Updated Videos on ROFFS™.com – Be Sure to Check Out the “Hot News” Button on the ROFFS™ Homepage Great Whites off Jacksonville!                               Great whites are back off Jacksonville. What a city – gators and great whites. Video Courtesy: WJXT4 The Local Station News4JAX | Facebook Please click HERE to watch the video on our website now! Golf Anyone?                 Florida woman films momma gator (carefully) herding 12 babies across a golf course. Video Courtesy: Action News Jacksonville | Facebook Please click HERE to watch the video on our website now! Dream Walking!                        Market Square Tower offers a living experience like nothing Houston has ever seen before. Video Courtesy: Market Square Tower | Facebook Please click HERE to watch the video on our website now! Slowmo Surfing!                        Awesome pipeline! Video Courtesy: SURFSlab | Facebook Please click HERE to watch the video on our website now! Above: Congrats to ROFFS™ client Capt. Ben Sharpe – 2017 Viking Key West Challenge – 1st Place overall with 22 releases – 66’ Viking “Man-E-War” Please click here to view our updated online photo gallery! ROFFS™ Southern Florida to Cape Hatteras Early Season Preview 2017 – U.S. EAST COAST GULF STREAM CONDITIONS LOOKING PROMISING   

ROFFS™ continues its spring preview series by providing an overall update of the oceanographic conditions during early April for the east coast of the United States from the Florida Keys north to Cape Hatteras, NC including the entire offshore Gulf Stream region. As always, we use a combination of many different data sets but mainly sea surface temperature (SST) and ocean color/chlorophyll images. We will discuss these overall ocean conditions for the present spring season and how these conditions may translate to the near future fishing season.

For forecasting short-term oceanographic conditions related to finding fish, ROFFS™ uses real-time direct observations rather than unproven ocean models and longer-term composites. We have learned that evaluating the preseason conditions along with regional climate models provides insight into future seasonal trends for fishing. Experience and understanding the ocean – atmospheric dynamics is our guide as we have had moderate success in forecasting seasonal trends of fishing productivity based on the stepwise progression in the location of the fishes’ preferred habitat based on temperature and water color. Please reference our 2017 Bahamas forecast for more in-depth discussion on the environmental and climate indicators that goes into our detailed evaluation of the southeastern United States fishing forecasting analysis (Click Here).

Background and Some Observations for 2017

It is important to look at the year-to-year trends including the anomalies to gain insight into the location and condition of the fishes’ preferred habitat compared with previous years. Comparing similar locations and features to last year during the same early April time period we found that the SST of the core of the Gulf Stream off of Miami, FL for 2016 was approximately 80.1°F and for this year it is approximately the same (79.6°F). Farther north off of Charleston, SC the SST of the core of the Gulf Stream for early April 2016 was approximately 78.0°F and for this year it is also relatively similar (78.5°F). However, farther north off of Cape Lookout, NC, the SST of the core of the Gulf Stream for 2016 was approximately 76.0°F – 76.5°F and this year the SST is approximately 77.5°F – 78.0°F, which is 1.5°F higher than last year during this same early April time period. Therefore, the farther north you go the Gulf Stream SST overall appears to be warmer this year than last year. This could indicate an earlier arrival of tuna, wahoo, dolphin and even marlin farther north off of South Carolina and North Carolina this year compared to last year, especially when considering that the conditions over the Bahamas region is more favorable than previous years. Please click HERE to read the full forecast on our website now! Launched!                      The only way is up! Video Courtesy: Daily Surf Videos | Facebook Please click HERE to watch the video on our website now! Forgot Your Password?                          This is what happens – Every. Single. Time. UGH. Video Courtesy: Good Housekeeping | Facebook Please click HERE to watch the video on our website now! Dakus Bones!                    Episode 2 “Dakus Bones” airs this Saturday! Rush and Ali invite their new friend, Dave Kustra, the talent behind the amazing Dakus Bones to bottom fish in the Florida Keys. Dave was commissioned to turn Ali’s huge swordfish catch from last season into a skeletal art piece. Both Ali and Rush pick Dave’s mind about his artistic process and his inspiration for this new mount option for trophy fish, all while chasing a mixed bag of Florida Keys reef fish. Video Courtesy: Local Knowledge | Facebook Please click HERE to watch the video on our website now! Whales!                    Absolutely amazing! Video Courtesy: Scuba Diving Magazine | Facebook Please click HERE to watch the video on our website now! The Last Frontier!                    It’s happening in all fisheries all across our oceans , if it happens in the northeast to our recreational fisheries as we know it will cease to exist. It makes fishing big business and takes independence out of the formula , be careful the government is for this!!!! Video Courtesy: Ken Higgins | Facebook Please click HERE to watch the video on our website now! Crazy Boating!            I’d be way too concerned about tipping over to enjoy the view. Video Courtesy: Fishing in Florida | Facebook Please click HERE to watch the video on our website now! Announcement: SECOORA 2017 Annual Meeting

Celebrate our 10 Year Anniversary and participate in the coastal ocean observing conversation! Register today! Consider increasing your organization’s exposure and be a sponsor at the SECOORA 2017 Annual Meeting.

General Information

Dates: May 16, 17 and 18, 2017

Location: Crowne Plaza Melbourne-Oceanfront (2605 N Hwy A1A, Melbourne, FL 32903)

Registration Link (deadline to register is April 21, 2017): Click Here.

Meeting Contact: Abbey Wakely, [email protected] Please click HERE to read the full announcement and for more information on our website now! Backlash? Feedback?

As always, please send comments & feedback on Fishy Times newsletter content directly to us at [email protected]. If you do not want to wait for our next Fishy Times newsletter, please visit us in the meantime to get all your fishing news on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and on the web.  Safe and successful fishing until next time!

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