[Captain Russ]

The weather took a turn towards the FRIGID since the new year. It has been a long time since Keys residents have had to endure morning temperatures in the forties with high's not reaching sixty degrees f. For those of us who have been fishing it has been brutle, wearing three layers and a mask and using gloves so our hands don't go numb on the steel wheel while running 30 mph into a 20 mph north wind with 45 to 50 degree temperatures.

Alright, enough winning....WHAT ABOUT THE FISH? How do they feel about the cold water temperature in a usually balmy, tropical temperate environment?

I have compiled a temperature chart for many of the common keys fish species to see just how they do "feel" and how they may react to specific temperatures.


FLORIDA KEYS SALTWATER FISH TEMPERATURE CHART.

SPECIES LOWER AVOIDANCE OPTIMUM UPPER AVOIDANCE

BLACK DRUM 52 72 90
BLUEFISH 50 68 76
COBIA 65 72 79
BARRACUDA 55 72-80 86
BLACKFIN TUNA 65 70-75 82
BONEFISH 60 72-82 92
DOLPHIN 70 72-80 82
JACK CREVALLE 65 70-85 90
KING MACKEREL 65 68-76 88
POMPANO 65 70-82 85
PERMIT 70 75-80 92
RED DRUM 52 70-80 90
SAILFISH 68 72-82 88
SKIPJACK TUNA 50 58-62 70
SNOOK 60 70-82 90
SPOTTED SEATROUT 48 68-78 88
SPANISH MACKEREL 68 78 88
TARPON 70 75-90 100


TEMPERATURES ARE IN FARENHEIGHT DEGREES.




THIS MATERIAL WAS GATHERED BY CAPT. RUSS PELLOW FROM VARIOUS SOURCES. ALTHOUGH SOME OF THE NUMBERS MAY SEEM QUESTIONABLE, NO LIBERTY HAS BEEN TAKEN TO MODIFY THEM. SOME OF THE DATA WAS COMPILED IN A GEOGRAPHIC REGION OTHER THAN THE FLORIDA KEYS AND MAY EXPLAIN THOSE QUESTIONABLE NUMBERS. ALTHOUGH DATA FROM MANY DIFFERENT SOURCES ARE VERY CLOSE IF NOT THE SAME NUMBERS.


CAPT. RUSS

[Captain Russ]

Sorry about the way the chart reproduced when I copied it to this forum.

The colums got all pushed together, so I hope the information is discernible.

* Little Rabbit Key and Murray Key tide stations reported water temps as low as 42 degrees a few times!


Russ

P.S. 35 degrees this morning on the porch at 5:00 am. Warming trend beginning tomorrow!

[Captain Russ]

Late January: Water temp is up to low to mid seventies and the fish are once again active up in Florida Bay and around the Flamingo area. The Mackerel are in good numbers in the gulf too. The FWC has closed the usual OPEN Snook months of summer. The Snook season will be closed through August 31st. Time will tell IF the eason will open in September based on assements of the damage to the Snook stock due to the coldweather die off.



Capt. Russ