In my 32 years of business, this is the second time we are currently experiencing red tide in the upper harbor. We are hoping the East and/or Northeast winds will blow the red tide back up out of the harbor. Fish kills have been up through Rocky Creek and almost all the way up to the US-41 bridges. The East winds should be able to get this mess out of here so folks at Burnt Store and Pirate Harbour can stop coughing. Coughing has not been reported in any of the places where dead fish have been seen North of the Alligator Creek Reef. The assault on the upper harbor may be over for a while but continue to think good thoughts for the fish on the South end of the East side.
Reports of good Redfish and Trout fishing have been reported in Turtle Bay which seems to have been spared from the red tide. The power part of the West wall has maintained good fishing as well.
A bloom of the Florida red tide organism, Karenia brevis, persists in Southwest Florida from southern Pinellas to Lee County, with patches observed in Collier and northern Monroe counties. Over the past week, Karenia brevis was observed in low to high concentrations in twenty-four samples collected from Sarasota County; very low to high concentrations in two samples collected from Charlotte County; background to medium concentrations in ten samples collected from Lee County; background to low concentrations in two samples collected from Collier County.