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ROFFS™ FISHERIES OCEANOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS FOR THE PENSACOLA TO BARATARIA BAY OFFSHORE AREA (LAT./LONG.)

UPDATED ON THURSDAY 26 APRIL 2012 FOR THURSDAY P.M. & FRIDAY FISHING ONLY Based on a multiple factor analysis, the symbols (hot spot spots) mark the areas where bait concentrations are expected and where fishing action is expected to be better compared with other (non-marked) areas. These are not based on dock rumors or hearsay fishing reports. Fishing reports are

stated as such. You should start fishing where you recognize other signs of good fishing conditions near these marked areas. It is very important to use your sea surface temperature (sst°) gauge to locate the boundaries of the water masses, which are outlined. Rather than trying to find water based

on the absolute temperature values shown on the map, search for the relative change in sst where the water mass boundaries occur. Arrows indicate the main current direction. Numbers inside of the dots indicate the number of consecutive days that we have seen favorable conditions in that

location.

We were able to see the ocean conditions in this area very clearly again today using a combination of satellite imagery from this morning. Although the SST appear to have remained relatively stable over the past 48 hours, we believe that as the skies remain relatively clear and the sun is out that the SST will again begin to slowly rise especially as the air temperatures begin to rise this weekend.

Therefore, remember to look for relative rather than absolute SST while out on the water. Overall, we continue to feel the key to finding bait and bigger pelagic fish in this area is the find the blue and dark blue water originating from offshore particularly where it is pushing in a favorable inshore direction due to the interaction of several eddy features located offshore of the Mississippi River Delta region. We have shown areas today that are associated with the offshore blue, blended blue and blue-green water and are likely to increase your overall chances for tuna, wahoo, dolphin, and billfish action, as well as, for finding weed lines, brown algae and sargassum weed particularly in areas where the ocean conditions have remained favorable for two to four days now. The large clockwise

rotating eddy feature centered southwest of the Double Nipple area (87°53’W & 28°15’N) continues to control the flow in this area while being also influenced by a second eddy feature (counter-clockwise rotating) centered southwest of the Dump Site near 90°00’W & 27°25’N. Together these eddies continue to circulate an extensive pool of blue (75.5°F-76.5°F-77.5°F-78.4°F) water in a favorable inshore direction towards the area offshore of South Pass and towards the Double Nipple area and also westward between the Mississippi Canyon and the Green Canyon. Some of this blue

water also continues to move inshore between the Double Nipple and the Steps region due to the influence of a third eddy (counter-clockwise rotating) centered in the area southeast of the Double Nipple near 87°20’W & 28°47’N. A fourth eddy continues to circulate a pool of blue (75.5°F-76.5°F-77.5°F) water in a favorable inshore direction over the 100-200-300 fathom ledges southeast of the De Soto Canyon area.

With this in mind, south of the South Pass area, good chances for a combination of tuna, wahoo, dolphin, and marlin action occur where we observed the northwestern edge of the blue (76.5°F-77.5°F) water for three and four days now over the 200-300 fathom ledges in the area of the Gulfport Valley and southwestward from 88°53’W & 28°48-49’N to 89°09’W & 28°41’N with additional good chances for fishing action occurring northeastward where we observed similar ocean conditions for two days now over the 300-400 fathom ledges towards the Viosca Knoll area from 88°47’W & 28°51-

52’N to 88°31-32’W & 28°57’N. Southeastward, additional good chances for action occur on the offshore (southeastern) side of this same finger of dark blue water where we observed favorable conditions for two to four days now over the 200-400 fathom ledges over the 400-500 fathom ledges in the area of the Redfish Valley and the Whiting Dome and offshore towards the 1000 fathom ledge inshore of the Tuna Mountain from 88°38’W & 28°51’N to 88°23’W & 28°51-52’N to 88°04-05’W & 28°46’N. Westward, similar chances for fishing action occur towards the 300-400-500 fathom ledges of the Gulfport Valley and the Chandeleur Valley where we observed favorable ocean conditions for four days now from 88°53’W & 28°47’N to 89°05-06’W & 28°38’N. Towards the Mississippi Canyon

area, good chances for fishing action also occur along the northern edge of the blue (76.5°F) water where we also observed favorable ocean conditions for two to four days now over the 100-200 fathom ledges from 89°19’W & 28°36-37’N to 89°35’W & 28°36’N to 89°54-55’W & 28°34’N. South of the Mississippi Canyon area some good chances for fishing action are likely to happen where we observed the leading edge of the blue (77.5°F) water for two days now over the 200 fathom ledge west of the Innovator Rig from 89°43’W & 28°26’N to 89°46’W & 28°17’N to 89°44-45’W & 28°11’N.

Northeast of the Viosca Knoll area, good chances for fishing action occur along the northern edge of the relatively warmer (74.6°F-75.5°F) blue water particularly where the ocean conditions have remained favorable for two and three days now over the 40-50 fathom ledges in the area of the Exxon Rigs from 88°22’W & 29°16’N to 88°15’W & 29°20’N to 88°06’W & 29°20’N, southward over the 50-100 fathom ledges inshore of the Spirit Rig from 88°09’W & 29°17’N to 88°03-04’W & 29°17’N, and eastward over the 50-500 fathom depths inshore of the Petronius Rig from 87°52’W &

29°20’N to 87°37’W & 29°13-14’N. Inshore of the Double Nipple area, good chances for fishing action occur where we observed the northeastern edge of the blue (75.5°F) water being circulated in a favorable inshore direction by the smaller counter-clockwise rotating eddy for two days now from 87°34’W & 29°04’N to 87°27’W & 29°08’N to 87°12’W & 28°51’N. Northeastward, towards the De Soto Canyon area, additional good chances for tuna, wahoo, dolphin, and billfish action occur where we observed the northern edge of the blue (74.6°F) water for two to four days now towards the tip of the

canyon, the Spur region and the southern side of the Unexploded Ordnance from 87°02’W & 29°22’N to 86°56’W & 29°27’N to 86°37’W & 29°26-27’N. Inshore towards the Elbow and towards the area inshore of the Nipple, good chances for fishing action occur where we observed the northwestern edge of the blue (73.6°F) water for three and four days now over the 100 fathom ledge near 87°18-19’W & 29°37’N and 87°11’W & 29°47’N and inshore over the 30-40-50 fathom ledges from 87°07’W & 29°55’N to 86°58’W & 30°01-02’N.

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