Temperature or Photoperiod

[kenny]

I noticed both the fish I cleaned this morning had small egg sacks and empty stomachs.
The water was 52 this morning and clear. I think that even though the water and air temp are about 10 degrees behind schedule the fish are responding to the photo period and maybe not so much the temperature.
Any theories?

[Swells]

LOL, I think the fish are starving and thought your lure was dinner!

[kenny]

LOL, I think the fish are starving and thought your lure was dinner!

Eureka, you're a genius!

[imhammer]

Yep.....I agree. Lack of food source is making them hungry and you gave them a shot at a free and easy meal. I sure wish it would warm up and the bait would return! I am ready for a good topwater bite.

[Hogie70]

They had a pretty healthy diet of Corkys yesterday...? They shouldn't be to hungry... LOL

[shallowist]

Photo perieod is probably a bigger determining factor in most marine animals in our area anyway. I think that they ran an expeiment years ago at the Corpus hatchery where they adjusted the ammount of light, and length of time that it was on, and made the trout spawn come at different times.
As for the empty stomachs, I believe that has more to do with the frontal passages this time of the year, which tend to trigger ssome of the major feeding. The other thing that happens a lot in the late winter/early spring is lots of new little life in the bay, and often trout and others will dine on these species. Most will digest much faster than larger fish with big scales and thicker skin and bones, so you won't see much in the gut.

[Milkjug]

I saw more mullet on Sat. than I have ever seen on CR, they were bringing in some nice trout too.

[Swells]

Could be the photo-period, since the water sure ain't warming up yet. In fact, like many fish they go into deeper waters and just suspend there, not eating at all. Sometimes you can fish those holes and drop-offs and do OK, even though the fish are lethargic - they can't afford to burn much of their fat.

On the sunny days the specks and reds will cruise the flats in search of worms, small crabs, and any baby mullet or whatever. If the sun and tide are working together, sometimes you can get some top and mid-water action.

March is one of my favorite times to fish because the fish are coming out of their dormant stage, ready to put on some more fat. I am not sure if a spawn is triggered in the springtime or not, like bass.

Tight lines!

[Dream Maker]

. I think that even though the water and air temp are about 10 degrees behind schedule the fish are responding to the photo period and maybe not so much the temperature.
Any theories?

Photo perieod is probably a bigger determining factor in most marine animals in our area anyway. The other thing that happens a lot in the late winter/early spring is lots of new little life in the bay, and often trout and others will dine on these species. Most will digest much faster than larger fish with big scales and thicker skin and bones, so you won't see much in the gut.

IMHO those are the correct and accurate explainations.

[plugger]

I agree....

[GHSmacker]

Photo period has a lot to do with the migrations/feeds/breedings of all sorts of critters that i pursue...mainly ducks/fish.

I haven't been down to the coast yet this year, but i have been bass fishing quite a bit. I've been noticing over the past week that the bass are starting to move up shallow even with the temps up here staying down below normal. The longer days are telling these fish that the time is right to get up shallow and do their thing.