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Date: Gumbo
Title: April 11, 2004
Date: 16 Apr 2004
Time: 13:13:15 -0400
Gumbo ain’t no name for a cajun stew around Steinhatchee. It is a colloquial name given for an algae that, at times, can grow so abundantly on firm bottom it makes bottom fishing frustrating. How many licks does it take to get to the center of a lollipop? Who cares. How many times can one reel up a bait gobbed in green slime and not get frustrated? Answer: 47. Give or take 5 depending on the intensity. Biology lesson: Over the past three to four weeks sea water clarity has been so pure one can see fish milling around the rocks in 60 foot of water. No kidding! Two weeks ago, I watched a grouper take a sardine in 59.4 feet of water off St. Marks. Pure water clarity means direct sunlight is penetrating bottom. The sunlight energy on bottom is all the algae needs to bloom; better term ‘balloon’. When sea temperatures warm up enough to promote phytoplankton growth within the water column, sunlight on bottom is diminished to the point that algae growth is hampered, then reduced to the point the algae dies off. It’s a natural cycle. The cyclic nuances of nature are driven by such a delicate complex environment, I smile at the excuses fishermen give why the fish didn’t “bite” or why they did. Saltwater fishermen, like I, have a vague idea as to what is actually truly going on from day to day. After all, we’re dealing with the most dynamic environment on earth, the sea. The sea encompasses over 70%, by volume, on earth. To boot, we’re trying to figure out the response patterns to a fish with an undeveloped brain. Anyway, what to do with the the gumbo? Nothing, it’s natural phenomenon. How can I catch fish during the gumbo bloom? Two ways... Deeper water allows less sunlight penetration, which translates into far less ‘gumbo’. Water depth and the intensity of gumbo is not a linear function. Out side of 70 feet, gumbo is less prevalent. Sounds great! Bottom fish in 70-80 feet of water. Reality is 70-80 foot of water is over 36 nautical miles off shore. If the weather allows, you have the boat to make the trip and the numbers; go. Be careful. Second option, troll between 50 and 70 feet. Don’t deal with the gumbo at all. The plugs run over top of the algae problem. This option has worked well for me. Saturday, I hooked up 4 doubles, one triple and two ‘quarda freaks’ , as well as, multiple single knock downs trolling. Saturday, I never put a bait to the bottom. Lure color made little difference. Activity level was high. I understood what was going on below the boat, adapted, and put fish in the box. In true terms, trolling at this time, can save you money on gas, give a wonderful day catching fish and allow you to find new bottom to fish later. I had brief chat with Capt. Pat Brooks this week. He is a premiere flats guide. He told me the trout fishing is great, in a nutshell. Let me tell this to you, Pat sometime finds trout in his bath tub; he is that good. For the rest of us, spending a day on the flats should end up with a good catch of fish. Bottom line, trout fishing is good in Steinhatchee and only getting better. You know how to do it. Come get you some. Take care of yourselves and your tackle. Capt B.