kicked it, too.

 

De MAKO’ s first all day trolling trip was on Saturday, producing 19, with 12 over 40lbs. Nice fish, nice people & a nice day!

 

The best of the Tuna bite has moved over to Argus, with a better class of fish, too. We caught a few in the 60 –80lbs.range, in the last few days. So far, this season is showing signs of being another great one, so you’d best get ready!!

April 2004

 

April 9th - Slow week on the fishing scene, with lots of windy days plus a slow down in the fishing. We managed to get offshore a few days and had some luck with the Wahoos, but the Tunas seem to be hiding. A few have been caught down on Argus, but that’s a long haul for just a few bites.  “De MAKO’s” best catch of the week was on Saturday, with the “Seaboard gang.”  We managed 11 nice Wahoos, with some in the 40-60lbs range, and made it back to the dock by 1.00pm.  Now, that’s some fast fishing!  Yesterday, we managed to catch 6 Wahoos, in between Hughie & Hamish’s kite fighting.

April 18th - Strong tides and strong winds have not made it the best week for the Tunas.

The Wahoo fishing remains your best bet, with the best of it taking place right on the edge.  Yes, the Wahoos are starting to bite up north and all the way through to the south shore. This is normal for the spring run, but the size of the Wahoos are not spring lizards! We caught a double header on Tuesday, both over 60lbs, plus a few in the 40’s.  We finished up with 9 Wahoos for the day, all caught on Sally Tuckers.

 

We finished up the week with the Collier’s doing a ¾ day trip with us.  It was the boy’s first fishing trip offshore, and they did well. Both Jack jr. and Ford catching their first ever Wahoos and, to top it off, they got to see a Humpback Whale jump out of water a few times!

 

The water temperature is still at 68!  So, it may be awhile before we see the first Blue caught!

 

April 25th - Tuna ! Tuna!  Yes, the Yellowfins are back!  We have had some good catches this week, starting with the “Fishing Magician’s” trip on Tuesday, with 10 Tunas & finishing on Sunday with the CNN group, catching 16 Tunas, 2 Wahoos & quite a bit of Bonitas. Our best Tuna catch for the week was on Saturday, with 20 Yellowfins.

All the bait and action has moved to the northern side on both banks, with the best of it on Challenger.  Chumming is your best bet, although we have had some success with the slow trolling.

 

As you can see from this report, the Wahoos have slowed down, but standby - the spring run is about to get started very soon.  It is still a good idea to troll a bit before chumming, as it will all change overnight!

 

Hey, if you are planning on fishing with us this summer, don’t wait to long to book a date as we are about 70% sold out!

 

May 2004

 

May 3rd - One week, the Tunas want to bite, the next, the Wahoos!

This was definitely a Wahoo week, although a few Yellowfin were caught on Challenger bank, but most of the good action was taking place up on the Edge, with the Wahoos.  As I predicted last week, the spring run has started.  Although still spotty, with some days only producing a few fish and the next day you can fish in the same spot and catch a dozen!  Most of the spring fish are small, however, we are still seeing some nice fish… 50-80lbs.  Remember: this is the time of year when someone usually gets lucky and catches one over 100lbs. Between the big Wahoo strikes and the first Blue Marlin bite coming, you best make sure your reels are full of new line.

 

“De MAKO’s” best catch of the week goes to the ICFIGIN gang, with 13 Wahoos - the largest at 68lbs. Great day guys, see you next year!

 

What a fun-filled day Sunday was!  Not only was it picture-perfect weather, but I also had my entire family out fishing.  They even had the pleasure of seeing some Bottlenosed Dolphins.  The fishing was not overly great, but we managed to catch a few.  The biggest Wahoo being caught by my niece, Brittany, weighing in at 53lbs…….great job, Brittany!

May 10th - It is starting to heat up offshore!

 

There is a good Wahoo bite (8-12 fish) on the SE side of Challenger & Argus banks, with some nice ones mixed in (60-80lbs.) There are also some signs of Tuna activity on the inside edge on Challenger, with more and more bait showing up everyday.

 

For you avid Tuna chummers, the place for you is over the north side of Argus.  You will find some pretty decent Yellowfin Tuna fishing there, fish averaging 30lbs. with a good number of them in the 50lb range.  The last few days have been great for chumming with a light tide and light winds and plenty of sunshine… yep, summer is here!

 

Only problem, the water temperature is still cold - it just made 70° today.  This may lead to a late start for the Marlins.

 

The week’s best catch was 11 Tunas & a Wahoo, which goes to Hamish’s gang again! It just goes to show, you don’t take your fishing too serious and you’ll end up with a good day, one way or the other!

May 16th - One day it’s Wahoos, the next it’s Tunas!

 

The fishing is still good offshore, but changing everyday. One day, the bite is good on Challenger, the next, Argus is the hot spot. One day, we do good with the Wahoos, the next, it’s time to break out the chum and fish for Tunas. You have to leave the dock with an open mind and be ready for anything.  The tides and winds have been very light, making it easy for all kinds of fishing, so try some new tricks.

 

The honour of the first Blue, for the season, is still open.  Capt. Peter, on the “Overproof,” and Capt. Keith, on the” Playmate,’ both had shots this week, but both Blues managed to escape. The first Blue will be caught before my next report, for sure!

 

Catch of the week once again goes to Coxy & Hamish’s trip, on Friday (Black Jack day), with 21 Wahoos - largest @ 68lbs.  Lots of action!

 

May 24th - Just another good week in May!

 

The good weather and the good fishing continued into this week.  We fished everyday, down on the northern side of Argus, starting out on the edge, trolling our way through Challenger and finally ending up on Argus. The ride out would produce a few Wahoo, anywhere from 1 to 10, depending on the day.  But the big story was the chumming on Argus. Although the bite was a late one, starting about 2.00pm., it was worth the wait. Both the “Playmate” and “De Mako” did the late bite thing and, in turn, we both ended up with some long days, but some good Tuna fishing! Strangely enough, no one saw or caught any Marlins.  Very strange for this time of year to be able to troll so many miles everyday and not get attacked!   Don’t worry - they may be late, but they’re coming!

 

This week’s #1 catch on “De Mako” goes to the “Head Bangers” on Sunday, with 11 Wahoos, 11 Tunas and many Rainbow Runners!  A great day with great people!

 

P.S. Keith - James says to bring your own bait, on the next trip!

May 31st - Slow fishing & rough weather - that about sums it up for this week!  No real big catches this week, just a few Yellowfins here and a few Wahoos there. Catches averaging 3-5 Wahoos, with 3-5 Tunas and maybe a few Bonitas & Rainbows mixed in.

 

The only good spot for fishing was on the eastern side of Argus - not a place to be in this week’s weather in a small boat and, for that reason, “De Mako” fished most days, solo!

 

Can you believe it?  Still, no Marlins! It has been many years since a Blue has not been caught by the end of May and, with a few of the early U.S. boats coming soon, we may see the first Blue for the season caught by a foreign boat - that will be a first!

 

 

June 2004

 

June 7th - The Marlins are here!!

We on “De Mako” started off the Marlin season with a major battle.  With angler “Skipper Larch” & side kick “ Keen Andy” on board, on June 1.  After a great day of Wahoo fishing, boating 9 Wahoos and releasing 1 small one, we were attacked by a large Blue, in the 600lb range, on our 50lbs class Wahoo outfit.

 

Right at the bite, I knew we were not dealing with a Wahoo, and I immediately turned the boat to start the chase. We should have been in good shape, as James & I are always prepared for Blue Marlin attacks, when we are Wahoo fishing, i.e. Spectra backing & long leaders.  But, it was not meant to be!  The fish had jumped over the leader and got all tangled up in it.  With no leader to grab, there was no way to release the fish.  We had the fish within 10 feet of the boat, three times in an hour, plus battle, but it was no use and we eventually broke the line.  (see photo of high vis line going direct to the fish, no leader in sight!)

 

Saturday, June 5, would be the day the first Blue, for the season, would be released by “Thee Mighty Treasure Isle.”  Many congratulations to Angler “Skittles,” “Capt. Heads” 1st mate “Spike” & leader man “Dillon” for their 400lb release!

 

Guess what…  even the Yellowfins have shown up in force on Challenger Banks! Forget the catch of the week - the catch of the year goes to Andrew Cook’s team, on Sunday, with 18 Yellowfins, 2 Blackfins and some Bonita’s.  What makes this catch so special is the size of the fish.  We had 10 Yellowfins over 50lbs., giving us a total weight of just under 900 POUNDS…. that is a lot of fish for 4 guys to wind in!

 

Well as you can see the fishing is in high gear - you’d best get out there!

June 14th - This week started off with the good Yellowfin Tuna fishing continuing, with lots of Bonito (Almaco jacks), Rainbows & Robins mixed in.  De Mako’s best catch of the week was on Tuesday, with the CCS group producing 11 Tunas and a Wahoo.  It was a fun day all round - thank you, guys!

Bad weather hampered the latter part of the week, but we did manage a good catch of 8 Tunas & 37 Bonito, on Friday, with the very lucky William catching three of the four largest Tunas (45-52lbs.).

 

The bad new is the Marlins seem to have disappeared again, with not a one seen this week.  Hey, it is the middle of June, time for those Blues to start playing!

 

This week marks the beginning on the International Light Tackle Tournament, so we will see a lot of focus on the Tunas, but not much towards Mr. Blue.  We may have to wait another week before any good Marlin stories.

 

Good fishing and good luck to all the teams!

June 20th - The Yellowfin Tuna bite is still good on the SE corner of Challenger and the eastern side of Argus.  This week, we also saw a pick up in the Wahoo action, with a few catches in the teens.  Must be a second spring run! On the Marlin scene, we are seeing a few Whites showing up, one notable catch being young angler Brian Goebel releasing a 30 pounder in the chum with us, on Tuesday - congratulations Brian! 

The Blues are still few and far between, but we did raise a good one on Thursday, approximately 500lbs +, but she would not eat.  The only success story this week, with the Blues, was the 650lbs release on Capt. Craigin’s new charter boat, the “Reel Addiction”. 

 

The best catch of the week was on Wednesday, with the twin Tallaban’s aboard, Hamish & Herbert, managing a haul of 15 Yellowfins and an assortment of Blackfins, Bonitos, Rainbows and a Wahoo!  A great day was had by all, including my relief captain, “Heads.”

 

Many thanks to Allan & James for putting them on the fish.

 

Try to get out there!

July 2004

 

July 5th - This week, I’m providing a report on the annual Bermuda Big Game Classic, prepared by the producer, Dan Jacobs.  Things are really busy in Bermuda, on the fishing scene right now, so I’ll be back next week to give the usual update.  For now, here’s Dan’s report:

 The July 4th World Cup has been blown wide open by a huge fish in Bermuda.  At press time Bermuda’s Captain Andrew Dias aboard his 35′ Off Soundings Triple Play weighed in an 1189 pound beast to take a commanding lead. If it holds Bermuda will take the World Cup for the second year in a row.

 

Since the inception of the Bermuda Big Game Classic producer Dan Jacobs has been promoting fishing the World Cup in Bermuda and then sticking around to fish the Classic noting Bermuda’s ability to produce consistent large blue marlin. The result in 2003 was a record twenty one boats fishing the World Cup from Bermuda and twenty eight boats fishing the Classic. Mike Nichols Oppositional fished an won both tournaments in 2003.

 

Someone must have been paying attention as this year saw a record field of 34 boats fishing the World Cup in Bermuda with both foreign and local boats hitting the water for the 8:30 a.m. lines in. Several fish were caught but none boated through the early afternoon. With only an hour to go Dias and crew hooked up at 3:30 p.m. when a nice one piled on the Big T Leopard as they crossed the SE corner of famed Challenger Bank. Angler Martin Estes of Bermuda was in the chair and no stranger to fighting large fish as both Dias and Estis teamed up to win the Seahorse Anglers Club tournament with a 731 pound blue in 2003.. The fight lasted 45 minutes before Lewis Crews was able to grab the leader. Gaff man Andrew Farias finished things off and the crew struggled to pull the fish on board. As word spread across the fleet and island a crowd gathered at Waterfront Marina. Captain Dias conservatively called the fish at 750 pounds over the radio. Cheers, fog horns and partying ensued when the weigh master called to fish at 1189

pounds. If it holds this will be Bermuda’s third World Cup and first back to back win.

 

On a side note Dias was totally focused on a home building project and hadn’t wet a line or run the boat at all in 2004. When I spoke to him at the reception held at the Hamilton Princess I asked if the wheels still turned. Andrew replied, “I fired the boat up the other day and looked at my top shots, everything looked OK” This morning he turned the key and the grunt of a dead battery answered. He called his friend Captain Andrew Card who promptly loaned him a battery and off they went.

 

The bite in on in Bermuda and things are looking good for the 4th annual Bermuda Big Game Classic. The island is a buzz with expectations for a record turnout at the Classic. Stay tuned I’m sure there are more fireworks to come.

 

Thanks for the report, Dan!

 

July 19th - July is in full swing - Marlin fishing, Marlin Tournaments & visiting Marlin boats! The Marlin action has been good, with plenty of good sized fish around.  Lots of 500 pounder’s, some 700 pounder’s, all the way up to the 1189lbs, which was caught on the “Triple Play,”  this July 4th.  There has even been a few other Grander hook-ups, like the ones on the Challenger, De Mako & Treasure Isle.

“De Mako’s” luckiest angler, this week, has to be my friend, Keevin.

 

Keevin fished with James & I for three days, raising five Blue Marlins and releasing all five - never missed a bite!  Keevin, we needed you in the Classic, as we went 2 for 7 on Blues, jumping off a 700lbs on the last day!

 

The Tuna bite is still crazy… how many do you want to catch?  East side on Argus or SE corner of Challenger, just drift and start catching 40 - 70lbs Yellowfins!

 

With the coming of the next full moon soon, we should see an increase in the Marlin bite, plus look out for the BIG Yellowfins.  I mean 100- 200lbs class of fish. These Tunas usually show up the first week of August and are usually caught by slow trolling Ballyhoo & Flying fish… Don’t miss it!

 

July 26th - Yellowfin Tuna bite still hot!!  Eastern side of Argus bank and SE corner of Challenger still the hot spots. 40-80lbs fish on both Banks, but watch out on Challenger for LOTS of big ones (400-800lbs.) Tiger Sharks ready to eat your Tunas. As soon as you get hooked up, tighten up the drag and put the boat in gear - you need to get the fish off the Bank.  Get the fish  outside the 80 fathoms line and you’ll be fine… drift on top of the Bank and you are asking for trouble.

Marlin bite remains slow - there are some good-sized fish around, just not a lot of bite… 1 to 3 a day, if you are lucky, with more bites getting off. With the full moon at the end of this month, we should see the bite get better, plus, as I mentioned last week, watch out for the BIG Yellowfin coming very soon!

 

With most of the visiting boats heading back to the mainland, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the owners & crew for making the long trip to Bermuda. It is always a great pleasure to fish with so much talent. We wish them all a safe trip home and look forward to their return, next summer.

 

August 2004

 

August 3rd - This week, leading up to the full moon, was awful - SE winds & no Marlins & no Tunas!  Just a very tough week.

The full moon, on Sunday, changed everything.  We have our SW winds back, and the Marlin bite has been great the last few days.  I hope it will last through this bad weather spell we are going to get from the remains of hurricane Alex, in the next few days.

 

The Tuna bite has slowed down a bit and the big Yellowfins have not shown up yet, but we are seeing a good Wahoo run.  Catches in the double figures, (10-15 fish) a day, are being caught on the southern & eastern sides of both Banks, with a few Wahoos being caught on Sally Tuckers… very unusual for this time of year.

 

With Alex between us and the mainland, we see a few visiting boats stuck here for a little while longer than planned, but hey, there are worse places to be stuck in, so guys keep your rods out and keep on fishing!

August 11th - A much better week!  We have seen a pretty good  Blue Marlin bite, this week, with most boats getting 2-4 shots a day.  Although most of the fish have been small (125-250lbs), it has been a fun week.  James & I had the pleasure of fishing with Rich Keller for the last 4 days, catching and releasing 5 Blue Marlin and a Spearfish - * a very good time!  *

The Wahoo fishing remains good on the SW edge, Challenger and Argus, plus a few Dolphins and seaweed have started showing up.  Guess what… the Tunas are back and still on the south & eastern side of both Banks.  Two size ranges this time - some big fish, 50-80lbs, and the very small ones, 8-15lbs.

 

 A few real big Yellowfins have been taken, from time to time on the troll, like the 120 pounder caught on the “Reel Action” today, but still no sign of the big schools.  All in all, the fishing is quite good right now, which is more than I can say for the weather: rain, rain & more rain!

 

Well, there is sunshine in the weekend’s forecast, so I hope to see you out there!

August 18th - Great week!  The Marlin bite remains strong, plus the schools of big Yellowfins have shown up.  The biggest Yellowfin caught this week was the 173lbs. caught by “Over Proof” on Argus, yesterday.

The big Tunas have been seen on the SE corner of Challenger & down on the SE side of Argus.  These fish have only been taken on the troll, so you need to slow down, rig up some baits and look out for the schools.  Don’t run through them, just slowly go around them with your lines set way back and, if you do it just right, you’ll get a bite, and then hang on!  These are big Yellowfins (100- 200lbs) and the Blue Marlin are mixed right in with them, so don’t put any light lines out unless you are up for a long battle.

 

On the Marlin scene, “DeMAKO” was 5 for 9 with the Blues, this week, plus a 110lbs. Yellowfin caught by Leo, yesterday.

 

Congratulations to all of our Marlin anglers this week, especially first timers, Kenrick, Julie & Mark.

 

Many thanks to Danny for bringing the lucky crew with him, this week.  We had a great time - see you in September!

August 24th - It was a different week for “De MAKO”, as she stayed dockside. I flew to Virginia Beach to fish the inaugural Virginia Beach Billfish Tournament.  Jeff, Dave, Bruce, Mikey & I had a great time catching up with good friends and meeting new ones, plus we got to fish a 1st class tournament.  Although this is primarily a White Marlin event, we chose to target the Blues.  To say the least, we stood out.  Docked alongside boats all rigged with TLD 20’s and small ballyhoos, there we were with four bent butt 130’s and all big lures!  Hey, our plan worked!  We took the Blue Marlin jackpot with a 582lb blue caught by Dave Youens and placed 4th overall.  It was just like fishing at home!  All the people were so friendly and truly happy for us.  What can I say, this is a great tournament, hosted by some of the nicest people you’ll meet anywhere!  Check out their website at http://www.vbbt.com for all the results.  Hey, you may want to add this one to your fishing plans for next year.

This tournament is a 2 out of 3 day event, and we fished the Friday & Saturday.  Fishing starts at 8.30, but you are fishing 85 miles from the inlet. That is like going to Argus 4 times before you put a line in the water.  It’s crazy, but these guys do it everyday!  We hooked our fish at 11.30 am. and boated it 2 hours later, and then we ran for home!  The second day, we missed two Whites (damn seaweed!) and caught a 60lb. Wahoo. 

 

Bigger James stayed at home and did some fishing with his good friend Jamie, on the Insta-gator, catching his first 100lb plus Yellowfin. Offshore, there is still a few of the big Yellowfins around and a few Blues, but it is getting time to gear up for the big Wahoo run, so stay tuned for next week’s report!

August 31st - A mixed up week!   Good Wahoo fishing, at the start of the week, slow trolling and in the chum no less, plus some Yellowfin Tunas.  By the weekend, everything had disappeared, and I mean everything!  The last few days, we have seen a good Blue Marlin bite, plus some nice-sized Yellowfins. Most of the Marlin bites have been between the bank and the edge.  We had 3 bites, yesterday, just off Sonesta.

The best Yellowfin spot is on the northern side of Challenger.  Some caught slow trolling, but your best bet is to chum.  Nice class of fish too -  50–100lbs., but when you get hooked up, don’t forget to get him off the edge, as the Tigers are back on the attack!

 

This is the last full moon for the Marlin season so, if hunting those Blues is your game, best get out there this week, for next week will be too late!

 

Congratulations to Lou Panas on his first Blue Marlin release today!

 

 

September 2004

 

September 8th - Calm seas, great fishing… what are you waiting for?

The nice sized Yellowfins are still biting on the north side of Challenger.  We had Ricky & La La out fishing, yesterday, catching 7 Tunas and a Wahoo, the three largest weighing in at 72, 74 & 78lbs. - all caught in the chum!

 

Yes, the Tiggers (Tiger Sharks) are still there, too!  We had an angler, on Sunday, that wanted to give one a go.  James quickly rigged up a standup 50 with a long wire leader and dropped over a big bait. Five anglers later, we released a nice 300lbs. Tiger, with two other Tigers following the hooked one.  No swimming on Challenger!!!

 

We had to bring out both of Bermuda’s best good luck charms so as to catch our next two Blue Marlins.  On Saturday, we had both Brooks & Foster on board, and guess what?  We released two Blues!

 

This makes 30 Blue Marlins, this season for “ De Mako,” out of 82 bites.  Not the best hookup ratio, but not a bad count considering this years below average showing.

 

Today was “De Mako’s” first all-day Wahoo trip for the fall run and we got off to a good start, with a 15 Wahoo day.  I guess James still knows how to trick a ‘Hoo’ or two!

 

Don’t forget some of the years best fishing is just ahead.  Late September and October can be as good as it gets, so keep those golf clubs in the bag for a few more months!  Hope to see you out there!

 

Hey,” DeMako” has 8 days open this month, so call soon before it’s too late!

September 13th - Calm seas & great fishing continue!

Great Wahoo bite… “DeMako” catches 47 Wahoos in our first three Wahoo trips!!  Our best day was on Thursday, with 21 Wahoos and we jumped off a Blue Marlin.  On Friday, we caught him - a 200lbs Blue Marlin, released by Rob Hamill, on 50 standup tackle!  Great Job Ron!

 

Can you believe it, they postponed the Wahoo Tournament for this Sunday.  The guy making that decision must have been in a box with no windows.  You could not have asked for a better day, with maybe only 5kts. of wind; they will not find a better Sunday this year! Postponing a Tournament like this messes up everybody’s plans. Most people live pretty busy lives these days and, by postponing it, many people can’t fish it the following week. Just look what happened to the Bacardi Tournament, scheduled for May 30th and not held until mid July, with less than 10 boats.  A suggestion… how about leaving it up to the weather people!  If a small craft warning is posted on the 5.00 am forecast, then the tournament is postponed.  It’s that simple.

 

Good luck to all of you who fish next week’s tournament - IF they hold it!

 

September 22nd - A slow start to the week, for “De Mako”. 

We had a few days ashore, and the first few days, we did fish were not too hot!  The Wahoo bite slowed down, almost as if they knew the Wahoo Tournament was coming up.

 

Still, some nice size Yellowfins on Louis point, averaging 60 to 80lbs. and, yes, the Tigers are still there!  There are lots of live baits around, but the bites on them is not fast & furious. We had a change in weather on Monday, with some breezy NE winds and a drop in temperatures, and the Wahoos love it!

 

We produced 18 Wahoo’s today, with a noticeable improvement in the size over last week’s summer lizard.  With the water temperatures cooling off, we see the start of the larger fall and winter fish.  Today’s catch consisted of many fish over 40lbs., with the largest coming in at 67lbs.

 

Hey, check out the new photos.  You know the Marlin fishing must be slow when you see the new “Treasure Isle” chumming for Tunas!

 

Look out for some great Wahoo fishing over the next few weeks, as the water cools off.

October 2004

 

October 1st - Bermuda’s force field kept all the hurricanes away for September, and the Yellowfin & Wahoo fishing was great!  Let’s hope it continues into October!

The Wahoo bite is still hot down on Argus, with the R.M.S. group catching 16 on “De MAKO” yesterday.

 

Both the trolling and live bait fishing are working well on the Wahoos, plus we are seeing a few nice Yellowfins (60-90lbs.) in the mix. There is also a nice run of Yellowfins down the NE corner of Bermuda. These fish are also 60-90lbs. class fish, but are mainly being caught chumming.  This is a short run, if your boat is moored in the east end.  We made a scouting trip to the east, on Wednesday, with Hamish & friends catching 3 Yellowfins in the 70lbs. class, plus someone broke 1 off! (it was not Hamish!)

 

We should see much the same in the way of fishing, in October, but you will see a change in the weather. October weather can change quickly so, if you are venturing out in a small boat, keep a sharp eye on the weather.

October 10th - The October breeze is here, but the fishing is still hot!

We got a few days off this week, as Sub-Tropical storm “Nicole” forms next to us.  We did manage to get in some good fishing earlier in the week, mainly live baiting on the inside edge of Challenger Banks.  A good Wahoo bite, with a few Yellowfin Tunas & Dolphins mixed in.  There is also a good bite on Argus, as well as the Tuna bite down the east end.

 

“De Mako’s” best day was with Bill Saltonstall on Thursday.  Solo angler Bill managed to catch 7 Wahoo, the largest 67lbs., a Yellowfin Tuna for dinner, plus he released a 300lbs. Blue Marlin on a 50lbs test Wahoo outfit.  Congratulations to Bill on his first Yellowfin Tuna, first Wahoo & first ever Blue Marlin!

 

This makes 32 Blue Marlins for “De Mako” this season.  Although not one of our best years, it was enough to all but double our closest competitor’s catch! 

 

Many thanks to our loyal customers & friends, and a special thanks to my mate, James Robinson - still Bermuda’s Best!

October 28th - The charters are slowing down, the weather is getting colder & windier, but the fishing is still good!

There is still good Wahoo fishing on the eastern and southern sides of both banks, with a few nice Yellowfins and Dolphins mixed in.

 

The chumming on the inside edge of Challenger bank has also been good, with some school Yellowfins, 15-25lbs, but most are in the 50-60lbs. range.  The current is strong into the west, which can make drifting a little tricky, depending on the wind direction, but it is worth it!

 

Although there are not many good days between now and the end of the year, I am sure the fishing will stay good.  If you get the chance to go fishing on one of those rare calm days, head out to Challenger - I don’t think you will be disappointed!