Captain Favorite's Weekend Fishing Forecast: Sept. 25, 2014

BRADENTON –The scattered rain and thunderstorms we've had to deal with this week should subside by the end of the weekend. You may find reds schooling on edges of bars or shallow grass flats when the tide is low. Snook fishing should be good around lighted docks and bridges at night or on shallow flats early in the day. You might also find reds and trout along with snook on lighted docks this time of year. Law makers have prohibited lionfish aquaculture in Florida. The changes will go into effect Dec. 1. 

Nonnative fish provide exotic fishing alternatives; most have no bag limits!

• Florida freshwater anglers target at least 25 species of native fishes. Most are within a 45-minute drive of anyone wanting to wet a line. In addition to those, the free Florida Big Catch angler recognition program (BigCatchFlorida.com) features six species of exotic fishes from other countries and several fish species that expanded their ranges from farther north.
• Of those nonnative fishes, only butterfly peacock bass were stocked intentionally by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) predecessor, during the early 1980s. At the time, expansion of numerous nonnative fish species in south Florida was causing concern. Walking catfish and several types of tilapia were well established. Species, such as piranha, electric eels and freshwater stingray had the potential to be imported by the aquarium industry and posed a threat to native species and a concern to people. Accidental introductions were largely attributed to the aquaculture industry or to individual aquarists.

• FWC, partners see ultimate coral reef-building success
  Researchers at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) observed transplanted nursery-raised staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) spawning for the first time this month at Tropical Rocks, just over 4 miles offshore of Marathon.
• These corals were supplied by the Coral Restoration Foundation and Mote Marine Lab nurseries and outplanted by the FWC. The project was made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act via The Nature Conservancy.
• The FWC, in collaboration with the Conservancy and other American Recovery and Reinvestment Act partners, began construction on the Middle Keys coral nursery in late 2009 but suffered setbacks due to a coldwater kill and, later, a warm-water bleaching event.
• The goal of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act project was to expand the current nurseries, develop new nurseries and outplant high numbers of nursery-grown corals throughout the Florida reef tract and the U.S. Virgin Islands.“This is the first time that we have seen staghorn coral spawning at the reef tract that included corals grown as part of our nursery program,” said Caitlin Lustic, coral recovery coordinator for the Conservancy in Florida. “This spawning event shows that outplanted corals have the ability to reproduce just like a natural colony and furthers our goal of creating breeding colonies of coral that can repopulate reefs on their own.”
  

Fishing Forecast

A trough of low pressure combined with an attendant frontal boundary draped across the south Central Peninsula and surface high pressure to the north of the waters will maintain a northeast to easterly wind flow over the Gulf waters tonight through Friday. Ample moisture combined with the trough will support scattered to numerous showers and storms through the period. A 3 to 4 mb pressure gradient between the high to the north and the trough over the region will support elevated winds and seas over the central and northern offshore waters tonight through Thursday where exercise caution headlines will be posted. During Friday and into the upcoming weekend the gradient will relax with a lighter east to southeast wind flow expected with an onshore sea breeze component developing near shore each afternoon. A area of low pressure is expected to develop over the northern Gulf Coast early next week with winds becoming southwest to west as this low moves slowly east northeast off the southeast U.S. Coast through Tuesday.

Thursday
Northeast winds 10 to 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. Thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. Thursday night will bring east winds 10 to 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. Thunderstorms likely in the evening...then scattered thunderstorms after midnight.
2014/09/25 Thu 01:16 AM 2.28 H
2014/09/25 Thu 08:24 AM 0.48 L
2014/09/25 Thu 02:18 PM 2.13 H
2014/09/25 Thu 08:22 PM 1.04 L

Friday
East winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A slight chance of showers in the morning...then numerous thunderstorms in the afternoon. Friday night will bring east winds 10 to 15 knots...diminishing to 5 to 10 knots after midnight. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. Numerous thunderstorms in the evening...then scattered thunderstorms after midnight.
2014/09/26 Fri 01:38 AM 2.4 H
2014/09/26 Fri 09:01 AM 0.39 L
2014/09/26 Fri 02:57 PM 2.04 H
2014/09/26 Fri 08:46 PM 1.13 L

Saturday
East winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms.
2014/09/27 Sat 02:06 AM 2.49 H
2014/09/27 Sat 09:43 AM 0.34 L
2014/09/27 Sat 03:41 PM 1.93 H
2014/09/27 Sat 09:12 PM 1.22 L

Sunday
Southeast winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms. Sunday night will bring east winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms.
2014/09/28 Sun 02:39 AM 2.55 H
2014/09/28 Sun 10:31 AM 0.33 L
2014/09/28 Sun 04:35 PM 1.81 H
2014/09/28 Sun 09:41 PM 1.31 L

Solunar Forecast