Will it get there?

[LivelyBaits]

[Chief1600]

My outside sensor shows 33 right now, the last cold dnap we got down to 22. I know the temps nearer the water will be higher but the bay water temps were around 59. Two nights of this is going to be rough.

[seeinred]

Nothing we can do about it, mother nature at work.

[finatic]

Actually, there is something people can do...
...leave them alone.

[Norm]

What is the critical cutoff temp for snook

[TerryW]

That's a good question, Norm. I'm sure you'll get a more definitive answer from the snook-perts on here, but I do remember reading some stuff about this last year. One thing is that the it helps the snook to have gradually colder water, which at least it has been doing. I believe that if the water temps have dropped gradually, they can do Ok down to 50 degrees. Somewhat higher for one of those warm winter, sudden freezes.

[srsfsu]

The correct answer is 54 degrees. There are a lot of factors that come into play though. How fast the temps dropped, how long they stayed there, size of the snook, etc....

If temps drop slowly, snook will actually head to deeper water and acclimate to the temps. It is the sudden change in temps that really screws them up.

[finatic]

There are a lot of factors that come into play though. How fast the temps dropped

Bingo.
This is the most critical factor. Last year years numbers of deaths occurred mostly due to this. I recall one night last year that there was a significant drop that resulted in a huge number of fatalities.
It happens...

[srsfsu]

And it isn't like every snook will die. Hearty/feeding fish make it, sick/infected fish don't.

From studies I've read, you are looking at kill numbers around 5,000 a year for the entire state. That isn't a big loss considering the snook population is between 2 and 3 million for the state.

I won't lose any sleep over it.

[finatic]

Anglers can benefit from it...
last year a few of the areas that I came across dead snook just opened my eyes to the population and size of snook in areas I never really fished.

[TerryW]

I found the FWRI study I had read that found snook doing well in the 50-51 degree water and that it's those sudden temperature drops that are so damaging. It is from a study in the winter of 2000 & 2001.

Whatever it is, it's just freakin cold out this week.

http://www.floridamarine.org/features/v ... sp?id=9942

Two suppositions are apparent from this trip: 1) If water temperatures drop gradually, snook leave the shallow flats for deeper water and appear to become acclimated to colder temperatures. The minimum of 54° F is reported to be the lethal low, but we found snook alive and doing well in 50–51° F water this winter. 2) Following periods of extreme cold, snook come to the surface to benefit from the warmth of the sun. Almost all the snook we saw were in sunny, quiet, protected areas.

[Chief1600]

The low at home was 26 this morning, we'll see what tonight brings.

[srsfsu]

Now where did I put that gig......

[Todd]

There were three in my canal this AM, just sitting/sleeping in the mud waiting for the sun to come up.

[justabucup]

It is 44 degrees at noon and there is still frost on the rooves that are shaded. This weather sucks.

[Trootin]

I pulled 3 snook outta the Myakka in about 20 minutes yesterday right around sunset. Surprised me.