Last weekend, we saw a minor fish kill in Sebastian, Florida. If you’ve lived here long enough, you know it can happen in the Indian River Lagoon during hot summer days. There’s a good chance that it will happen again this summer.
But when there’s a fish kill, environmental groups attempt to alarm locals with misinformation. One environmental enthusiast suggested that the high water temperature is due to the absence of seagrass. However, seagrass has nothing to do with cooling the water. In addition, these fish kills have occurred in the past when the lagoon had plenty of seagrass.
Indeed, restoring the seagrass is crucial, and several organizations are already on it, utilizing state resources. Additionally, there’s an oyster farm operating at the city’s Fisherman’s Landing project. Oysters play a vital role in cleaning the water through their natural filtration process.
The City of Sebastian has taken significant steps to protect the lagoon, more so than any other city in the county. Sebastian has been at the forefront of efforts to safeguard the lagoon. It’s why they were offering septic-to-sewer grants to convert in the first place when they were available.
We’ve seen the water heat up to 85 degrees, and some local scientists reported 87 degrees during their studies. This heat impacts fishing, but things are returning to normal like they always do.
The fishing is doing well at the Sebastian Inlet.
Anglers tell Sebastian Daily that Mangrove Snappers are seen at the North and South Jetties. However, these are young ones less than 10 inches long. The preferred bait seems to be live shrimp, jigs, and greenies.
You may also find Spanish mackerel around – but be aware of the bait-stealing barracudas. They hang out near the jetties.
Anglers are also reporting catches during both high and low tides. The catch-and-release snook is still present, along with Tarpon. However, flounder seems to be a tough catch.
Did you catch a fish? We’d be thrilled to showcase your catch! Please share your details with us by sending your name, hometown, type of fish, bait used, where you caught your fish and some photos to info@sebastiandaily.com.
Fishing Weather
The warm temperatures will continue through the upcoming weekend. Temperatures on Thursday and Friday will be near 89 degrees, but then it warms to 93 degrees on Saturday and Sunday. Pay attention to any heat advisories from the National Weather Service. Please drink plenty of water if you plan to be outdoors.
The rain appears to be slowing down for now, but there’s still a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms for Thursday night, then 50 percent on Saturday, and 60 percent on Sunday.
For boaters, seas will be 2 to 3 feet with a light chop on the Intracoastal waterway. Winds will continue from the south and southeast at 5 to 10 knots through the weekend.