TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Highlands Today

Feeding Migration Split Into Two Periods

ADVERTISEMENT

DAVE DOUGLASS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 23, 2008

Today, the feeding migration is split into two peak periods of equal intensity and duration.

The first one is from 4 a.m to 6 a.m. and the second is from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The afternoon migration is a diminishing one, which by tomorrow should be almost non-existent. However, the morning migration period is a newly developing feeding pattern which will increase in intensity and duration as it starts approximately 30 minutes later each day this week.

On Friday, the last-quarter-moon phase occurs at 6:42 p.m. and the major-daytime-feeding-migration peak period will be from 5 to 7 a.m. As I've stated for the past month, the areas of the lake with the most oxygenated water will be holding the majority of the fish and offer the best chances to succeed.

Fishing Facts

During the summer, the lunar cycles have less of an effect on fish populations due to the intense water temperatures and low oxygen areas that dominate much of the areas of the lake. In fact, many so-called "hot spots" are not, due to levels dropping below what fish need to digest their food, thus causing them to migrate to areas with adequate oxygen.

Herein lies the challenge - anglers must learn why some parts of the lake have oxygen while other areas don't. Why does hot spot No. 1 not hold fish this time of year? What changed so that fish left the area and went to another area which is not known to hold fish?

Take for instance the winter fishing day where there are overcast skies, very low winds out of the north that produce one- to three-inch ripples on the water's surface and a dropping barometer. Normally, this is an angler's dream fishing day, but in the summer, this type of day produces very low oxygen due to the extreme heat causing a higher rate of evaporation, which in turn drops the levels of dissolved oxygen within the water column.

Instead of the usual expected increase in feeding fish, the opposite occurs and they stop eating all together. In fact, the smallest part of the food chain moves out of that area and migrates until they locate enough oxygen.

This seasonal environmental phenomenon forces a chain reaction throughout the fish population, affecting the largest eaters the most, for they require the most energy in order to digest the huge amounts of food they need to survive.

On a still overcast summer day with storm clouds forming to produce afternoon rains, the Florida angler will be hard-pressed to locate actively feeding fish in the usual areas that are known to produce. Without full sunshine triggering the plant life to produce oxygen to replace what the summer heat removes, the fish move into the highest oxygenated areas they can find and shut down.

When the skies clear, and the sun comes out full and winds pick-up, the fishing turns "on" which is exactly the opposite of the wintertime bite.

Fishing News

Lake Istokpoga is at 38.35 feet above sea level and holding steady while water is being released through all three gates (currently opened/dropped two feet) at the S-68 spillway on the south end of the lake. The high level maximum is 38.25 feet above sea level during hurricane season. The Istokpoga anglers have the best lake state possible during the summer right now, all things considered.

The Florida Fish and Game Commission was going to be in the process of treating torpedo grass along the shorelines from Henderson's Point - going clockwise around the lake - to the Istokpoga Canal. The South Florida Water Management's contractor - Applied Aquatics - was to be doing small spot treatments as the weather allows for the rest of this week and all of next week.

But as of now, that's been postponed.

In an email to SOS Florida Lakes the following notice was given: "The start of SFWMD torpedo grass control on eastern Lake Istokpoga may be delayed into early August. We're confirming distance setbacks from use of imazapyr, kite nesting/activity, State workplan/permit conditions and generally confirming that all details make sense for contractor (Applied Aquatic). Also, best control is typically gained late in the growth season into early fall. Numerous patches are being targeted so that they don't become vast monoculture"

There would have been some non-targeted vegetation mixed in the torpedo grass that would have been affected - every effort was going to be made to keep this collateral damage as low as possible when they apply imazpyr and glyphosate at manufacturer's label rates. You can see by the notice that this was not able to be determined enough to satisfy the parameters set by the State, per the will of the people - the lake users.

To find out all the facts concerning Lake Istokpoga, go online and visit the new SOS-FloridaLakes.org or Istokpoga.info or LakeIstokpoga.info.

All the up-to-date information and data and changes are offered there on an hourly/daily basis, including real-time data such as lake level, water conditions and quality and all the government lake management agency news and conservation alerts which affect Highlands County lake users.

We all need to be a part of creating lake management at its finest by saving our sources of our Florida lakes and waterways.

Fishing Tournaments

The Wednesday Morning Black Bass Fishing Tournament is open to the public. Next event is today on Lake Josephine. Time: 7:30 a.m. to noon. Pay at ramp - entry fee $30.00 per boat. One person may fish alone if you do not have a partner. For information, contact Paul Tardiff at (863)385-8007 Home, Cell (863) 446-1310 bassbutchie60@aol.com or Dwight Ameling at (863)471-3305.

FAST FACTS

On Friday, the last-quarter-moon phase occurs at 6:42 p.m. and the major-daytime-feeding-migration peak period will be from 5 to 7 a.m. The areas of the lake with the most oxygenated water will be holding the majority of the fish and offer the best chances to succeed.

Dave Douglass is a bass-fishing guide and bass tournament angler and CEO of S.O.S.-Florida Lakes, Inc. He can be reached at 863-381-8474, or e-mail him at davedouglass@sos-floridalakes.org.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT