What can you say, other then brrrrr! It’s simple; February’s forecast is for warmer weather. January could go down as the coldest month ever, when we look at the overall length of the cold fronts. This is one of those times I would not want to be a fish, fresh or saltwater!

Before I provide you with a forecast for February, I wanted to address a major topic among the Florida fishing industry. If you haven’t already, you are going to read about big mortality rates throughout the state of Florida for fish kills due to the cold weather, and unfortunately most of it’s going to be true. Which brings me to my point; we have the option of looking at the glass half full or half empty. If you are looking on the empty side, I don’t have much to say to you other than stuff happens, and this is Florida, the Fishing Capital of the World, and it will rebound.

For all of us looking at the glass half full, I am excited for the change; before you email or call me let me explain. When it’s all said and done, hundreds of thousands of fi sh will be accounted statewide. But for just a second, and for the sake of this article, let’s look at the FRESHWATER only, and then how it relates to Palm Beach County.

Like it or not, Mother Nature works in mysterious ways; some things we agree with, some things we don’t. You can say it’s global warming, but I don’t think so…or you may think it’s man made urban development? I would say that it’s neither, but what it might have done is balance our so out of balance fisheries that needed the attention so desperately.

Listen; just at the end of last year you may recall finding piranhas in Palm Beach, not to mention the clown knife fish, and all of the other non-native species. Before this freeze, we were looking at a major irreversible change going on in our freshwater fisheries. Now some people enjoyed catching the varieties, some enjoyed the good eating cichlids, and others enjoyed catching peacock bass without having to go to Miami. I agree with all of you, and participate in your thoughts. Still, the big concern no one wanted to face was the over population of the non-natives, and the pace at which they’re taking over our fisheries. I ask, what is the long term effect on the native species?

A case can be made from scientists and biologists that every species would and could live in the habitats together, and I guess they were…somewhat! With all opinions, there are always two sides to every story. Th e other side of this coin would be that all fisheries have a cap or a maximum capacity. A cap is when the fishery can no longer be self sufficient; when this happens, fish or species of fish, start to get depleted, which could be for many reasons like food supply, etc. Over the years, the plentiful species have become non-natives; this is the road we may have been traveling down without the January cold fronts.

I do believe the freshwater fisheries are in good shape going forward; look for the native fish to be very active as these cold fronts dissipate. Look for a very successful spawn in Palm Beach lakes and canals in February. With very few non-natives to intrude upon the native fish, freshwater anglers in Florida should be rewarded for enduring a bitter January. Who knows, I can almost hear it already… February 2010 “Wow! The fishing is so good this year; I don’t why, but what a great time to be bass fishing”!

You heard it here first; good luck and great fi shing to everyone!

Forecast By:
Capt Todd Kersey
Angler, Guide and Activist
for Conservation President of FLFFC.org
todd@bassonline.com – 888-629-2277
www.bassonline.com
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