Thursday, August 15, 2019

Shell Beach Speckled Trout MIA...

Before I get into our weather, let me give you an update on fishing east of the Mississippi River.  We all know the opening of the Spillway killed the oyster industry with the great volume of fresh water, but it has also killed catching speckled trout in areas that normally hold fish.  My first trip to Shell Beach since Mid March was ok for redfish, but a total zero for trout.   In fact, of 11 boats launched at Campos, 10 were charter Captain trips with only my friend "Capt." Hylton being truly recreational anglers.  The charter trips all went on long boat rides toward Breton Sound and the Chandelier Islands as low water salinity is keeping trout outside the interior marshes.  Despite having beautiful live shrimp for bait, Hylton and I struggled to find any fish.   We ended up catching 7 redfish and one bass over 2 days with zero trout, not even undersized ones.   You can imagine what this has done for local marinas who depend on the recreational anglers to keep their businesses afloat.  Somehow we need to think of the "little guys" next time high river water requires the Spillway to be open.  FYI...the Mississippi River Carrollton gauge is now below 10 feet and continues a rapid fall for the rest of this month.   But the damage is done and it will require years for the oyster industry to recover.

A weak frontal boundary sagged over south Louisiana & Mississippi before losing its identity.  Storms finally erupted late, but not before we topped out at 97.  The upper high that has roasted us for over a week is expected to shift back to the west allowing for T-Storms to fire off early the next several days.  Hopefully that will mean slightly less hot temps?

The Tropics remain quite for this week, but several models are showing the potential for development by late next week.    There is a Tropical Wave moving through the Caribbean, but strong wind shear should prohibit development.  Another one farther out in the Atlantic has little in the way of clouds, but models suggest that might become better organized next week.   Lots to watch, but little to worry right now.  Stay tuned!

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