Went To Alligator Alley

[arowfan]

Ive seen NO cichlids Period in my canals that I frequent. Im not saying they are not there but there is NOTHING exotic. Only Sun/Panfish, Largemouths and Gar. Mosquitofish and Mollies also. Nothing exotic as of yet. Begin of March I get a half day of work and I am going to get my pole out of the garage and throw the line. See what I can catch...

wow nothing, huh. keep us posted...

 

[megalops///]

How's living in the island between two rivers?

Pretty nice, little chilly though....

 

[Louie]

The release of exotics is a problem but not as big as one might think. In alot of the places that I have fished I have never seen anything more than Oscar (almost an endangered exotic species in central Broward County) Tilapia, Mayan, Acara, Pleco Walking Catfish and Salvini. These have all been in the waters here for a long long time. Nature has a way of purging the canals when needed like these cold fronts. Even the Mayans serve a purpose. Alot of the cane pole fishing people do result in them cathing just mayans and juvie Tilapia and alot less bream/panfish as these are more aggresive to the bait. It keeps the natives from being over fished out of the canals and thins exotic population. It all evens out.

I agree and who knows how long some of these cichlids have been living in the canals could be decades .

Either way I caught 2 Mayans 1 Jag C/R not long ago after the cold spell but by Glades canals (4 hours and that was all I caught). The canals by me are EMPTY .

Cihlids lived in some areas but IMO it will take yrs for things to be like it used to be and perhaps Oscars didn't make it and who knows if PB will ever be a fraction of what they once were.

So many catch and keep them that those that made it might be taken.

My fishing is finished till April for most part close to nothing now by me. I am glad that I was able to experience it for 2 yrs before this disaster.

 

[Louie]

we all know your point, as well as warmouths-the point I was trying to make was-ever heard of beating a dead horse?

All I want to know is, since it started getting cold again, have there been any more dead fish?

The recent cold isn't bad its just at night (mid 40s mostly 50s) The days as a whole mid 65 but more like mid 70s sunny. The ground holds temp and canals are warming up

That happens every winter around now problem was we had 2 consecutive weeks while ago of cold even during day and "super" cold .

I hope after this week we start hitting 80s again during day min high 50s at night .

Spring will tell how many fish survived but IMO fishing wont be same for yrs even for native fish .

"have there been any more dead fish?"

No more dead fish but canals are empty however by Glades I didn't see anything new floating.

 

[Louie]

there going to start stocking trout and largemouth bluegill and northern pike and if it gets any colder down there they may plant some alaskan salmon personoly i think while there at it they may as well introduce mule deer elk and carabou and moose to the swamps than would be cool then we could all watch the snake that swalowed the moose whole and exploded eventuaaly florda could be like texas and say stuff like florida its like a whole nother country

"they may plant some alaskan salmon"

lol

 

[warmouth]

"they may plant some alaskan salmon"

lol

Man I gotta admit thats hilarious. My point is that some very beautifull fish are found only in Florida and these exotics threaten their extinction, Florida bluegill(mysticalis it has lavender highlights and is delicious eating), Flagfish, Some species of top minnow and darters, everglades pygmy sunfish etc. As far as Oscars being almost extict in Broward county.......I dont know whether to laugh uncontrollably or cry at that statement; who gives a crap, you can buy an Oscar in any LFS and their very common in South America , the same goes for some of the other cichlids.....I like cichlids, Ive kept Oscars and convicts......but id be really pissed off if I went fishing for Natives (Walleye ,Bass, Sunfish, Channel cats) and could only catch invasives; the place for exotics is in our tanks, they become invasive in our rivers and lakes. but I must say I am glad you guys fish for them......I go carp fishing (we smoke em to eat) and I understand you gotta make lemons out of lemonade but it dosent mean I like the fact their here (carp eat the eggs of native fish)native suckers taste better and do less damage to our ecosystem than carp and I bet the same is true in South Florida. The more damage exotics do to natives in the Great Lakes and South Florida the more legislation congress will put on owning them as pets (something I dont want!). PS, the subject of exotics wasnt brought up by me.......I was just replying to it, if you dont like my post you dont have to read or respond to it!

 

[MN_Rebel]

Man I gotta admit thats hilarious. My point is that some very beautifull fish are found only in Florida and these exotics threaten their extinction, Florida bluegill(mysticalis it has lavender highlights and is delicious eating), Flagfish, Some species of top minnow and darters, everglades pygmy sunfish etc. As far as Oscars being almost extict in Broward county.......I dont know whether to laugh uncontrollably or cry at that statement; who gives a crap, you can buy an Oscar in any LFS and their very common in South America , the same goes for some of the other cichlids.....I like cichlids, Ive kept Oscars and convicts......but id be really pissed off if I went fishing for Natives (Walleye ,Bass, Sunfish, Channel cats) and could only catch invasives; the place for exotics is in our tanks, they become invasive in our rivers and lakes. but I must say I am glad you guys fish for them......I go carp fishing (we smoke em to eat) and I understand you gotta make lemons out of lemonade but it dosent mean I like the fact their here (carp eat the eggs of native fish)native suckers taste better and do less damage to our ecosystem than carp and I bet the same is true in South Florida. The more damage exotics do to natives in the Great Lakes and South Florida the more legislation congress will put on owning them as pets (something I dont want!). PS, the subject of exotics wasnt brought up by me.......I was just replying to it, if you dont like my post you dont have to read or respond to it!

Just wait for the idiots dump their unwanted oscars in the waterways. You can find Florida sunfish in southern United States known as coppernose bluegill, they are more common in stocked farm ponds. Most natives aint threatened by these exotics so far. I meant the non-native fishes of Florida has been around for 50+ years and the natives learn how to cope with these exotics. I still can't find any damages causes by exotic fish in the Florida beside the lionfish invasvion in the ocean. I agree with the common carp cause damages to the ecosystem but again they have been around for over 100 years in United states and its not new to us. Great Lakes are threatening by upcoming Asian carps as right now the barriers are locked up, prevent asian carps entering into Great Lakes. Minnesota has few asian carps starting to popped out in Lake Pepin in recent years but so far it appeared they dont reproduce or just a stray fish.

 

[MultispeciesTamer]

I agree and who knows how long some of these cichlids have been living in the canals could be decades .

Either way I caught 2 Mayans 1 Jag C/R not long ago after the cold spell but by Glades canals (4 hours and that was all I caught). The canals by me are EMPTY .

Cihlids lived in some areas but IMO it will take yrs for things to be like it used to be and perhaps Oscars didn't make it and who knows if PB will ever be a fraction of what they once were.

So many catch and keep them that those that made it might be taken.

My fishing is finished till April for most part close to nothing now by me. I am glad that I was able to experience it for 2 yrs before this disaster.

Finished till April, what! The bass are spawning down there right now its perfect weather for fishing (60-70degrees) and your done.

 

[Louie]

Finished till April, what! The bass are spawning down there right now its perfect weather for fishing (60-70degrees) and your done.

I am not sure the bass are spawning yet I do know the fishing has been terrible and most who fish all yr long aren't fishing now even saltwater has been bad.

We had a warm spell but night temps still drop to 40s . Granted days mid to high 70s now .

Come Thu starts getting warm day/night again if so will go Sat . Fish here native or not like it warm

 

[megalops///]

I am not sure the bass are spawning yet I do know the fishing has been terrible and most who fish all yr long aren't fishing now even saltwater has been bad.

We had a warm spell but night temps still drop to 40s . Granted days mid to high 70s now .

Come Thu starts getting warm day/night again if so will go Sat . Fish here native or not like it warm

Do you mean large mouth bass when you say "bass". Or are you talking about the peacock bass?

As far as I'm concerned, I've been catching the heck outta LMB's lately. Its been perfect weather for LMB fishing.