04-08-2013, 07:41 AM
Last year was a weird one, and the year before that too. Looks like this one will be another season that re-writes the log books with things we have not seen before.
I for one, am now convinced of Global Warming. Not so much that its created by mankind, but that things are different (for whatever reason). Obviously these changes are having a major effect on our local fishery, and weather patterns. It may work out to be a good thing, just way different.
One recurring theme I keep hearing is "there is much less kelp than last year." I heard that last year too. While the water on the surface was cold enough to stimulate kelp growth through the winter, obviously the sub surface temps didn't get to where the kelp can thrive.
There is less bait, all bait, everywhere. In years past when this happened, we had albacore within one day range. Any old salt will tell you the same thing. I spoke with Tommy Holland (Captain of the "Eldorado") last night on the phone, and he says the water at San Clemente Island is "blue, like purple blue." Sounds great Tommy, but so far there is nothing in it. He also said that when traveling over to SCI that the thermocline on the meter is down 30 fathoms! Its so pronounced, that his powerful electronics can't see through it, at all. Not good.
What all this means is that we are now in uncharted territory. I have the old logs from past commercial fishermen in my family, all the way back to my great grandfathers logs. I have studied them with a fine tooth comb over the years, and remember nothing about a spring quite like this one or the last. We all know that the cycles of our earth have been drastic back through the ages, but when man began to put charcoal to bark and keep logs about our oceans, it wasn't like this.
I for one, am now convinced of Global Warming. Not so much that its created by mankind, but that things are different (for whatever reason). Obviously these changes are having a major effect on our local fishery, and weather patterns. It may work out to be a good thing, just way different.
One recurring theme I keep hearing is "there is much less kelp than last year." I heard that last year too. While the water on the surface was cold enough to stimulate kelp growth through the winter, obviously the sub surface temps didn't get to where the kelp can thrive.
There is less bait, all bait, everywhere. In years past when this happened, we had albacore within one day range. Any old salt will tell you the same thing. I spoke with Tommy Holland (Captain of the "Eldorado") last night on the phone, and he says the water at San Clemente Island is "blue, like purple blue." Sounds great Tommy, but so far there is nothing in it. He also said that when traveling over to SCI that the thermocline on the meter is down 30 fathoms! Its so pronounced, that his powerful electronics can't see through it, at all. Not good.
What all this means is that we are now in uncharted territory. I have the old logs from past commercial fishermen in my family, all the way back to my great grandfathers logs. I have studied them with a fine tooth comb over the years, and remember nothing about a spring quite like this one or the last. We all know that the cycles of our earth have been drastic back through the ages, but when man began to put charcoal to bark and keep logs about our oceans, it wasn't like this.