Replies

• SuperMutu Posts: 478 Deckhand

  September 2018 #2

  It is the same near/off shore.  I have not lived here long enough to know the patterns and what is considered a normal occurrence.  
  Back in July while on a Hubbard's half day we could see bottom while fishing.  It has progressively became more dingy since that day.  Last Sunday it still had the bluish look.  Today it was like an olive green and dead fish all around, most pinfish size fish and I'm guessing sea snakes or some sort of eels?
  The fish were biting today, but water quality was not pretty.
  

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• Tarponator Posts: 20,505 AG

  September 2018 edited September 2018 #3

  It's just fresh water runoff and completely normal this time of year.
  
  If you were in a red tide area, you'd probably know it -- you'd see dead fish and you'd feel it in your throat.
  

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• SuperMutu Posts: 478 Deckhand

  September 2018 #4

  Tarponator said:

  It's just fresh water runoff and completely normal this time of year.
  
  If you were in a red tide area, you'd probably know it -- you'd see dead fish and you'd feel it in your throat.
  

  There was no shortage of dead fish.  It was mostly at least a mile off the beach.
  

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• lukkyracer Posts: 779 Officer

  September 2018 #5

  The dead fish continue to move north with the currents. I really think these strong east winds and tropical system are going to help. We'll see.

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• Tarponator Posts: 20,505 AG

  September 2018 edited September 2018 #6

  SuperMutu said:

  Tarponator said:

  It's just fresh water runoff and completely normal this time of year.
  
  If you were in a red tide area, you'd probably know it -- you'd see dead fish and you'd feel it in your throat.
  

  There was no shortage of dead fish.  It was mostly at least a mile off the beach.
  

  We've been having fish kills along a hundred miles of beaches along the west coast for months now.  There are dead fish all over the place, and the tea colored runoff in the bay and at Egmont reported by the OP is not to blame.
  How did your throat and eyes feel?
  
  

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• lukkyracer Posts: 779 Officer

  September 2018 #7

  Tarponator said:

  SuperMutu said:

  Tarponator said:

  It's just fresh water runoff and completely normal this time of year.
  
  If you were in a red tide area, you'd probably know it -- you'd see dead fish and you'd feel it in your throat.
  

  There was no shortage of dead fish.  It was mostly at least a mile off the beach.
  

  We've been having fish kills along a hundred miles of beaches along the west coast for months now.  There are dead fish all over the place, and the tea colored runoff in the bay and at Egmont reported by the OP is not to blame.
  How did your throat and eyes feel?
  
  

  Exactly!!!

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• Dirtyarcade Posts: 5 Greenhorn

  September 2018 edited September 2018 #8

  I took the kayak out of Boca Ciega Bay this past Saturday just inside John's Pass.  The water was the nastiest it's ever looked in my opinion.  Weird rust color, and so murky I couldn't see my white lure in just a few inches of water.  There was also weird little patches of foam everywhere as well.  No smell, and no dead fish that I could see.  Not sure if it was just runoff from rain or not, but it was definitely gross looking and quite the disappointment as this is an area I've fished in weekly for a good few years now, and I can't recall it ever looking like this.  The bite was also slooooooooow.
  
  Like I said, not sure it was red tide, but it was definitely odd and off-putting.  I've been around bad red tide before, and know it's almost impossible to breathe without coughing.  That was not the case here.  It just didn't look right.  The water didn't even look like this after Irma.  Hopefully it's not what I think it was.  

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• FusionZ06 Posts: 1,031 Officer

  September 2018 #9

  Water looks great today. Plenty of bait, tons of reds and snook!

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• Kokosing Lover Posts: 1,183 Officer

  September 2018 #10

  If the water is rusty/coppery, but your eyes and sinuses aren't burning, then it's probably Trichodesmium instead or Karenia brevis (red tide).  Naturally occurring, not bad in most cases, but if it's too concentrated and widespread it can lead to oxygen depletion and fish kills as well.  Can be bad, but not actually toxic the way Karenia is.

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• Dirtyarcade Posts: 5 Greenhorn

  September 2018 #11

  Kokosing Lover said:

  If the water is rusty/coppery, but your eyes and sinuses aren't burning, then it's probably Trichodesmium instead or Karenia brevis (red tide).  Naturally occurring, not bad in most cases, but if it's too concentrated and widespread it can lead to oxygen depletion and fish kills as well.  Can be bad, but not actually toxic the way Karenia is.

  
  I'll look into that.  Thanks for the info!

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