Speckled Trout are Disappearing

[notnksnemor]

It was not that many years ago that you could not keep trout in FL during February.

I remembered something like that. That was back in the 15 a day limit and it seemed to sustain itself until something changed.

What changed?

 

[Nicodemus]

I remembered something like that. That was back in the 15 a day limit and it seemed to sustain itself until something changed.

What changed?

Remember when the trout limit was 50 per person, and reds were considered trash fish?

 

[Gator89]

Remember when the trout limit was 50 per person, and reds were considered trash fish?

I remember being able to buy trout from the fish houses in Horseshoe Beach that had been caught in nets by commercial fishermen.

 

[menhadenman]

 

[Jim Baker]

Remember when the trout limit was 50 per person, and reds were considered trash fish?

you left the house expecting to bring home 50. Now you leave home "hoping" to catch 5 keepers.

I can remember catching Reds around Rock island until you got tired of catching.

 

[notnksnemor]

The decline in coastal ecosystems is not just limited to Northwest Florida... Anywhere the human population increases there are going to be downstream effects. Its just a question of how much the people are willing to spend to counteract said effects.

I live in a fairly affluent community called Fairhope. It is located on Mobile Bay. Anytime we get heavy rains our waste systems over run into the bay. We know this but the city fathers are not willing to shell out to fix the system. So our community gets fined by the EPA and continues to dump waste in its own backyard.

How do you square that with the deer population in Georgia now compared to the 60's or any number of other species?

 

[slow motion]

And if you're not good at it, it could appear they are disappearing.

Dang it Kansas I told you that in confidence. Now you out me as a poor fisherman in front of everybody.

 

[jdgator]

How do you square that with the deer population in Georgia now compared to the 60's or any number of other species?

How do I square current declines in coastal ecosystems with the Georgia deer population in the 1960s? I don't. Hope that helps.

 

[buckpasser]

you left the house expecting to bring home 50. Now you leave home "hoping" to catch 5 keepers.

I can remember catching Reds around Rock island until you got tired of catching.

I was told earlier that we might all just be bad at fishing. Maybe that’s it. Lol.

 

[buckpasser]

How do I square current declines in coastal ecosystems with the Georgia deer population in the 1960s? I don't. Hope that helps.

You mean to tell me that a land mammal that we almost shot out that had to be restocked, become highly regulated, and is now the focus of huge money and effort to manage, that is effected in no way by pollution isn’t exactly the same as a saltwater fish? Well, I declare! Lol!

 

[notnksnemor]

How do I square current declines in coastal ecosystems with the Georgia deer population in the 1960s? I don't. Hope that helps.

That probably was a little too deep.
I was referring to your statement below.

Anywhere the human population increases there are going to be downstream effects.

Ga.'s deer population has grown even as the human population has grown.

 

[KLBTJTALLY1]

Tally boi has some problems with logic reading comprehension too.
I never said you're wrong. And I agreed with you that the fishing has been getting progressively worse.
I just said it started years before your declaration that the trout are 'disappearing'. The State reduced the limits a few seasons ago, so your declaration should have caught no one by surprise as it with three years late.
Some of us are still catching fish in the meantime.
Grow up.

BOI huh. You a big man behind a keyboard. Be cool. This post was only about helping some folks out in tough times and maybe helping them think before they drop hundreds if not thousands of dollars on a trip to this area looking for catches like they had in the past.

Also, stop keeping anything over the 20" size. That's what us Florida men are doing to help out OUR fishery.

 

[Gator89]

That probably was a little too deep.
I was referring to your statement below.


Ga.'s deer population has grown even as the human population has grown.

It could be argued that deer thrive where the human population occurs in the highest densities.

I don't foresee many humans living among the trout anytime soon.

 

[buckpasser]

It could be argued that deer thrive where the human population occurs in the highest densities.

I don't foresee many humans living among the trout anytime soon.

There are almost no parallels between deer and sea trout really. It’s an interesting position that @notnksnemor has taken here. Let’s see how it pans out. Maybe he can explain further.

 

[jdgator]

That probably was a little too deep.
I was referring to your statement below.


Ga.'s deer population has grown even as the human population has grown.

I’m no expert on Whitetail deer but they seem to be pretty adaptable.

 

[notnksnemor]

Dang it Kansas I told you that in confidence. Now you out me as a poor fisherman in front of everybody.

I wish you could share your sense of humor.

 

[notnksnemor]

I’m no expert on Whitetail deer but they seem to be pretty adaptable.

Yes they do.
I'm wondering if trout are as adaptable.

Let me see if I can clear this up, not speaking for 1eye although I'm pretty familiar with his thought process.

The thread was about trout disappearing.
This may or may not be true. I don't think we can say for sure without doing population counts, which is all but impossible, and not depending on reported catches.

I merely offered a different theory on why limits of keeper trout seem to be harder to come by.

The trout areas (flats) have become inundated with increasing boat traffic in recent years ,read decade(s), both by fisherman and pleasure boaters/scalloper's, etc.
I'm pondering whether trout numbers are actually decreasing or they are adapting to the increased boat/fishing pressure. Thus, the deer reference/parallel.
I noticed years ago when I started fishing in the middle of the week, I had better success than fishing on weekends when traffic was heavier.

Just another opinion. Didn't mean to wad up a bunch of panties.

 

[Gator89]

Yes they do.
I'm wondering if trout are as adaptable.

Let me see if I can clear this up, not speaking for 1eye although I'm pretty familiar with his thought process.

The thread was about trout disappearing.
This may or may not be true. I don't think we can say for sure without doing population counts, which is all but impossible, and not depending on reported catches.

I merely offered a different theory on why limits of keeper trout seem to be harder to come by.

The trout areas (flats) have become inundated with increasing boat traffic in recent years ,read decade(s), both by fisherman and pleasure boaters/scalloper's, etc.
I'm pondering whether trout numbers are actually decreasing or they are adapting to the increased boat/fishing pressure. Thus, the deer reference/parallel.
I noticed years ago when I started fishing in the middle of the week, I had better success than fishing on weekends when traffic was heavier.

Just another opinion. Didn't mean to wad up a bunch of panties.

While I am not a marine biologist, I am of the opinion the hurricanes that have passed through the "Big Bend area" have also damaged the grass beds in the flats. Fortunately some of these are showing signs of recovery.

Some folks go and catch fish most every trip. I know a couple of folks that seem to be able to catch fish in their neighbor's bathtub.

Folks like me go and catch fish every now & then. I don't get to go enough to know where fish are consistently. Try a few spots and hope they are at one of them.

 

[1eyefishing]

BOI huh. You a big man behind a keyboard. Be cool. This post was only about helping some folks out in tough times and maybe helping them think before they drop hundreds if not thousands of dollars on a trip to this area looking for catches like they had in the past.

Also, stop keeping anything over the 20" size. That's what us Florida men are doing to help out OUR fishery.

Thanks for the heads up, but I'll continue to fish by the rules and regulations set forth by the state of florida.
I dont keep the BIG fish, but I'm not gonna stop at 20" and I'm certainly not the one overfishing YOUR fishery..

 

[notnksnemor]

While I am not a marine biologist, I am of the opinion the hurricanes that have passed through the "Big Bend area" have also damaged the grass beds in the flats. Fortunately some of these are showing signs of recovery.

Some folks go and catch fish most every trip. I know a couple of folks that seem to be able to catch fish in their neighbor's bathtub.

Folks like me go and catch fish every now & then. I don't get to go enough to know where fish are consistently. Try a few spots and hope they are at one of them.

I agree storms have had an impact on the grass beds.
Next time you're out, take note of all the "prop scars" going thru the grass as well.