September Doldrums in Long Island Sound
Well I was back on the water yesterday with the same poor results as last week. Plenty of bait. Yet no fish to be found. We’re stuck in the damn doldrums, folks. Get this: Surface water temperatures are hovering around 68 /70 degrees..hot, hot. With temperatures that high, unless we get a series of quick cold fronts, I doubt we will see a strong fall migration for weeks.
Is the Sound getting warmer? Yeah I think so, but why believe me? Below is what the The Long Island Sound Study has this to say. The Study was formed in 1985 as a joint effort between Connecticut and New York along with the EPA to monitor and help the health of the Sound.
“Average seasonal water temperatures have been slowly but steadily increasing at this location (Niantic) in Long Island Sound. Winter temperatures appear to be increasing more rapidly than spring, summer or fall temperatures, and winter 2012 is the warmest since the inception of this record by a large margin. Increases in surface water temperatures have been linked to observed changes in the fish community. Cold-adapted fish have been observed less frequently in recent years, while warm-adapted fish have been observed more frequently. The combination of increasing water temperatures and changing fish community is believed to be indicative of climate change. The overall mean from 1976 through 2015 is 3.90°C (39.02 F) for winter, 11.22°C (52.20F) for spring, 20.07°C (68.13F) for summer, and 12.24°C (54.03F) for fall.”
And get this: I just heard a report that someone saw Mahi Mahi around Fisher’s Island. Really? Well the first frost in Connecticut is typically around October 11th. Couple that with a moon tide and the action should begin. Lets hope.
