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Started By
Message
The Indian River Lagoon is dead...
Posted on 6/13/13 at 9:57 am
Posted on 6/13/13 at 9:57 am
I know many of you have never heard of the Indian River lagoon (Sebastian Inlet) on Florida's east coast, but when I moved here 8 years ago, it was an unbelievable place. We had dolphins and manatees, sharks and stingrays, tons of huge snook and redfish that you could see tailing in the shallows. From time to time, the dolphins would start a kill circle and the river would just explode...pelicans diving, then jacks chasing greenies, bull sharks pounding everything in the water...for 3 or 4 minutes. It was awesome. Anyway, the red tide came in last year along with a couple of hard freezes over the last few winters and killed all of the sea grass from the Banana River (20 miles south of Cape Canaveral) down to the Ft. Pierce Inlet. Redfish gone, manatees dying, snook gone, dolphins dying, stingrays and cow rays dropping in number dramatically. Just sad. Enjoy it when you have it, sportsmen.
7
Posted on 6/13/13 at 10:00 am to Tesla
"Thanks Obama"
Posted on 6/13/13 at 10:04 am to Tesla
quote:No one told them they could leave?
dolphins dying
Posted on 6/13/13 at 10:09 am to AlxTgr
Beautiful place (looking at pics on google now)
Sometimes nature just needs a hard reset. It will heal itself given time. Bad news for the near future though.
Sometimes nature just needs a hard reset. It will heal itself given time. Bad news for the near future though.
Posted on 6/13/13 at 10:11 am to Tesla
I havent been in to the area in years but I've heard its looking pretty bare in some spots. Sounds like a pretty bad series of algal blooms from what I've read. It happens and I'm sure it will bounce back with time. The good news is the FWC doesnt let you keep any fish anyway so you wont starve as a result! 
Posted on 6/13/13 at 10:53 am to Tesla
Was down there fishing it and Mosquito Lagoon about a month ago and did alright. A ton of tailing reds back in the real shallow stuff. Saw a couple of trout that were both probably 5lb+, but couldn't get a bite. Damn that was frustrating. Water was super clear and the fish were spooky, but we managed to get some tailing reds to bite. Saw tons of manatees, baitfish, and a couple of dolphins, and of course the spoonbills and other assorted birds.
That said, it's not the same as it was five or six years ago. We'd go out and get to a flat before daylight, and about half the time things would go nuts just as the sun came up. Especially during the fall. It's still definitely a worthwhile area to fish, and the scenery is awesome.
That said, it's not the same as it was five or six years ago. We'd go out and get to a flat before daylight, and about half the time things would go nuts just as the sun came up. Especially during the fall. It's still definitely a worthwhile area to fish, and the scenery is awesome.
Posted on 6/14/13 at 10:38 am to 15sammy34
The local guides are towing down to Stuart now. The manager of my little store has been fishing the flats around the Harbor Branch Ocean research mooring for 20+ years and went yesterday for the first time in a couple of months and only landed 2 fish in 3 hours.
I remember the freeze two years ago, people were scooping dead 20 lbs snook out of the lagoon.
I hope it turns around soon. It was like living in a Discovery Channel show for a while here.
I remember the freeze two years ago, people were scooping dead 20 lbs snook out of the lagoon.
I hope it turns around soon. It was like living in a Discovery Channel show for a while here.
Posted on 6/14/13 at 8:44 pm to Tesla
Grew up spending a lot of my weekends and summers on the boat with my family down there, it was/is unbelievable what happened to it. Mosquito Lagoon has gotten tough also. Everyone has their honey holes that they don't share with anyone, they have become to hard to find to let other people fish them. It really is sad to see the fishery in decline, fortunately the CCA and the FWC both are working on restoring it back to its former glory.
Posted on 6/14/13 at 9:30 pm to Tesla
these heat cold cycles never happened before but in the past 8 years the water temp has risen 1.75 deg I have no idea how you are going to live......
Oh the humanity
Oh the humanity
Posted on 6/15/13 at 9:01 am to Tesla
I went over three weeks ago and it was indeed in bad condition. The water conditions were pretty bad.
Few realize that the Lagoon is nearly completely closed in and fish have very few opportunities to leave for better conditions. It is a unique marine environment where there isn't any other place like in the world.
I've read some reports that the algae bloom may last for a few years but, it should eventually stop and the area will naturally recover. I sure hope it does.
Few realize that the Lagoon is nearly completely closed in and fish have very few opportunities to leave for better conditions. It is a unique marine environment where there isn't any other place like in the world.
I've read some reports that the algae bloom may last for a few years but, it should eventually stop and the area will naturally recover. I sure hope it does.
Posted on 6/15/13 at 9:23 am to LSUwag
It's pretty sad.. I could go out there a few years ago and catch tons of fish. Last 3 times I've been to the IRL this summer we have a total of like 5 reds and a couple big trout, which was normal for a single trip..
Water conditions are horrible.. Some kind of algae bloom is messing it up in the North irl.
A couple people I've talked to about it said enjoy the lagoon while you can because it just wont be the same within 5 more years.
Water conditions are horrible.. Some kind of algae bloom is messing it up in the North irl.
A couple people I've talked to about it said enjoy the lagoon while you can because it just wont be the same within 5 more years.
Posted on 6/15/13 at 9:32 am to DeboseKnows
these heat cold cycles never happened before but in the past 8 years the water temp has risen 1.75 deg I have no idea how you are going to live......
Oh the humanity
________________________
part of the natural cycle. nothing is going to stay at an absolute level for an eternity
Oh the humanity
________________________
part of the natural cycle. nothing is going to stay at an absolute level for an eternity
Posted on 6/15/13 at 12:20 pm to AlxTgr
quote:
No one told them they could leave?
There was an article in the paper this morning said that they've recently learned that lagoon dolphins spend their whole lives in the lagoon even with easy access to the Atlantic right there. We've lost 40 dolphins this year and the rest are very skinny. Weird that they won't migrate to survive. Then again, people still live in the desert.
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