Trout are disappearing part II

[notnksnemor]

The other thread really peaked my curiosity.
Did a little reading as I never had really researched the fish, just caught and ate them.

I found this interesting and would like others opinions on it.

Reproduction and growth[edit]​

Like all members of the drum family, mature males make a "drumming" sound to attract females during the spawning season. Spotted seatrout have a long spawning season from spring through summer.

Larval seatrout reach 5–7 mm in length about two weeks after hatching, and 170–200 mm within about seven months. It takes between one and two years for seatrout to reach 300 mm (about 12 inches) and between two and three years to reach 400 mm in length (about 16 inches). The maximum age of spotted seatrout that have been caught is estimated to be 12 years old, though that is rare, and the oldest fish caught on a regular basis are closer to four or five years old.[6]

By the end of the first year, spotted seatrout are about 250 mm long and about half of them are mature enough to reproduce.[6][7] They reproduce in shallow, grassy areas of estuaries.

As spotted seatrout grow longer, they increase in weight. The relationship between weight and length is not linear.

A keeper trout is 3+ years old.
Looking back at storms, I think a strong correlation between hurricanes and keeper trout populations can be made.
Trout spawn all summer. I hurricane that disrupts the spawn would have an effect of that year fish.

What say you?

 

[slow motion]

Sounds good. Since they spawn every lunar cycle during that time would it take more than 1 or do you surmise the disruption in spawn coupled with loss of coastal habitat/hiding places for fry as well as storm surge possibly killing the fry from previous spawns?

 

[notnksnemor]

Sounds good. Since they spawn every lunar cycle during that time would it take more than 1 or do you surmise the disruption in spawn coupled with loss of coastal habitat/hiding places for fry as well as storm surge possibly killing the fry from previous spawns?

I'm not only thinking about the spawn disruption, but the destruction of that years "fry" as well.
1eye's pictures of App. bay dry is what got me thinking. If that was a late summer hurricane, couldn't it effect the entire summers hatch?
Basically having a null trout hatch for that area that year?
And how would that look in the catches 3-4 years later?

 

[doomtrpr_z71]

It takes 2 years for a female to hit 15, 3 for a male. I found this very interesting:


That release percent is much higher than I would have thought.


Looks like the whole catch and release argument isn't any good.

 

[ilbcnu]

grass die off and too much fresh water diluting salinity?

 

[doomtrpr_z71]

Salinity is my thought, the sea grass was fine shallow except near the Suwannee and the mouth of the hatch, it seems like the stuff in deeper water was where the losses were, likely due to stained water limiting photosynthesis.

 

[notnksnemor]

It very well could be an "all of the above" scenario.
Large influxes of fresh water would coincide with storms.
'88 - '90 looks like a huge drop off in landings in a short period of time.
Wonder what caused that decline?

 

[talisman]

I fished last weekend at econfina and caught a good mess of trout and reds but it took lots of moving around to finally get them. The water is like dark dark coffee. A older gentlemen once told me that the sea grass wont hardly grow in the dark water due to the lack of sunlight. I also believe the extreme cold weather and really negative tides affect the fish in the winter time

 

[MudDucker]

Hmm, they used to close trout in February, stating that was the spawn time. I've only seen spawning of trout in March and early April.

The main thing I've seen hurricanes do is to destroy the inshore grass beds. The ones destroyed near Carrabelle by Michael are not coming back very fast and a lot of wire grass is coming instead.

 

[Dustin Pate]

Hmm, they used to close trout in February, stating that was the spawn time. I've only seen spawning of trout in March and early April.

One of my favorite times to catch them is when they are on the beaches spawning on the June full moon. I also have a hard time believing that they spawn in February.

 

[Gator89]

One of my favorite times to catch them is when they are on the beaches spawning on the June full moon. I also have a hard time believing that they spawn in February.

Best trout fishing I have ever done was on a beach in June when it was as hot as the gates of Hades.

Throw a live croaker under a cork in the surf and hang on.

The thermometer on my truck said 103 degrees when we loaded the boat.
This was in Cocodrie, LA back in 2009.

 

[doomtrpr_z71]

One of my favorite times to catch them is when they are on the beaches spawning on the June full moon. I also have a hard time believing that they spawn in February.

I think it was to protect the spawners in the rivers, they wont spawn without water temps in the 70's minimum.

 

[jaybirdius]

I wonder how much damage red tides do to the younger fish. We were at CSB during the last major red tide October of 2021. The only thing we saw in the surf or caught was catfish and a few dolphins.

 

[1eyefishing]

Caught a half day 5 fish limit of trout today... 1st day fishing this year.
Launched in St.Marks...
Didn't have to tape a single one to see if it was small but did check one to see if it was over nineteen.




Partner added 1 and a black drum...



We also caught six or eight under size reds but no keepers.

 

[1eyefishing]

Sheepshead distappeared too.
Particularly this one!

 

[NCHillbilly]

I know that from what I've read, at least here in NC, trout see a pretty good mortality from sudden bouts of cold water, too.

 

[slow motion]

Sheepshead distappeared too.
Particularly this one!

View attachment 1291085

Nice one.

 

[Batjack]

Sheepshead distappeared too.
Particularly this one!

View attachment 1291085

We gonna see it in the Cafe tonight?

 

[talisman]

Sheepshead distappeared too.
Particularly this one!

View attachment 1291085

We're trout in close or on flats

 

[1eyefishing]

We're trout in close or on flats

All on the inside, mostly on oyster bars and points...