Posted by Ron Stephen on October 11, 2004 at 20:06:53:
Hi, my name is Ron, and have just found your forum.
I am new to hoop netting and would like any tips or info. any of you can offer.
My fishing buddy and I decided we wanted to try hoop netting for the first time. We bought a set of 10 fully rigged hoop nets and have been doing a little reading on reg.s and methods, and had hoped to go out to the breakwall this Friday evening.
He lives on his 40 footer in Long Beach. Yesterday he noticed the water was luminescent/glowing, and was commenting on it today at work. He was asking if I knew what caused it and said it looked pretty strange. Then this afternoon when he got home to his boat, he called me and said Red Tide was everywhere. he said that the water looks like dirty transmission fluid all the way out into the harbor. he also said that the oxygen level in the water is so bad that all the anchovies and sardines are jumping out of the water. He said that the boat docks are just covered in fish trying to escape.
Now I know that Red Tide just about kills all fishing for top water fish when pole fishing, but what effect if any does it have on bottom fishing and hoop netting? does the Red Tide deplete the oxygen down at 70-80 feet? do the "bugs" stop feeding? Are we basically out of luck until the water clears up? any tips,help or knowledge would be appreciated.
Thanks, and happy Bug huntin',
Ron