FYI, 2006?

[Littoral]

Over the last 12 years one of my “adjunctâ€

[Ty one on]

I believe the main theory is the Hurricanes in the past years bringing in the high storm surges. For example last year Hurricane Dennis brings in one of the highest surges since Kate in 1985. It destroys all the Pelican and White crane nest on Smith Island. "Hundreds of Nest". As far as Pinfish and other smaller fish and animals go I would think several got stranded on the hill and or drowned. I remember after Hurricane Earl in 1998 I was catching a lot of fish before the storm. it took about month after the storm before I started catching fish again. and it never recovered back to what it was before the Storm that year. That's my guess.

[Sir reel]

Does anyone know or have a source of information relating to when pinfish spawn? I have no idea myself but consider this... if the red tide and the surge from Dennis last year coincided in anyway with the spawning of baitfish, then we logically should see a reduction ... just one of SR's BS theories.

[Littoral]

Does anyone know or have a source of information relating to when pinfish spawn? I have no idea myself but consider this... if the red tide and the surge from Dennis last year coincided in anyway with the spawning of baitfish, then we logically should see a reduction ... just one of SR's BS theories.

Good thinking and certainly not BS.

[wevans]

Kinda scary when ya think of just how fragile things are

[Jumptrout51]

Glass minnows around St. Marks are more abundant than I have ever seen. There are hundreds of acres of them. Also the "spaghetti grass" is everywhere unlike ever before. On a similar note to your post,what has caused such a drastic increase in these 2 events?

[Tom Keels]

It seems to me we've had both inshore and offshore water temps in the low 60's for far later in the year this year than in previous ones. That may have some effect.

I for one have noticed since the hurricane and red tide last year that there are significantly less invertabrates and small tropicals on the reefs. This has caused a ripple effect all the way up the food chain.

Also in previous years when the water is as clear as it is now we have the "whale snot" "gumbo" algae that grows on any live bottom structure. Folks down south are reporting this is one of the worst years they have seen and we are still in April!

[Jumptrout51]

In this area we have had little or no freshwater in the bays,eg. rain. Do we need more fresh water?

[Charles]

There was a lot of the goopy, green, pain-in-the-posterior, algae around this past winter, but as I recall, it's always around in the winter when the water's cooler.

Pollution?

Extra pollution from Dennis, locally, and Katrina, in volume?

There was an unnamed storm after Dennis that pushed up a lot of high water. After that storm I saw a lot of dead fish washed up. Not any trout, reds or anything like that, but a bunch of cowfish, catfish, batfish, searobins, etc.

Every so many years is just an off year for populations of some critters. Is that this year? Three summers ago it was the blue-crabs, there just weren't any.

What about the seagrasses? Is there as much around as there should be for the time of year?

The question about rain is a good one. I believe, historically, March is our wettest month, but we got almost none last month.

[Fish Masterson]

It's the Mackerel! This is the only fish which I can recall them ever raising the limits on so drastically. A few years ago they reduced the size limits, and raised the bag limits by 50%. I've not seen another jump in any species that comes close to this(not that I am an expert). That in it's self should tell you something.
If you have ever seen, or fished through a school of marauding Spanish, you know first hand, that they are going to eat everything in sight. I know that this will seem silly to alot of you but the Spanish are very aggressive, and wipe out what ever area they go through like locusts would do to a crop. Ever since they imposed the net ban, this species has thrived like no other, and they just seem to get more and more expansive in the size of their numbers. I have seen these beasts work the flats, and have seen them go right down the shoreline wiping out any sort of prey that they can find. If they keep on going at the rate that it seems that they are going, they will completely wipe out the lower part of the food chain in a couple of years. Then we will only have Spanish and Sharks to look forward to on the flats. Once they eat themselves out of a food source they will starve themselves to death.
Are only hope is to start targeting this species, and try to get them back to manageable numbers before it is to late.
Okay, I have had a few to drink tonight, but I still think that there might be a small amount of truth to this.
What say you?

[Chalk]

Everywhere I have been fishing I have been seeing a fair amount of pinfish...sometimes areas can become stagnant and creatures move onto cleaner waters...that maybe the case, don't know

I know I have seen record numbers of mullet in both St. Joe and St. Andrews, but I mainly look for mullet to identify prospective fishing areas...St. Joe seemed to be on track, we saw schools of pinfish (I call them the wolf pack) chasing the baits back to the boat, saw a school of menhaden and ballyhoo's as well.

But I do feel in my heart that the redtide last year was pretty hard on the area...the schoolie trout don't seem to be a thick as they were this time last year

Who knows

[Littoral]

Every so many years is just an off year for populations of some critters. Is that this year?

True, but the overall # of critters not around seems "different".

Three summers ago it was the blue-crabs, there just weren't any.

Very true 3 years ago. Interestingly though, so far, this is an excellent year for blue-crabs. (???!)

Not any trout, reds or anything like that, but a bunch of cowfish, catfish, batfish, searobins, etc..

Saw that too. Why not trout & reds?
BTW, don't often see those "fish names" around here.

What about the seagrasses? Is there as much around as there should be for the time of year?

No. Likely due to the lack of sunlight from being covered with algae.

[Charles]

I've been noticing some of the mud minners up in the marsh are more colorful than I remember, almost look like tropicals, but this may not have anything to do with anything. I may just not remember that there is a time of year when not all of them are just plain grayish.

[RHTFISH]

Glass minnows around St. Marks are more abundant than I have ever seen. There are hundreds of acres of them. Also the "spaghetti grass" is everywhere unlike ever before. On a similar note to your post,what has caused such a drastic increase in these 2 events?

"Spaghetti grass" is so concentrated between Econfina and Aucilla
it gives the water a funky color when the sun hits it. I really don't remember it ever being so thick. It sure makes it difficult to get to
the points and into creeks up that way. The creek mouths are also
still quite full of the "algae balls" or whatever they are.

[Littoral]

I've been noticing some of the mud minners up in the marsh are more colorful than I remember, almost look like tropicals, but this may not have anything to do with anything. I may just not remember that there is a time of year when not all of them are just plain grayish.

I'd guess the water is clearer from lack of rain and we can see them better. The Sailfin Molly males do get brillant colors in Spring and the fat little Sheepshead minnows (not Sheepshead proper) also get really bright -also the males.