Thread: 2014 worst fishing year on gulf?

I fish the Gulf from Bay St Louis to Florida border several times a year.
My buddy who has a home in Pascagula fishes hard too, shore and boat.
Sure we can catch a fry of Whiting/ground mullet but fish over 5 # this year have been minimal to put it politely.
I expect to hook something over 5 at least a few times per week if i put in 8 hours a day.
Sure they can get away but at least a bite. I have been doing this for 50 plus years now and maybe my expectations are skewed but somthing is off.
Is it BP? There is black on soles of my feet and bottom of my shower at the condo.

Water temps rising? I grabbed mullet that were September hot in Weeks bay yesterday. Near 78 at mid October?
Spoke to the boaters in the condo docks last night and they could raise nothing around the pass yesterday,sure tides play a role but you normally get something,even a ray.
Not sure whats going on, any thoughts? No shortage of forage,plenty bait around of all sizes.

I was talking to Bill on the pier who's been around for years who, as I had (and alot of us) fished the old pier; what he said made sense; when the BP spill happened they shut down the fishing EVEN THE COMMERCIAL FISHING. When they allowed us back on the pier, it was amazing, like an aquarium. I had never seen that many fish, and that many different species around the pier; when they opened it to catch and release I must've caught 2 dozen flounder that day. Unrefined oil is natural and biodegradeable. It didn't seem to affect the fish at all when we were allowed back on the pier. I really believe it's the commercial industry, especially the gill netters. They're indiscriminate in their take and they have alot of incentive to kill as many fish as they can. I think labeling specks and reds as sport fish probably saved that fishery; if you notice, we still have specks around the pier and we catch our share of redfish pretty regularly. I don't think the netters are stupid enough to take them, the cost would be too high. Just my take, and I could be wrong. Most of my opinion is anecdotal. I would love to know Dr. Shipps (?sp) take on this…
Also; I don't believe its the water temps; south Florida has water temps much higher than ours and their fishery is incredible…mangrove snapper, yellowtail actually prefer higher temps…that's why I'm in favor of global warming