Effects of a complete freeze over?

[Backdoc]

Any of the old timers on here know of the usual results of a complete freeze over on the lower Susky and upper bay in general? I was at the VFW near my house the other day and a few old timers were talking about massive shad kills and a general down turn to be expected for fishing this year. They didn't appear to be very fishy but usually you can't judge a book by its cover. I was planning on spending most of my time fishing the Susky from Deer Creek to the flats this year. I will fish my other spots but the area I just mentioned is very close to me and is my go to area with my work/dad/husband schedule. Last year was very productive for me but that was my first year committing to the Susky. Thanks to all.

[Romo]

The flats have been pretty dismal for the past few years as the herring and rockfish populations crashed. If you just started fishing it last year then you missed out on some crazy good years for huge bass from 2010 on back. Of course this was mostly due to the banning of herring as bait. I've never seen a freeze up like this but I'm sure it cant help the herring, perch, shad and rocks.

[sparky1423]

Last year was just as frozen with the vortex, maybe worse. Water clarity was the big issue last year with all the early spring rain. The very end of the C&R season turned out to be productive.

[Shady]

Here's my glass half full perspective. The deep waters that our resident stripers are wintering in shouldnt see too much difference temperature wise and since the whole bay is froze the gillnetters aren't able to fish, hopefully that means more left for us...

[mweber02]

Here's my glass half full perspective. The deep waters that our resident stripers are wintering in shouldnt see too much difference temperature wise and since the whole bay is froze the gillnetters aren't able to fish, hopefully that means more left for us...

Light at the end of the tunnel!

[blackjack]

I have talked to a few old timers .80 plus yeare old they were saying it should be a good to great year. High water last year frozen this year.hopefull they are right.

[whenican]

I heard the yp still spawned under the ice in yrs past but the length of the cold could've been shorter.

[Capt C-Hawk]

This year's blue crab shortage was blamed on winter kill last year. Three years ago there was a massive spot die off blamed on cold. That made for many bait sized spot in 2013, but they had grown up for 2014. The shad your old timers were saying died off were probably gizzard shad. They're in the rivers now and typically have a lot that die. The anadromous species come later and should be OK. Susky residents should be used to ice. They have more walleyes, y.perch and smb up north than we have

As for being sheltered from the netters, they'll petition DNR and their season will be extended. Maybe it'll be a good year for live lining the bridge.

[J.A. Veil]

There is an ironic silver lining to cold snaps and freeze-overs. It is good to have alibis or excuses for those trips when we do not catch keeper after keeper. These can be filed away with other great excuses like:

- too windy
- wrong tide (water level too low or too high)
- no bait in the area
- too much bright sun when I fished
- didn't have the right bait or lure today.

(Of course, we never like to say "I sucked today" or "I made poor choices today on where and how I fished")

In all seriousness, fish populations have been exposed to irregular weather events for centuries. Populations shrink and expand yearly and on longer cycles based on many factors, including weather, among others. We as amateur fisheries biologists like to be able to assign a specific result to any weather event out of the ordinary -- but biology is not usually that simple. The timing, duration, and extent of a freeze-over may be important to the later impact of the event.

I freely admit that even with extensive training in environmental science and water quality, I have no scientifically-based reply to the original question. I do not know what effect the current freeze-over conditions will have on fishing later in the year. Sometimes not finding fish in the usual spots or at the typical times forces me to look at spots where I had not previously checked or to try at times outside of the normal window. That contributes to a better understanding of a water body and its fisheries.

[Shady]

I do believe speck fishing in Maryland will be tough again this year...

[sparky1423]

I hope it's not a tough year again. I struggled last year with stripers...the year before I caught them in triple digits. My first speck outing was last year and I rendered one white perch, LOL. I will have to think of better excuses this year since I exhausted my inventory last season!

[imagine29028]

I do believe speck fishing in Maryland will be tough again this year...

Id imagine Reds too...migratory fish from the south dont move during cold winters. Carolinas have been cold too, soooo