Sorry about the small picture size, I don't know why i can't resize it, but you can still see alot of dead and dying tilapia floating on top of this central Florida Lake.

Strange weather you guys are having for sure. I was born in FL and lived there until I was 15 and I only remember it getting down near freezing once in all that time (Miami area).

We had "ice-out" on one of my lakes yesterday and there was only one dead fish floating along about 300 yards of open shoreline - the rest are still deep - can't wait 'till spring!

Best I can figure is that this has been the coldest winter in at least 30 years.  That gave plenty of time for the warmer water fish to migrate farther north than usual.  This winter was brutal by Florida standards with temps in my backyard dipping into the 20's. 

It has been a shock to the recreational fishing  fer sure, but I have heard of Tilapia farmers being wiped out. And figgedabout the citrus growers.

Don, there are dead tilapia littering the shorelines of lakes that I didn't even know supported tilapia.

I guess it's nature's way of moving the distribution line southward, especially snook & peacock bass.

And figgedabout the citrus growers.

You said a mouthful.

Central Florida got down into the low 20s, and citrus growers have been watering overtime

to prevent frozen fruit. Excessive irrigation is washing out caverns in the underground aquifers,

and now we're seeing a great deal of sinkhole activity in my region

                                                                                                   

Roger

Mayan cichlids and peacocks took a big hit too.

Yeap. That global warming is really taking a toll on us.

Fished holiday park (everglades) thurs. Okeechobee fri, sat., and sunday - lots of dead peacocks in holiday - the big O was littered with dead oscars and tilapia - should give the spawned bass fry a better shot at survival this year - good and bad things come from the cold

Tilapia's lower core water lower limit is 50 degrees and start to go into shock at 55 degrees. If the water changes more than 10 degrees within 24 hours, bass will start to die off, if they can't located warmer water; springs, deep water etc.

We have been in a cooling cycle since the mid 90's and it's predicted to continue for at least 25 more years.

WRB

Also all the armored catfish got knocked back (killed) as well.  I suspect they eat bed eggs and larvae so the bass should have a pretty strong spawning class this year.

I was out on Istokpoga today and saw a few floating fish, no bass luckily.  I think the Bass will be alright its suppose to warm up all week.  I heard they shut down snook season until October?

I was out on Istokpoga today and saw a few floating fish, no bass luckily. I think the Bass will be alright its suppose to warm up all week.

Bass?

Ole mossback can live all winter under two-feet of ice,

so no cold-spell in Florida is going hurt any bass

Roger

Also all the armored catfish got knocked back (killed) as well. I suspect they eat bed eggs and larvae so the bass should have a pretty strong spawning class this year.

Those are Plecostomus - nothing to do with catfish.

Around here there are 2 types, armored catfish and sailfin catfish, looks like same fish except the markings are a little different.

Dead all over the place

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www5.pbrc.hawaii.edu/ccrt/taras/site/Images/catfish.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www5.pbrc.hawaii.edu/ccrt/taras/site/danger.html&h=251&w=300&sz=30&tbnid=GCX_8lkjwHl_jM:&tbnh=97&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3Darmored%2Bcatfish&hl=en&usg=__s26uJSWLGhYnmp6BpdGoqmBYv0k=&ei=9dJWS86TA9WUtgerodmpBA&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=3&ct=image&ved=0CA0Q9QEwAg

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://spotted.staugustine.com/images/100008/photos/2009/02/07/gallery/1829903.jpg&imgrefurl=http://spotted.staugustine.com/photos/index.php%3Fid%3D1829903&h=355&w=473&sz=90&tbnid=6PKlMADYoazttM:&tbnh=97&tbnw=129&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsailfin%2Bcatfish&hl=en&usg=__n4iTrg2bE_f1DOdWnzE2zSM0es4=&ei=5dJWS8T6GM2ztgfMiom5BA&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=2&ct=image&ved=0CBAQ9QEwAQ