Peacock Bass Fish Kills

[South FLA]

Made a few cast in my backyard canal/lake system and saw about 10 floating peacock bass, anyone else see any floater?

I am in Palm Beach Gardens, which is close to their northern limit, but its been pretty cold down to Miami.

[soccplayer07]

must be nice to cast towards water and not ice!!!

[Thai]

Once water temps drop below 60 they are goners

[quanjig]

Thought about that today as I chatted with my moms this evening.  She said that the fish farmers were really doing their best to keep the fish alive, I can only imagine what is happening to the tropicals  in the cannal systems.  Ouch

[Thai]

Thought about that today as I chatted with my moms this evening. She said that the fish farmers were really doing their best to keep the fish alive, I can only imagine what is happening to the tropicals in the cannal systems. Ouch

If im not mistaken the canals are mostly limestone or coral? But the water clarity and shallow depths means the rocks heat up and retain alot of heat and in the summer game fish cant tolerate the high temps and non native cichlids are the ones most suited in them.  Im sure even now in the canals the temps are a little higher than the reservoirs and retention ponds, the canals should be the pbass safe haven

[etommy28]

I have not seen any dead fish at all, but I will be going to a lake tomorrow with peacock as well as snook in it so i will see if there are any floaters there.

[SirSnookalot]

I've been out everyday and I actually did catch a peacock a few days ago.  Yesterday I was dropping lures on top of Peas and they just swam away.  No floaters yet but I'm sure it's going to be a bad winter kill, worse than last year.

As Peacocks take over bass territory many are happy to see winter kill, I'm not in that camp.

Snook handle the cold a bit better and migrate into canals to seek warmer water or ICW at the power plant.

[Flips]

I fished down in Miami yesterday and we caught them on jerkbaits!  We did see a bunch of Oscars acting funny though... No dead Peacocks seen around Holiday Park either.  The weather has been brutal down there.

[SoFlaBassAddict]

None dead in my lake.  I'm not all that far from Holiday park.  Luckily, my lake here is deep.  Like 60' deep in most spots.  Most of the other residential lakes in this area are only 12' - 15' deep.  I didn't catch any, but I did have several follow baits up yesterday from deeper water.  The temps get a little warmer today (mid 70's) then drop back off until Monday/Tuesday when it starts to warm back up again.  Hopefully they can hold off for a few days longer.

[bocabasser]

going to be another tough weekend. i am sure a lot of peacocks will perish after this next front. going to my sister in laws sunday, i will let you know what i found.

[salmicropterus]

Thought about that today as I chatted with my moms this evening. She said that the fish farmers were really doing their best to keep the fish alive, I can only imagine what is happening to the tropicals in the cannal systems. Ouch

If im not mistaken the canals are mostly limestone or coral? But the water clarity and shallow depths means the rocks heat up and retain alot of heat and in the summer game fish cant tolerate the high temps and non native cichlids are the ones most suited in them. Im sure even now in the canals the temps are a little higher than the reservoirs and retention ponds, the canals should be the pbass safe haven

I was out at Sawgrass on Wednesday and can confirm 1000s of tropical fish kills including Mayans which don't die off until about 52 degree water temp far below any survivability of Peacock. While there are not a lot of peacocks in that system, I think you can safely assume that the Everglades canals (Miami, L-67, the Alley) will have similar temps and similar fish kills including peacocks that are in those systems).

If the canals, primarily down in Dade have connection to the Biscayne Aquifer, the temps will usually stay above 60 in those canals and the peacock will survive. Those that have migrated north in Broward, Palm Beach will be hit hard. This is what was originally intended for the Peacock when they were introduced by FWC

[etommy28]

none dead, infact I caught one little one.

[Krzkev]

I have notice over the years that the smaller peacocks have a much better tolerance to the cold temps,  its the bigger adults that seem to be affected more rapidly.  Fortunately the grow very fast, and bounce back fairly quick.  Seems like we will never have real big ones, unless we get multiple years of warm winter months.  That's what makes them even more challenging, and sought after.

[Thai]

Thought about that today as I chatted with my moms this evening. She said that the fish farmers were really doing their best to keep the fish alive, I can only imagine what is happening to the tropicals in the cannal systems. Ouch

If im not mistaken the canals are mostly limestone or coral? But the water clarity and shallow depths means the rocks heat up and retain alot of heat and in the summer game fish cant tolerate the high temps and non native cichlids are the ones most suited in them. Im sure even now in the canals the temps are a little higher than the reservoirs and retention ponds, the canals should be the pbass safe haven

I was out at Sawgrass on Wednesday and can confirm 1000s of tropical fish kills including Mayans which don't die off until about 52 degree water temp far below any survivability of Peacock. While there are not a lot of peacocks in that system, I think you can safely assume that the Everglades canals (Miami, L-67, the Alley) will have similar temps and similar fish kills including peacocks that are in those systems).

If the canals, primarily down in Dade have connection to the Biscayne Aquifer, the temps will usually stay above 60 in those canals and the peacock will survive. Those that have migrated north in Broward, Palm Beach will be hit hard. This is what was originally intended for the Peacock when they were introduced by FWC

Thanks for the info! I'm actually planning a trip next month and you seem to know the area, where would my best bet be to catch a pbass in winter down there?

[salmicropterus]

Thought about that today as I chatted with my moms this evening. She said that the fish farmers were really doing their best to keep the fish alive, I can only imagine what is happening to the tropicals in the cannal systems. Ouch

If im not mistaken the canals are mostly limestone or coral? But the water clarity and shallow depths means the rocks heat up and retain alot of heat and in the summer game fish cant tolerate the high temps and non native cichlids are the ones most suited in them. Im sure even now in the canals the temps are a little higher than the reservoirs and retention ponds, the canals should be the pbass safe haven

I was out at Sawgrass on Wednesday and can confirm 1000s of tropical fish kills including Mayans which don't die off until about 52 degree water temp far below any survivability of Peacock. While there are not a lot of peacocks in that system, I think you can safely assume that the Everglades canals (Miami, L-67, the Alley) will have similar temps and similar fish kills including peacocks that are in those systems).

If the canals, primarily down in Dade have connection to the Biscayne Aquifer, the temps will usually stay above 60 in those canals and the peacock will survive. Those that have migrated north in Broward, Palm Beach will be hit hard. This is what was originally intended for the Peacock when they were introduced by FWC

Thanks for the info! I'm actually planning a trip next month and you seem to know the area, where would my best bet be to catch a pbass in winter down there?

Thai, unless I see or hear otherwise that the Ps aren't wiped out up here, down in Dade probably the C-4 system would be your safest bet. It's the system across the highway from the Miami airport. There are other places further south but the ramps and/or the areas can be pretty dicey and I'd hate to steer you there. I'll keep my eyes open up in Broward and let you know about it's situation

[SoFlaBassAddict]

I'm really hoping they last through this cold snap that rolled through today.  I had a good day yesterday catching them when the temps got back into the 70's.  But it's getting cold outside and you know it'll be worse tonight.  It's supposed to warm back up by Tuesday or so.  Hopefully the water temps don't drop to that nasty fish killing point.

[kiko13]

Luckily, my lake here is deep. Like 60' deep in most spots.

Sunset?

[SoFlaBassAddict]

Luckily, my lake here is deep. Like 60' deep in most spots.

Sunset?

Private development in Broward.  Just west of Dykes Road and I-75.  It was one of the spots they dug out for the fill on all the new house properties about 8 or 9 years ago when this area sprung up.

[kiko13]

Addict- my brother lives just west of 75 in the Monaco Cove subdivision and I have a good friend that lives on Sunset Lakes which is practically next door. That lake has some very deep holes in it. I have caught a few Peacocks (fly rod) when I visit them.

Ernie

[salmicropterus]

Lot's of dead P's at MM 41 on the Alley.

It takes a couple of days for a fish dying from temperature to actually float. These were see laying on the bottom and in some cases floating

[GLADES]

All of the cold rain we had friday night must have really dropped the water temperature.

The sustained cold we are having is really thinning the herd.

[SirSnookalot]

On the bright side, maybe the bluefish will finally show up.

[avid]

Last night was the coldest it's been in 30 years.

Things will start to gradually warm up they say, but it don't look like anything near normal for another week or more.

[SirSnookalot]

I have been reading of hundreds of floaters from people that have been out, as far down as Miami area.

[George Welcome]

http://www.snookfoundation.org

Protected waters of Indian River are loaded with stressed fish.