What's Going On? - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

kayakfisherman · 03-26-2022, 03:11 PM

For the past 4 years there hasn't been kelp and/or bait. When the squid
showed up, it lasted a week or two with lots of hook ups. Not anymore.
Not like there used to be. I can still hear Aaron crying, "you should of
been here 10 years ago." Now, I'm saying the same thing...

Too many El Ninos? Global warming? WTF?

FISH11 · 03-26-2022, 04:38 PM

X2. I've been wondering how is it, that the fishery has declined so much is just a few years. The disappearance of the kelp is the most notable and takes away a large habitat area that held a lot a bait.

socal.beach.bum · 03-26-2022, 06:17 PM

I think I heard something about a disease that has killed off a large population of starfish who are the main predators of sea urchins. Without the starfish, the purple urchin population has exploded and they are eating out all the kelp beds. Destroying vast forest everywhere they go.

Saba Slayer · 03-26-2022, 07:50 PM

The Sky is Falling Yanni...

lowprofile · 03-27-2022, 12:27 AM

Warmer water, less starfish as mentioned, less sheephead, and most notably, less people posting.

I’ve noticed when A bite hits the boards you probably already missed it

JohnMckroidJr · 03-27-2022, 04:39 AM

Warmer water increases phytoplankton blooms. The phytoplankton blooms reduce the ocean oxygen levels and increase bacteria. The depleted ocean oxygen levels are literally drowning the Starfish and the increased bacteria is causing disease. The phenomenon has been called Sea Star Wasting disease. No Starfish predators to eat the Sea Urchins has allowed the Urchins to eat the kelp unchecked. On top of this Sea Urchins are one of the few organisms that thrive off the Sludge we dump into the ocean -- further increasing their numbers. It's a snowball effect that just moves up the food chain.

We have the same thing happening to the cold water kelp forests that stretch from the East Coast to Europe, as well as increased die-off of coral reefs in warmer climates from other pollution imbalance issues.

monkeyfishturds · 03-31-2022, 11:50 AM

Last time I saw this much kelp loss in the area I fish was from 1995 to 2001.
I hope it will rebound soon.

PapaDave · 03-31-2022, 05:01 PM

The kelp does seem to be making a comeback, at least in DP, just real slow in doing so...

mrJB · 04-03-2022, 07:28 AM

Yanni, maybe you need to change your fishin' spots...

fishinYanni.jpg

03-26-2022, 03:11 PM	#1
kayakfisherman Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 715	What's Going On? For the past 4 years there hasn't been kelp and/or bait. When the squid showed up, it lasted a week or two with lots of hook ups. Not anymore. Not like there used to be. I can still hear Aaron crying, "you should of been here 10 years ago." Now, I'm saying the same thing... Too many El Ninos? Global warming? WTF?

03-26-2022, 04:38 PM	#2
FISH11 Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Pine Valley when not fishing La Jolla Posts: 2,643	X2. I've been wondering how is it, that the fishery has declined so much is just a few years. The disappearance of the kelp is the most notable and takes away a large habitat area that held a lot a bait. __________________ MARK ......... 2016 MALIBU X FACTOR, 2020 SOLO SKIFF (Fishing Kayak on Steroids )

03-26-2022, 07:50 PM	#4
Saba Slayer Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Palos Verdes Posts: 1,857	Sky is Falling... The Sky is Falling Yanni... __________________ Jim / Saba Slayer

03-27-2022, 12:27 AM	#5
lowprofile #1 on fishstick's hitlist Join Date: May 2011 Location: Sea level Posts: 1,478	Warmer water, less starfish as mentioned, less sheephead, and most notably, less people posting. I’ve noticed when A bite hits the boards you probably already missed it __________________ MLPA- My Largest Poaching Area

03-31-2022, 05:01 PM	#8
PapaDave Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Menifee, CA Posts: 1,473	The kelp does seem to be making a comeback, at least in DP, just real slow in doing so... __________________ So long and thanks for all the fish...

03-26-2022, 06:17 PM	#3
socal.beach.bum Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Palos Verde, CA Posts: 636	I think I heard something about a disease that has killed off a large population of starfish who are the main predators of sea urchins. Without the starfish, the purple urchin population has exploded and they are eating out all the kelp beds. Destroying vast forest everywhere they go.

03-27-2022, 04:39 AM	#6
JohnMckroidJr Senior Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: Fort Lauderdale Posts: 1,945	Warmer water increases phytoplankton blooms. The phytoplankton blooms reduce the ocean oxygen levels and increase bacteria. The depleted ocean oxygen levels are literally drowning the Starfish and the increased bacteria is causing disease. The phenomenon has been called Sea Star Wasting disease. No Starfish predators to eat the Sea Urchins has allowed the Urchins to eat the kelp unchecked. On top of this Sea Urchins are one of the few organisms that thrive off the Sludge we dump into the ocean -- further increasing their numbers. It's a snowball effect that just moves up the food chain. We have the same thing happening to the cold water kelp forests that stretch from the East Coast to Europe, as well as increased die-off of coral reefs in warmer climates from other pollution imbalance issues.

03-31-2022, 11:50 AM	#7
monkeyfishturds Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 74	Last time I saw this much kelp loss in the area I fish was from 1995 to 2001. I hope it will rebound soon.

04-03-2022, 07:28 AM	#9
mrJB Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: O.C. Posts: 352	Location, location, location... Yanni, maybe you need to change your fishin' spots... fishinYanni.jpg __________________ "I Brake for Halibut"