The Chum Line January 2010
Happy New Year and welcome to the January 2010 edition of the Chum Line.
In this edition we give an update on:
- Offshore fishing action; and
- Club news and events.
Offshore Fishing Report
While there are undoubtedly some Wahoo and Yellowfin Tuna to be had offshore the main problem is how to get out there to catch them.
Ever since the weeks leading up to Christmas we have been plagued with bad weather and small craft warnings. Some of the winter storms have tested moorings and have had boat owners peering anxiously across the water to see whether their boat is still afloat.
Winter is an ideal time to turn your mind to tackle maintenance. There is plenty to be done - reels to be spooled with fresh line, live bait rigs to be made, downrigger cable to be replaced and lures re-traced. It's easy to bypass tackle maintenance till the spring and summer fishing opportunities are almost here. And those opportunities are so much easier to take advantage of if your tackle is up to scratch. So use the inclement weather to your advantage by starting a winter maintenance program!
With the weather keeping the fishing action in Bermuda off the boil we'll turn to a fishing report from the other side of the international dateline.
Club members Dean Rea and Fiona Beck recently completed their annual fishing migration to the Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific to fish with their friends Keith and Torran McKee on board Keith's boat "Kiwi Magic".
Unlike previous years the Mahimahi fishing was not at its usual best with that species proving to be both elusive and hard to hook. But the quality of the Blue Marlin and Yellowfin Tuna bite more than made up for the Mahimahi keeping such a low profile.
At the time of writing Fiona Beck had lodged a new Tongan national women's record claim for a 114.4lb Yellowfin Tuna caught on 30lb line (52kgs on 15kg line).
After Fiona had departed Tonga, Dean Rea and Torran McKee landed a double strike of Yellowfin Tuna - both on 30lb test line. The fish weighed 114.4lbs (Dean) and 143lbs (Torran). We are not sure whether Dean is squinting while looking into the sun or struggling to lift his fish! Torran's fish narrowly missed out on being a new national men's line class record.
Club Events
Since the last newsletter Club members Danny Fox and Bobby Rego have returned from their annual trip to Cabo to compete in the IGFA Offshore World Championship held between 8th and 13th of November.
Bobby tells us the conditions in Cabo were tough - very warm water and a shortage of bait making fishing problematic. A highlight was team mate Buddy Sower's 300lb Blue Marlin landed on 30lb spinning tackle. The fish died during the fight so Buddy was faced with the arduous task of raising the dead marlin. Bobby and Danny's team ended up 29th with 3 fish for the tournament. The winning team released 8 fish on the last day & won with 14 fish in total. Previous winners of our ILTT event (Pete Rose, Jay Dowdy and Wayne Booth) finished in 11th place.
We were pleased to learn that Bobby Rego is also the new IGFA representative for the island, replacing our dear late friend Keith Winter.
The Club Christmas function was held on Friday 27 November at Mad Hatters restaurant. It was a well attended event with the Christmas raffle takings being the best for several years. Once again Mad Hatters did a fine job with the food and wine that evening.
The next club function will be held on the 3rd Wednesday of February after the Miami Boat Show and our Club Secretary will send out a further notice closer to the time.
Club Catch Records
Once the weather settles and you can get out on the water, remember to email Francis Patterson with your catches as they come to hand. Francis needs to know the species, the line class, and the weight of the fish, the date and the boat on which the fish was caught, along with any method of catch (fly, spincast or spinchum) other than conventional. Francis' email is fhpp@northrock.bm.
Contacting the Club
Contact the Club by email at bermudaanglersclub@bermuda.com.