The Tribune

BAHAMAS Sport Fishing Network expert Chang Chin led a Memorial Day weekend charter to the northern Exumas where up to 50 boats were in the pocket at Ship Channel. Needless to say, fish were hard to find there - but down by Highbourne was a different story.

Chang Chin, who works aboard Zeus, recommends that sometimes thinking outside the box is the best approach. “A lot of people really just like to hug the edge as they believe that’s where all the fish are. If they aren’t hitting on the edge go out wide and look for birds and FADs (weed, buckets, floating debris).

“Last week when the weather was blowing dolphin were thick in the sound right off the edge. As soon as the weather dropped the fish didn’t stop biting, they just spread out because the wind wasn’t stacking everything up on the edge. As you know ... find the birds, find the fish,” he said.

There are reports this week that large Yellowfin Tuna over 100lbs are being caught in Abaco by Spanish Cay and Green Turtle Cay. Trolling, chunking ... finding the birds is the key to success in fishing in the Bahamas at the moment.

The third leg of the Bahamas Billfish Championship, staged in Abaco, started yesterday at Treasure Cay Resort and Marina and continues until Sunday. The BBC is the oldest billfish tournament series in the world and anglers can fish any or all of the tournaments with cumulative points determining the overall winner.

For information on the BBC, including results and tournament dates, and photo galleries of fishing in the Bahamas visit the BSFN (Bahamas Sport Fishing Network) page at tribune242.com or bsfn.biz.