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Member
Posts: 2680
Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I heard on the news the other day that Pikes Peak got 2 inches of snow. Now, even at that altitude, that must be a first for snow in the middle of their summer season. And it seems the last few years have been cooler during the summer than the average temps. Case in point being my beloved Saginaw Bay. The warmest surface temps I seen all year on the Bay was 74 degrees. In years past I've seen them as high as 84 degrees.
Now we can debate all day the pro's and con's of what a higher surface temp such as that does for the fishing. But it's my learned opinion along with historic proof, that the fishing was very much better (at least on the Bay) when these higher surface temps were present. I'm thinking to continue to be successful, us Bay fishermen will have to start re-evaluating what these cooler temps will mean concerning the ecosystem and forage base, along with our fish catching strategies and techniques.
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Location: Rhinelander | Express,
It was in the low thirties back home this morning according to my bride, WAY cooler than we are used to. Water temps are in the 60's, about 10 degrees off the normal. It's in the 80's in Maryland! | |
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Member
Posts: 2393
Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | Woke up to 39 degrees in Bay de Noc sturday. I can only remember a few 80 degree days all summer in my area. The cooler temps made june and july fantastic for me when guiding because spring patterns hung on and the bait fish didn't do their normal deep water suspending until much later. This last cold spell has made fishing tough for me.
If I remember correctly, (been a long time since I've read the thermal warming effects) summer are supposed to be cooler because of it. May be wrong but winters are the warmer effect also. Will have to reread.
All I know is that the fish do not read callenders and have no idea that it's the end of august. I'm starting to think early spring fall patterns until or unless a real hot spell comes along.
The fish adjust and so must we. We spend to much time fishing memories instead of adapting to the changes. Find the bait fish and the big ones will be there. My guess is that you're not getting the bait fish kills sometimes caused by the high water temps so the fish are satisfied and have full bellies. Is this correct? Just a guess. In the bay area here we never saw the alewife kill associated with good fishing when they switch to the reefs heavily to feed. | |
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Member
Posts: 2680
Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | Dennis.
I'd have to agree totally about fishing the memories versus the reality. Sad part is, most guys in our position (guides/charters) actually gear-up accordingly, to fish what historically is supposed to be happening. And I can't ever say, that I ever noticed any warm/hot water die off's on the Bay in the last 20 years. Back when preditors were virtually non-exsistant, and the schools of aliwife/shad numbered in the tens of millions, I'd see massive/rotting die off's of the aliwife specie on every Great Lake and connecting Bay. But this to has changed.
The Alewife and shad species, that were once the main forage fish on the Bay, are actually tropical species and prefer the warmer temps over the cold. Both their average size and numbers have been on the decline for a few years now. Other non-native species are taking over. Transversly, more recently (usually in the winter months) I've seen massive dies off's of the aliwife specie when the waters have stayed below their tolerances for extended periods of time. We have a warm water discharge near the mouth of the Saginaw River. When this cole fired plant is at full potential during the summer months, the water can become almost hot. I can remember limiting out several days in a row (3 man limit/15 walleyes) in less than 2 hours, in water temps appraoching the mid 90's. The alewife were in their in hords, both spawning and feeding on the plankton the warm water generated. The walleyes of course were there for the alewife. #7 Shad Raps slowed trolled, limited anybody who owned one.
I guess to simply and totally blame the cooler weather patterns on the bad fishing would be erroneous. Theres just to many other ecosystem changes going on, on the Great lakes in the last 15 years to pinpoint one thing as the fly in the ointment. But it sure would be nice to get some stable weather, to at least figure out a workable plan. 
Edited by walleye express 8/22/2004 4:58 PM
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Member
Posts: 2680
Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | Wulp, Heres a new twist to my Global warming post.
Man.
Is this weird of what? Here it is September 3rd and the warmest water temps that I recorded all summer on the Saginaw Bay was 72. Yet, this afternoon coming in from the 47's in front of Callahan Reef, I hit 76 degrees surface temps. It was flat as a pancake virtually all day today on the water, and almost 74 degrees just West of the 3 and 4 bouy where we spent 5 hours trolling today. We were marking fish like crazy near the bottom and even suspended up to 11 feet later this afternoon.They were real finicky though. We managed 4 walleyes in the 5 pound range and lost two more just shy of the net that were as big. Also caught 2 cats and 1 jumbo perch. 1 1/2 ounce bouncers 48 feet back over 23 FOW. Bumble Bee harnesses, #7 brass Indiana blades (the BIG Thumpers) teamed with Chartreause and Black beads. 1.5 MPH on the GPS.
Edited by walleye express 9/3/2004 3:32 PM
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