What water temp to get things started?

[GonnaCatchABig1]

all this chit chat about water temps and the striped ones arrival got me thinking about a new theory that i have to research extensively now...

buuut.. its near impossible for me to accept temps having nothing to do with. as probably around 95% of ocean life is cold blooded, and rely on water temps to keep them normal. buuuuut i keep seeing people saying they are showing up almost randomly. thus driving people to think they follow food and temps play no part of it...

what if both theories are right? say the striped ones follow the food... welllll the reason the food is coming here is because they are looking for more food (some for spawning grounds) and then their food supply is being drawn this direction as well..

now... looking at (i think its a 20 yr cycle) map of ocean temps.. theres been some changes (as you probably know) but not close to shore... way out in the "conveyor belt" areas.

sooo what if it's actually the ocean temps waaaaaaaaay off shore that determine when they show?

for example... certain algae may need a certain temp to reproduce and thrive.. as the summer approaches this certain temp draws closer to land. causing this algae to bloom.. so now that plankton that feed on this algae start to thrive closer to shore.. now most small fish that feed on plankton realize this (somehow, probably cause they feed on it and just eat their way up here) and see this as their opportunity to leave overly predator crowded waters and head this way. and we all know who is right on their heels.

ofcourse also hafta factor in when water tamps change, so do currents, which could also assist in pushing more and more bait fish food towards our shores..

other factors.. when does what spawn? like whens the peak crab mating season? (cause crab eggs seem like tastey treats to me. other eggs of animals should be though of as well) sooooooooo many factors to consider.. and i think i have just enough time to research this cacamany idea of mine before they get here.. just hafta start at the top of the food chain and work my way down.. could take a while..

i will always stick by water temp being a major role is aquatic behavior. upwards of 60-75% of the influence on life under water. but there is soooo much going on down there its unreasonable to think its the only factor.

ok im done confusing every one with a theory i havent even researched yet...

[GonnaCatchABig1]

so i think i figured it out.... and didnt take any where near as long as i expected. boy i love the interwebs.

http://serc.carleton.edu/eet/phytoplankton/primer.html

if ya realllly dont want to read all the info on there... (which i strongly recommend you do) it says...

plankton blooms are pretty much almost impossible to predict. but occur in the spring. due to more sunlight, changing water temps that stabilize the water column (which is in turmoil in the winter) and fresh high nutrient filled water (thanks to the winter turmoil)

i dont think its any coincidence that it just so happens when the bait fish start showing up in masses...

so now thats my final answer... the striped ones show up shortly after the bait fish show up, after the first major plankton bloom of year. which happens completely randomly and is determined by a whole crap load of factors.

so ya just don't know unless yer out there fishing so get at it.

(btw just found some real time chlorophyll images... the blooms already started)

[Pete_G]

Originally Posted by GonnaCatchABig1

what if both theories are right? say the striped ones follow the food... :

I'm all for the concept that striped bass follow the food, there's nothing more important besides reproducing. It's just HOW closely they follow it and if/how much it relates to water temp (or anything else).

Herring and bunker are usually here at least a month before migrant stripers arrive, clearly they aren't married to these schools of bait. Something holds them back. Probably bait elsewhere.

[Redsoxticket]

The delay of migrant stripers may be contributed that the bass know that the herring will spawn. If the bass eat the herring with the eggs then the food supply will deminish.

[RIROCKHOUND]

Originally Posted by Pete_G

I'm all for the concept that striped bass follow the food, there's nothing more important besides reproducing. It's just HOW closely they follow it and if/how much it relates to water temp (or anything else).

Herring and bunker are usually here at least a month before migrant stripers arrive, clearly they aren't married to these schools of bait. Something holds them back. Probably bait elsewhere.

It seems to me, the bigger fish don't always take up station where all the bait seems to be concentrated either....

[Raven]

Originally Posted by RIROCKHOUND

It seems to me, the bigger fish don't always take up station where all the bait seems to be concentrated either....

they don't need to because they can swallow anything that swims by... heh heh heh

[cheferson]

For the larger breeding fish, wouldnt their arrival be dependant more on the water temp/conditions of their breeding rivers then ocean temps or sun angle?