Several major creeks in both rivers have floating/dead trout and sheepshead along with a few small reds. Very sad.
not good. any pictures yet?
Proline 201WA
Aloha 24ft pontoon (LooneyToon)
Old Town stern with 7.5 johnson
Just got back from a scouting trip on the upper Ashley. From Magnolia up we had between 32 and 37F water temp with large chunks of ice floating around. Didn’t see any floaters but its bad, real bad.
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.eyestrikefishing.com #predatorsstriketheeye
The floating dead are in the major creek arms here about midway back. Fishing, St. Pierre, Bailey, Russell, Tom Point, Leadenwah, etc.
Just saw a picture of dead trout posted on FB from a guide friend. Don’t know if he took the photo or where it was taken…yet.
Pic sent to him, from James Island side of the harbor, supposedly.
“I am constantly amazed at the stupidity of the general public.”
~my dad
Equipment:
2007 Grady White 222 Fisherman / 250 Yamaha
Simrad NSS evo2 and G4
1- 23 boy that won’t move out)
1 - 19 year old (fishing maniac)
1 - wife (The Warden)
ECFC
Rad, did you happen to get surface temps?
I’m seeing harbor is 42 on bottom, better than Op found in the Ashley but probably not survivable for days on end… and with 22 degrees and 20mph just now the trend will only worsen. I have yet to extricate myself from kids/home and go looking around. Afraid of what I’ll find…
Morning water temps are in the upper 30s mid rivers in the mornings. 40ish within a couple miles of the mouths of the rivers. Mid 30s in the backs of the smaller creeks
That’s consistent with what we found, RAD. At Jessen Landing we had 32F, the further we went toward the harbor it got a few degrees warmer, up to 37. All temps rose a couple degrees by the time we trailered the boat
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.eyestrikefishing.com #predatorsstriketheeye
God’s will be done - like it or not.
What’s major? Did you see 10-30 floaters or hundreds/thousands?
Dozens of trout per creek with a a few sheeps mixed in with only a couple small reds. I checked 6 creeks and friends of mine checked about 6 others. The dead sheepshead were the most alarming as I’ve seen them survive in ice crusted salt ponds in the past. It’s not the floating dead that tells the tale for trout. Most get eaten by pelicans, cormorants, and dolphin as their metabolism slows long before they die and float up or sink. I didn’t see nearly this many in previous winters where it was deemed 80% kill rate which is why I say “major”. The flats number of reds are not affected much except by predation to dolphin. My concern is the fingerlings that were spawned back in September and October. How will they be affected? Only time will tell, but 35 degree water up the rivers for 3 days or more where they reside now can’t be good. I would bet down the road DNR will deem this year’s crop a poor recruitment class.
Any pics? Like claim said, I’ve seen some on the fb but there seems to be some debate on whether it is actually here (Charleston area) or not.
Fishing Nerd
“skilled labor isn’t cheap, cheap labor isn’t skilled”
In order to take meaningful pics, you would have to go pick them up and put them in the boat which I believe is illegal. Floaters were scattered over a significant area, but I suppose you will just have to take my word on it.
Rad,
How most of the trout been small that you have seen?
He must Increase,but I must decrease. John 3:30
12-18 inches approximately
QTMA (Quality Trout Management Association - Let’em Go Let’em Grow! We need this spawn as anglers and conservation supporters. If you love our waters you will know and do the right thing. Let them spawn.
Good time to have the auto pilot and A/C fixed on the big boat! Save $ for the big tanks of gas.
I was down in Sarasota/Tampa a few years back when they had that big winter fish kill and there were floaters in very large numbers gathered where the wind blew them. Backs of lagoons, on the beaches etc. Stunk very bad, but seeing the dead trophy fish was of the course the real tragedy. Giant snook, reds, etc., lots of trash fish too (topsail catfish etc). I haven’t heard reports of mass floaters by the hundreds like I saw in FL, maybe we’ll get lucky.
time to knock the dust of the ole bertram keith
Proline 201WA
Aloha 24ft pontoon (LooneyToon)
Old Town stern with 7.5 johnson
I saw dnr net boats yesterday maybe they are checking for fritters or population numbers. I havent seen 1 thing about fish kill on the dnr media sources though and only could find two pictures of a Charleston fish kill on Instagram. I don’t know if it is bad as some are thinking. I’ve also heard several reports of people catching them like regular.