The Billfish Bonanza is on this weekend. Briefing is 6pm Thursday October 22^nd at the rec centre.  If you are interested in seeing what this event is all about, you’re welcome to come down and join the club members and competitors as they gear up for the tournament. The bar will open each night, and there will be nightly raffles and info on tagging billfish for this three-day event.

Karen Cook-Barron with her first sailfish, tagged and ready to go. Karen is a first-timer for the Billfish Bonanza and she is hoping to see many more of these fish this coming weekend.

The coral trout have been abundant in the gulf, according to many locals who have had the time to get out in a boat on the glassy afternoons. Soft plastic lures have been working best and one customer reported a six-kilo bluebone caught on a Bozo soft plastic. Blue-lined emperor have also been caught in the gulf waters. One was even caught on a bait jig, that just held up to the challenge of the feisty fish.

The shore-based fishing has shown up even more spanglies on the west side as the weather warms up. Better results for these species have shown to be in the early mornings. A lightly-weighted bait of squid or strip of mullet has been successful. Berley in the water also improves your chances with these hungry fish.

A few times this year we have commented on having the correct safety equipment and knowing your size and bag limits. I can’t say it enough. Please make sure you do have the correct 406 EPIRB and safety gear. The fines are tough, we all know that, but your safety and the safety of those with you is important. The Fisheries and DEC rules are also important. Once again, we know the fines are bad, but the future of the fishery is important for us to enjoy returning to the water each time.