# Can the Trout handle the temps?



## patrickonasis (Jan 3, 2018)

With the brutal weather what’s you guys opinion on some speckled trout not making it?


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## Steve762us (Jan 3, 2018)

Don't know how it affects the fry or adult trout, 
but can hit the shrimp _*hard*_--and
really decrease the amount of shrimp this year, 
in creeks/rivers/ICW. That affects everything that
feeds on shrimp.


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## perryrip (Jan 5, 2018)

I've been down here 11 years and have never seen this hard of a freeze or 5 successive nights at freezing. It's got to have an effect but won't know until we get out on the water and try to find some trout. It will be interesting to see. I'll post my results.


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## perryrip (Jan 8, 2018)

Just received the response from DNR below. They should have some info in the near future:
To date, Coastal Resources has not had anyone on the water assessing marine organisms.  We have received only one report thus far regarding cold stunned or dead fish.  Temperatures are near critical levels for survival of shrimp and spotted sea trout and we are watching them daily.  We are planning to begin our monthly trawl survey assessment this week and should have more information at that point.

Thank you for your interest.


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## Jimmy Lee Armel (Jan 8, 2018)

perryrip said:


> Just received the response from DNR below. They should have some info in the near future:
> To date, Coastal Resources has not had anyone on the water assessing marine organisms.  We have received only one report thus far regarding cold stunned or dead fish.  Temperatures are near critical levels for survival of shrimp and spotted sea trout and we are watching them daily.  We are planning to begin our monthly trawl survey assessment this week and should have more information at that point.
> 
> Thank you for your interest.



I'm not worried about a trout kill but take what they say with a grain of salt. There are a lot of flaws in that system. They get HORRIBLE reporting.


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## perryrip (Jan 9, 2018)

Jimmy, 
Don't doubt that for a minute, but some info regarding on the water observations would be interesting versus nothing at this point.


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## Jimmy Lee Armel (Jan 9, 2018)

perryrip said:


> Jimmy,
> Don't doubt that for a minute, but some info regarding on the water observations would be interesting versus nothing at this point.



My partner was out yesterday and we went out today and didn't see a single dead trout, just a few yellow tail


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## doomtrpr_z71 (Jan 9, 2018)

It will be interesting to see the impact, didn't some trout die during the winter of 09? I did see where there was a snook kill on the wacissa in Florida.


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## patrickonasis (Jan 9, 2018)

When I made this post I must say I was surprised at the lack of interest in it.I thought maybe I was overreacting as I know that that many consecutive days of low temperatures was not good.Glad to see it gain some traction now as I’m hoping for the best!


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## ssramage (Jan 10, 2018)

I've seen videos on Facebook of dead trout in SSI. Not huge numbers but a few dead here and there.


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## trippcasey (Jan 10, 2018)

I went out for the first time since my surgery yesterday. The water temp was 45*. Thats cold. We caught nothing.


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## Steve762us (Jan 10, 2018)

*Operation ROE*

Here ya go...

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/GADNR/bulletins/1d226b1


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## Jimmy Lee Armel (Jan 10, 2018)

Hopefully they will back the limit of trout down. Maybe we should report some dead ones so it can be a reasonable number and we can have a real trout fishery lol


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## Uptonongood (Jan 10, 2018)

The cold temps aren’t the only issue in spotted sea trout mortality, it is also important to know how fast the the waters dropped below the critical point.  Another issue is how long the temps stay down. You folks had freezing rain, if that hits at low tide, rising tidal waters get very rapidly cooled as the waters come up over frozen ice covered tidal flats and near empty stream beds.

The CRD/DNR is requesting fishermen voluntarily release all sea trout in order to maximize the future of spawning stock.  Think about it, if the fish are hit that hard, issue emergency regulations and shut that fishery down completely.  

There was a critical freeze back in the early ‘80’s and it took three year for fishing to come back close to “normal”.  Fishing pressure on trout is much, much higher now so the fishery recovery time span could be significantly longer. Shut down the fishery completely until it can be determined how damaged it is.


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## Steve762us (Jan 10, 2018)

Uptonongood said:


> The CRD/DNR is requesting fishermen voluntarily release all sea trout in order to maximize the future of spawning stock.



Not according to the pdf--they're requesting release of all
trout over 18".


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## Uptonongood (Jan 10, 2018)

This issue is protecting spawning. stock which starts at 12 inches  and runs up from there.  The idea of asking for volunteers to release brood stock is great if you want a half effort to preserve those stocks.  Is there any sampling to assess impact of these severe temp drops on the trout?  Have there ever been any research projects on ‘‘tis issue in Georgia? What impact does water temps and various fresh flows of the Savannah, Ogeechee, Altamaha and St. Mary’s Rivers have cold temperature mortality of  Seatrout?  Great opportunity to do great research.  And given that climate change may produce more of these dramatic cold bombs, it might be good to do something to anticipate further problems.  Or, do too little and it may take four years for the fishery to recover.  Incidentally, a review of rationale in increasing the minimum size limit from 12 inches to the current 14 inches should have been done 30 years ago.  I guess the current voluntary slot limit of 14 to 16 inches is good enough for folks.


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## Steve762us (Jan 10, 2018)

Uptonongood said:


> I guess the current voluntary slot limit of 14 to 16 inches is good enough for folks.



The 14" minimum is GA law...the 'voluntary release for over 18" ', is (currently) a DNR request.  Best to read the actual DNR document, work with facts, and keep the rumor and innuendo down to a dull roar.


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## perryrip (Jan 15, 2018)

Steve762us, 
Amen to your comment. Water temps at 44 degrees become critical depending on how long it stays in that range. I set out bait traps for mudminnows last Friday and caught at least 200, so that bait source is solid. Fished down on the Barbour from the bank and didn't get a bite, which was a very different result than the week before the cold snap. Saw no dead fish or fish period, but did see dolphin coming through looking. The big fish kill in South Texas back in 83 was attributed more to the quick temperature drop from 50's to the 30 degrees in one hour time. That slammed the trout population. Our estuarine topography would probably not allow that same result. Will be interesting to see some outcomes and reports once the weather warms up.


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## Inshore83k (Jan 16, 2018)

*No luck*

First time on water since before the cold snap today. Went to some of my favorite winter time spots and absolutely struck out. Threw a few grubs mainly curly tail but im not a big artificial guy, mostly fished live shrimp under a slip cork fishing deep bends. Did a little searching when my spots didn't treat me good, never even a bite.


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## doomtrpr_z71 (Jan 16, 2018)

At least it was not as bad as in Virginia when it snowed earlier, granted those are rockfish, not trout


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## perryrip (Jan 18, 2018)

Doomtrprx71,

Do you know where that video of the stripers was taken?


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## doomtrpr_z71 (Jan 18, 2018)

Suffolk I believe. I saw this morning that SC had a bad fish kill, zman is donating stickers to ask for a year of catch and release fishing only.


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## perryrip (Jan 18, 2018)

I googled the youtube and saw where the poster was in SE Virginia, Norfolk, Suffolk area. They took a big hit with low temps.


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