By Sunday morning hundreds of snook had died in the canals of Anna Maria Island, Snead Island and the Bradenton Yacht Club in Palmetto.
Sand bream (mojarras) died today in the upper reaches of the Manatee River near Fort Hamer. With one more night of even colder weather and a hard wind gusting to 25 from the north, a lot more snook are sure to die.
If they perish in the upper Manatee River it will represent a major snook kill; probably the worst such event since the early 1960s. On Sunday afternoon there were still some snook left alive but the extremely low tide on Monday morning (caused by the north wind) could well finish off the bulk of the snook population in the Tampa to Charlotte Harbor area.
Snook are already dead in Placida and around Burnt Store south of Punta Gorda. So the freeze kill appears to extend over most of the range of Gulf Coast snook.
Many snook will not be seen for several days as they die and sink to the bottom and it takes time for them to decompose and float to the surface. By mid-week the carnage could well prove disastrous to this popular gamefish. In the event that a massive kill occurs it’s possible that the state may step in and close harvest on this already vastly restricted species. Snook harvest is already closed for most of the year.
The Christmas Eve freeze in the 1980s prompted the state to close the entire month of December to protect cold-stressed snook. The state has never had to respond to a 60s style kill. Intense scrutiny of this one-time commercially harvested gamefish only began during the late 1970s. As Florida’s most popular gamefish dies en masse there is only speculation just how bad it will get and what measures such a kill will merit from fishery managers. The freeze of 2010 could well put snook off the catch list; perhaps for many years to come.
By GB Knowles Guest Writer
Article by LucyLu
I was born a commercial fisherman's daughter in Cortez, an old fishing village off the west coast of Florida where you can still experience "Old Florida" and get a really good grouper sandwich. I went to school and became an anesthetist, after privileged years of practice, I jumped ship to work in the family business - Cannons Marina. I love my job and the view. I am crazy about my dog. Being out on the water is magical. I still get giddy every time I see a dolphin. Often I brag that I had the opportunity to swim alongside a humpback whale - it was freaky and pretty amazing. Fishing for tarpon and marlin make me happy. My life is no doubt boating, but I also love paddle-boarding cooking and travel.
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
This is the reason we have fishing (Snook) regulations here in Florida. It is our responsibility to keep the fish populations healthy in the event of natural disasters such as this extreme run of cold weather. I believe that this blast of cold weather is really “the big one” as it has been more like 10 days of hardcore cold temperatures. I remember extreme cold weather in the 80′s and it did effect large populations of Snook and it was because of our conservation efforts that I was able to catch fish for my customers. This freeze has and will impact our fish populations. It is my belief that the fish will recover as long as we give them a break and continue to have strong conservation here in Florida.
Captain Scott,
Thanks for your feedback and input. We are grateful that you are such a great steward on conservation. What we love about Florida is the profound natural beauty and fauna.
Again, thanks-
Lucy
As a Longboat kid, now living in Chicago, I can only sit here with a heavy heart.
I truly hope that FL will not put politics and short-term profit in front of the recovery legislation that will most likely be necessary.
Best wishes to those of you who make your living fishing for, and leading conservation efforts to preserve this beautiful fish.
A widespread snook kill such as the one experienced in Florida over the past couple of weeks will put a serious dent in Florida’s snook population. The freeze in 1989 left snook in a similar state, yet with conservation efforts, these fish rebounded with vigor and in good numbers. The fact that snook have made their way north on the west coast as far north as Crystal River and on the east coast to Jacksonville shows the range of these fish when successive mild winters occur. With the northern reaches of the snook boundary extending beyond what scientists had considered livable habitat for these fish, this recent weather phenomenon may put snook back in “their place” in more temperate zones to the south. A knee jerk reaction to the fish kill has some alarmists shouting for an emergency closure, but until a proper assessment has been made by fisheries biologists, we should continue to allow nature to take its course.
Hi Bruce-
I have no doubt that the fish will come back, nature seems to have a way of doing just that sort of thing.
Thanks for your comment and stay warm in Chicago.
Thanks-
Lucy
Hi Captain Ray,
Thanks for your comment and you certainly have a great point. I do like the idea of assessing the situation after this blast of cold weather is over.
Again, thanks for your input and keep us posted.
Best-
Lucy
Because Florida divides snook regulations into two separate areas, and the area of the East Coast has a season reopening February 1, it’s not going to be enough time to assess the kill data being collected. So, an emergency closure has been instituted to extend the current closure through September to have time to allow a summer spawn, and to properly take stock of the damages to the snook population. Closure beyond the September date will depend on the results of the assessment.
Hey Captain Markham,
Thanks for the update on the Snook status. We certainly appreciate your efforts and help!
Best regards,
Lucy
january 16 2010 has the state of Florida closed snook fishing until september
we’ve been catching catfish in the ocean along with blue runners off Hutchinsons Island.Is this uncommon?Also we’ve seen alot of dead snook and a moray eel.
Hi Shery-
I really do not think that your fish catching experience in uncommon for this time of year. As you may know the Moray Eel and Snook deaths are due to the cold weather blast that lasted several days here in Florida. I am from an old Florida family and I cannot ever remember a run of cold weather like the one we just experienced. All I can say is that our conservation folks are assessing the situation and extending closure on Snook, Tarpon and Bonefish seasons.
Thanks for your input and report from the east coast.
Best regards,
Lucy
My Fishing Report today is on a positive note. Yesterday while riding around the bay in my boat I found lots of live fish. In fact, I saw large numbers of trout and red fish in the shallow waters. These fish are feeding on the shrimp and there are plenty of sheeps head out side Cannons Marina’s canal. It looks good and the other fish will come back.
Thanks for the update Captain Scott. Keep us updated.
Lucy Lu,
It is mid August 2010, after 7 years of guiding I am happy to tell all that we have caught more big Reds, Trout and above all Snook this season than ever. We have averaged 2 Snook per trip in the last 35 trips. I know the cold spell last winter was ugly, however nature sorts things out. Snook are strong strong in Crystal River. The amount of slot Snook and above are boundless in my area.
Thanks,
Todd
Hey Todd,
Thanks so much for your update! We love to hear such good news!
Best regards,
Lucylu