Lake turnover a few questions

[RUDD]

Following from another thread I have a question or two about lake turnover.

 

What exactly is that horrible gunk?

Does it or could it make fish ill?

How long before a water settles?

 

There is a water near me that has had alot of gunk rising up from the bottom for two weeks

The turnover started on 30th March

A few fish have been found dead which I would have thought quite normal for the spring.

During a match at the weekend most anglers blanked but saw alot of fish in the upperlayers not looking to well or just generally not doing much.

The EA have tested the water and oxygen levels are at a normal level.

 

Cheers

[John Weddup]

Hi rudd

 

I fished barham all weekend. I had a tench friday and an eel friday night but no more bites all day saturday or sunday. I had a friend join me on Saturday and he had no bites either. I spoke to several other anglers who were at different venues. The only ones who caught were in heavily stocked commercial waters and their results were low.

 

I think the very fast warm up has affected the fishing and was what affected the match and fish behaviour. I would imagine dissolved oxygen levels dropped also.

 

It went from 6c to 11c in a week.

 

John

[Phone]

RUDD,

 

1. The gunk is your last 10 baiting campaigns (the bottom)

 

2. Yes, it can make fish ill and on occasion it is fatal. (dissolved oxygen is all messed up)

 

3. Time differes with other factors.

 

Phone

[Anderoo]

1. The gunk is your last 10 baiting campaigns (the bottom)

 

 

It can't be that. I see it a lot at this time of year when fly fishing for trout at various venues, and these waters never see bait. Similarly, very low fishing pressure gravel pits.

[Dales]

I encountered some "gunk" at the weekend and that was on a water with little pressure/bait, so sorry Phone I don't buy option 1. Interestingly the gunk is not in the spots with healthy new weed growth and so maybe the weed replaces the algae/gunk stuff at some point?

 

Other then a number of eels which seemed rampant at the weekeend all I caught was a small solitary Roach. So I would tend to agree with John's theory about the sudden rapid rise in temperature effecting the fishing. I am far too good an angler to have struggled for any other reason :-)

 

Oddly I have heard of Cats and Eels coming out on a few waters at the weekend, I wonder if they reacted differently to the temperature rise then other species.

[Steve Walker]

At a guess - surface of sediment is covered by a slimy film of algae, bacteria and dead organic matter. Water begins to warm. Sediment begins to warm. Bacterial metabolism in the anerobic sediment starts to begin again and starts to generate gases. Gases accumulate under the slime film and begin to push it up in bubbles like so many slimy little hot air balloons. Eventually, the bottom of the bubble tears away, and up pops your lump of slime.

[RUDD]

Hi rudd

 

I fished barham all weekend. I had a tench friday and an eel friday night but no more bites all day saturday or sunday. I had a friend join me on Saturday and he had no bites either. I spoke to several other anglers who were at different venues. The only ones who caught were in heavily stocked commercial waters and their results were low.

 

I think the very fast warm up has affected the fishing and was what affected the match and fish behaviour. I would imagine dissolved oxygen levels dropped also.

 

It went from 6c to 11c in a week.

 

John

 

I fished the same water twice over the weekend.

On Saturday late afternoon/evening it was raining hard and I had a great session.

Last night it was still and moody, loads of catkins and bits floating about, but none of that gunk which ususally happens later in the year at this venue - One tench and one crucian + two lost fish. Hardly a sign of life, no fish topping or rolling.

 

Time will tell at the other venue and I hope it turns out ok.

[John Weddup]

Just had a long chat with a fishery consultant/suppler who has been contacted by dozens of fishery owners in the last 24hours with fish deaths and lethargic fish showing on surface.

 

Its the weather I am afraid.

John

[Phone]

All,

 

Anderoo, Yes, it can be that.

 

I was being a little smart arce. However, #1 is the bottom, decomposing organic material. If it is the "rotten egg" smell it is most likely hydrogen sulfide and methane gasses.

 

Again, water is densest at 39 degrees Fahrenheit. In the spring, when the surface temperature warms up to 39 degrees, it becomes heavier than the water below, and it begins to sink. That forces the water on the bottom to rise. The process can go on for up to several weeks if the weather is cool and windy. When the water temperature reaches about 50 degrees, the water stratifies into layers and turnover ceases.

 

This is the most common cause. In fall there is "overturn" as opposed to "turnover" and another one which I forget the name. The third one is caused by CO2 from subsurface "stuff" (about all I remember(?))

 

Phone

[RUDD]

Just had a long chat with a fishery consultant/suppler who has been contacted by dozens of fishery owners in the last 24hours with fish deaths and lethargic fish showing on surface.

 

Its the weather I am afraid.

John

Mr Barnes per chance?