ROFFER'S OCEAN FISHING FORECASTING SERVICE, INC.  TOLL FREE 800 677-7633 & (305) 262-8336 // 24 HR FAX 305 (265-9077)
ROFFS FISHERIES OCEANOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS FOR THE PENSACOLA TO BARATARIA BAY AREA (LAT./LONG.)
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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 continue to be able to see the ocean conditions in this area unusually clearly for this time of year and we continue to follow the overall circulation in this area well. Daily, we continue to use a combination of NOAA infrared sst°, as well as, MODIS ocean color_chlorophyll and altimetry data to analyze the ocean conditions in this area with the chlorophyll imagery providing a vital role in helping us to determine water color and follow the motion/circulation of the water masses. Please keep in mind that the sst° you find while out on the water during the afternoon hours may be as much as 1° WARMER than what we have shown here due to hot afternoon air temperatures and clear skies.  Remember to look for relative rather than absolute sst° while out on the water ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON. Overall, we continue to observe a strong green to blue water mass boundary which we have been following for over two weeks now where the dirty green Mississippi River Delta water/blended blue-green water (83.5°F-82.5°F) meets the northern edge of the cleaner blue/blue-green water originating from offshore (81.3°F-81.7°F) from area of the Mississippi Canyon and northeastward towards the area south of South Pass (Lena Rig) and then further eastward over the 400-500 fathom depths towards the Ram Powell Rig that is likely to provide good to excellent chances for fishing action, particularly along the portion of this boundary zone where the ocean conditions have remained favorable for two to eight days now.  Over the eastern portion of the chart area, we observed a pool of relatively cooler (81.5°F) blue/blended blue water that has been pulled inshore and resides between the Elbow/Nipple areas and the De Soto Canyon eastward to the Squiggles/Wings areas and offshore that is also likely to provide good chances for fishing action along its edges where the ocean conditions have remained favorable for two and three days now.
South of the South Pass area, good to excellent chances for fishing action with tuna, wahoo, dolphin, and billfish action occur where we have observed the strong green/blue-green to blue water mass boundary for two to eight days now from the good bottom of the wreck near 89°24’W & 28°41-42’N to the good bottom of Sackett Bank near 89°33-34’W & 28°38-39’N and further southwestward to the 100-200 fathom depths of the Mississippi Canyon near 89°57-58’W & 28°31’N  East/southeastward, good chances for fishing action also occur into the warmer (82.7°F) blue water where it meets the southern edge of the green (81.3°F) water and the ocean conditions have remained favorable for two to six days now south of the 24 Mile Rigs area over the 500-575 fathom depths from 88°21-22’W & 28°52’N to 88°52’W & 28°46’N with additional good chances for action occurring southwestward  over the 200-500 fathom depths from the area of the Cognac Rig to the Disused Explosives Dumping area and then further southwestward from 89°01-02’W & 28°47’N to 89°15’W & 28°31’N to 89°28’W & 28°20’N.  Eastward, north of the 960 Hill area, relatively good chances for fishing action are also likely to happen where we have observed favorable ocean conditions for two days now from the 400 fathom curve near 88°24’W & 29°00’N eastward to the area of the Ram Powell Rig near 88°06’W & 29°01’N with additional chances for action occurring southeastward (west and south of the Double Nipple) where we expect you will find the strong green to blue water mass boundary by fishing time tomorrow morning from 87°58-59’W & 28°58-59’N to 87°43’W & 28°41-42’N to 87°23’W & 28°48-49’N.
Eastward, relatively good chances for a combination of tuna, wahoo, dolphin, and billfish action occur along the northern edge of the blue (81.1°F-81.5°F) water particularly where we have observed favorable ocean conditions for two and three days now over the 40-50 fathom depths northwest of the Squiggles area near 86°33’W & 29°56’N and 86°26-27’W & 29°48’N and also west/southwestward from the Nipple area over the 30-40 fathom depths from 87°08’W & 29°53-54’N to 87°19’W & 29°43-44’N to 87°30’W & 29°34-35’N.  East/southeastward, additional good chances for fishing action occur into the warmer band of blue (81.8°F) water, particularly where we have observed favorable ocean conditions for three days now over the 100 fathom curve southeast of the Nipple area near 86°58-59’W & 29°50’N and over the 200-300 fathom depths east of the Disused Explosives Dumping Area near 87°08’W & 29°23’N and 87°08’W & 29°16’N.  If fishing action is not satisfactory in these areas, increased chances for action are also likely to happen where we observed the western edge of another band of relatively cooler (81.1°F) blue water for the first time today over the 200-400 fathom depths of the De Soto Canyon from 87°01-02’W & 29°31-32’N to 87°00’W & 29°15’N and also eastward from the good bottom of the Spur to the Unexploded Ordnance to the 100 fathom curve in the area of the Squiggles from 86°56’W & 29°27’N to 86°36-37’W & 29°33-34’N to 86°18-19’W & 29°24-25’N.  Offshore, we observed a pool of blue (81.8°F-82.3°F) water originating from offshore that is also likely to provide some chances for fishing action where we observed its northwestern edge for the first time today over the 200-400 fathom depths south of the De Soto Canyon from 86°24’W & 28°52-53’N to 86°59’W & 28°42’N with better chances for action occurring southward into the warmer (82.7°F) dark blue water where we have observed its northern edge for two days now from 86°25’W & 28°40’N to 86°57’W & 28°40-41’N.
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