Corpusfishing.com

Tyler · Site Admin Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 12865

The last I have was from 12/31

December 31, 2009

The TAMU-CC Center for Coastal Studies collected water samples yesterday from Corpus Christi Bay. Cell concentration analysis is pending. The CCS reported aerosols, along with numerous comb jellies, all along the Ocean Drive shoreline, from Cole Park to the naval air station. Old dead mullet were also seen near the naval air station.

TPWD investigated a relatively large fish kill within the Corpus Christi Inner Harbor, stretching for approximately 6 miles from the Avery Turning Basin to the end of the channel at Viola Turning Basin. Water samples were collected from five locations throughout the length of the kill and contained varying concentrations of K. brevis cells. The dead fish consisted mostly of striped mullet, along with ladyfish (skipjack), Atlantic moonfish and black drum.

Central Scrutinizer · Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 1:59 pm Post subject:

That particular "inner harbor" kill was impressive. We did an assessment on New Years Eve!! What a way to spend the holiday. The wind blew all the fish into the last 1/4 or so of the channel, with the majority it piled into the Viola Turning Basin. Mainly mullet, ladyfish, and Atlantic moonfish, but a fair number of large jack cravalle's, black drum, and spotted seatrout mixed in for good measure. Even way back in the ship channel, there are still many snook that turned up, but most of them were under 12".

Surprisingly, the water was super clear all the way back, so my guess was the red tide had a sustained bloom that wiped everything out and "fell out" of the water column. This is a pretty common occurrence with red tide. If you remember, after the big kill on the Island, the surf was gin clear in the early/mid part of November. Hopefully it was the last hurrah, and we can put this fish kill to bed.

Water samples keep finding low concentrations of red tide in spots, but it's hard to guess where the next blow-up will take place. One positive note is the beach front seems to be clear now for the past couple of weeks.

Now for the bad news. This is all followed up by the arctic blast scheduled for this weekend. Mobilizing now for a "cold kill" response, if needed, and perhaps the GM will need to enforce the Salt Water Freeze Event regs. Keep your fingers crossed that it won't come to that. Those are typical of blue northers that follow warm spells, and the sudden drop in temps result in massive kills. The bays have gotten real cold with this sustained cold weather (Al Gore....gotta love him!!! Rolling Eyes

), so there shouldn't be the cold-shock mortalities like we have seen previously. Keep your fingers crossed.

Capt Mike Singleterry · Full Grown Flour Bluffian Joined: 07 Mar 2006 Posts: 2728

Hey CS...do you know what position the bardge traffic is going to be taking before and durning the cold event?

Not a hijack but just a follow up question to your "cold event" statement

Mike

Central Scrutinizer · Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 2:17 pm Post subject:

Don't have any info on the position of the barge traffic, but winds are forecast to gust to 40+ on Thursday, so I would not want to be one of the deckhands on any of those barges. I would imagine there would be light traffic for the next few days, if not a barge or two pinned against the ICWW riding it out.

The hard freeze line for tonight extends along the coast south, from Sabine down to just across from Port O'Conner. The forecast for this weekend has some of the lowest sustained temps we have seen here in quite some time.

Capt Mike Singleterry · Full Grown Flour Bluffian Joined: 07 Mar 2006 Posts: 2728

Thanks......hopefully they will volenteer not to run at all as they discussed with the TP&W a few years back.

Thanks

Mike

Rebecca of Sunnybrookfarm · Full Grown Flour Bluffian Joined: 01 May 2008 Posts: 3974

Hey Capt Mike, believe it or not CCA secured a deal with Berry regarding that exact scenario, and they agreed not to run the landcut if temps go below freezing. They said it would likely save on deckhand injuries anyway.

so there. Razz

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Capt Mike Singleterry · Full Grown Flour Bluffian Joined: 07 Mar 2006 Posts: 2728

That's a step in the right direction.... Razz

Mike

DBE1982 · Flour Bluffian in training Joined: 15 Apr 2006 Posts: 376

I am doing a jopb at oil dock 11 right now, right at the avery turning basin, seen lots of dead mullet, skipjacks, a few reds, couple of trout, and mangrove snapper. Not good, alot of them have been up in the little pond back behind the docks, not to sure what the story is on that pond and exactly where the water is pumped in from.

ltorna1 · Full Grown Flour Bluffian Joined: 17 Apr 2009 Posts: 3240

A Cold Kill would suck... Rolling Eyes

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...if my boss ever finds this forum I'll be unemployed...

Big John · Full Grown Flour Bluffian Joined: 07 Mar 2006 Posts: 2647

Atlantic moonfish? Wow, I was not aware we had lookdowns in the bay! That is pretty cool to know! Cool

I thought they mainly hung around the wells offshore in deeper water.

Where in the bays would they hang out?

Rebecca of Sunnybrookfarm · Full Grown Flour Bluffian Joined: 01 May 2008 Posts: 3974

ovaforty · Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 9:31 am Post subject:

Central Scrutinizer · Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 9:33 am Post subject:

Rebecca of Sunnybrookfarm · Full Grown Flour Bluffian Joined: 01 May 2008 Posts: 3974

Central Scrutinizer · Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 2:01 pm Post subject: