# Help with nipple bite?



## markw4321 (Oct 4, 2007)

How's that for an attention getting thread title?


Below pic is graphic 3 day composite of water conditions (sst) of water conditions at the nipple elbow area from today. I have been watching the satellite imagery charts on this area, and from the reports i know fish have been present, but I did not see and still don't see any special water conditions at or around the nipple (red arrow) that would indicate the presence of pelagics. 

In fact i was more intrigued by the temp variation in the area that began at around mid-elbow and ran west to east towards the spur (purple line elliptical encosed area).

This is a teachable moment for me.  What am I missing that would allow me to interpret the satellite imagery chart better?


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

Satellites dont show bait.


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## Tcheeks38 (Feb 11, 2013)

Oh... misleading thread title


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## sailor (Oct 29, 2007)

JD7.62 said:


> Satellites dont show bait.


Bingo!


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## Cap'n Davey (Mar 26, 2014)

ROFFS is Satellite and shows bait.


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

Ultimately the bait posters are correct but I think that in most cases SST's as a sole source of information will leave you a little short of the goal line. I use Hiltons and when there is cloud cover it's a 50/50 proposition using just the bottom topography, altimetry, currents and wind since accurate/current SST's, chlorophyll and true color data are not available to help decide where I think I'll find the best conditions for fishing. 

With clear skies you have all the information available to you to help you try and make that decision. If you have Hiltons call Tom Hilton up and he will walk you through it very thoroughly. I've bent his ear several times and he has always been helpful and never made me feel like I was wasting his time.

So I guess a good question for those with the experience behind them would be to ask how could you use a SST chart to help find the most likely areas where bait would piled up.


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## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

The rigs have kind of "dumbed down" the knowledge of SSTs one might need. As they tend to always hold bait, which then holds predators. Consequently, I went and consulted a lot of east coast tuna guys, especially down at the Miami boat show, and asked them what they look for, as they do not have the rigs we do. Might be a good idea to lurk on the Hull truth (subsections: Carolinas, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic) and see who is consistently putting up consistent numbers of tuna, and see if you can get some intel out of them as far as what they are looking for. They are a bit more dependent on the SSTs. That being said, when I have really watched a break for awhile, and then found it here in the gulf, regardless of whether or not it was around a rig, I have done very well on the larger yellowfins (130+) and bigeyes in particular.


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

Dang just tell us about it!

http://www.thehulltruth.com/carolinas/396375-how-interpret-sst-charts.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7NPJnAbkXY

http://fryingpantower.com/North_Carolina_GPS_Numbers_and_Free_SST_Charts.html

http://cwcaribbean.aoml.noaa.gov/data.html


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## markw4321 (Oct 4, 2007)

Thanks for the responses. 


The above picture was just mean as an example. 

I do try to overlay everything offered by the service on top of each other on the chart- altimetry, currents, bathymetric chart, sst, and chlorophyll for example. Even with the overlays available i still don't think i would have picked the nipple area to fire off on Friday.

As always looking to learn as much as i can from those that can put all the pieces together and know where to go.


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## MSViking (Oct 11, 2007)

While sat. imagery is a very important tool, it's just that a tool. A larger and more important point relative to the nipple in August is the seasonal movement of bait in that area. Almost every year (some stronger than others) bait balls and white marlin get real thick around the nipple. They do this year in and year out regardless of what the water clarity, temp. etc.. might happen to be.


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## MULLET HUNTER (Oct 3, 2007)

Captain Woody Woods said:


> The rigs have kind of "dumbed down" the knowledge of SSTs one might need. As they tend to always hold bait, which then holds predators. Consequently, I went and consulted a lot of east coast tuna guys, especially down at the Miami boat show, and asked them what they look for, as they do not have the rigs we do. Might be a good idea to lurk on the Hull truth (subsections: Carolinas, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic) and see who is consistently putting up consistent numbers of tuna, and see if you can get some intel out of them as far as what they are looking for. They are a bit more dependent on the SSTs. That being said, when I have really watched a break for awhile, and then found it here in the gulf, regardless of whether or not it was around a rig, I have done very well on the larger yellowfins (130+) and bigeyes in particular.


Pretty good reading material in the gulfcoast section too Woodrow...
http://www.thehulltruth.com/gulf-coast/610919-would-not-recommend-tuna-trip-woody-woods.html
You have been kicked out of every marina between Orange beach to Morgan city, I guess your next stop will be Aransis pass, then Cabo? LMFAO!:thumbdown:


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## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

MULLET HUNTER said:


> Pretty good reading material in the gulfcoast section too Woodrow...
> http://www.thehulltruth.com/gulf-coast/610919-would-not-recommend-tuna-trip-woody-woods.html
> You have been kicked out of every marina between Orange beach to Morgan city, I guess your next stop will be Aransis pass, then Cabo? LMFAO!:thumbdown:


Thank you. That made my night.


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## REELIST (Nov 24, 2009)

*derailed*

Very good thread until it got derailed


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## spinfactor (Sep 22, 2013)

Thread revealed some Good Resources for sure. 

Lately, I've been watching Yellow Fin Tuna in the gulf at Night for about 3 and half weeks now. It's amazing to see these fish prowl, holding position constantly against the current, swimming side to side as if on guard duty. And then lunging at flying fish as they enter the lighted area from our flood lamps. They really love flying fish, but from what I've seen, when flying fish drift motionless in the current the YFT act as if they can't see them, unless of course one drifts directing in front of their noses and then it's over for the little guys. Most of the time it's only when the flying fish sees the YFT and leaps out of water flapping it's fins and often dragging it's tail the Tuna get exciting and chase. Seems their more tuned in to sound that sight.


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

Sight and vibration. 

Wait till you see a couple hundred, 200 lb. YFT swimming side by side with porpoises mixed in and see the guys come in with a Green Stick and get them to start jumping out of the water for the rubber squids. Nothing like seeing a fish that size or a 500+ Bluefin about 6 feet in the air.


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## eddy2419 (Oct 28, 2007)

markw4321 said:


> How's that for an attention getting thread title?


How do you do the 3 day composite? CoastWatch? If so what are the steps?


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## markw4321 (Oct 4, 2007)

eddy2419 said:


> How do you do the 3 day composite? CoastWatch? If so what are the steps?


 
The image is from ripcharts. it is a paid subscription service.


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## markw4321 (Oct 4, 2007)

here is a 3 day sst composite with currents and bathymetrics. Anyone want to take a shot at interpretation in terms of fishy areas?


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## eddy2419 (Oct 28, 2007)

markw4321 said:


> The image is from ripcharts. it is a paid subscription service.


Thanks! I have Hilton but it does not have the composite, unless I am missing something.


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## eddy2419 (Oct 28, 2007)

Spur maybe?


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## 301bLLC (Nov 23, 2013)

The cool thing about ROFF's is that they do the interpreting for you. The sad thing about ROFF's is that they consider anything north of the Ozark or Nipple to be inshore and not worth their time. This means no report on the waters around the Oriskany or the edge etc. I bought all of my fancy Garmin electronics for one reason. They advertised it came with water temp mapping and fishing hot spots by species. They discontinued that service just before I bought my gear.


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## markw4321 (Oct 4, 2007)

eddy2419 said:


> Spur maybe?


that east to west line that runs generally from the south end of the elbow to the spur is what i was thinking...


So if the current is coming out of the west and the wind has a westerly component does that mean that 'bait" is getting washed off the shelf that forms up the elbow into the deeper water? 

Would trolling along the 100 fathom line that forms up the elbow be better with a westerly current like there is now, or do you need a south east wind to push against the westerly current to make the elbow fire off?


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## markw4321 (Oct 4, 2007)

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? LoL


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## MSViking (Oct 11, 2007)

You might be over thinking it. I always look at the sat images to glean what information from them that I can, but nothing will replace getting out there and looking around. More often than not local conditions, i.e. bait, flyers, birds, scattered grass, formed grass etc.. will dictate where I fish. Over the years I have spent a lot of time chasing temp breaks etc.. that did not pay off for me. Not to say that it's not an important piece of data, it is, but just don't underestimate eyes on the water experience.

Good luck!


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## markw4321 (Oct 4, 2007)

MSViking said:


> You might be over thinking it. I always look at the sat images to glean what information from them that I can, but nothing will replace getting out there and looking around. More often than not local conditions, i.e. bait, flyers, birds, scattered grass, formed grass etc.. will dictate where I fish. Over the years I have spent a lot of time chasing temp breaks etc.. that did not pay off for me. Not to say that it's not an important piece of data, it is, but just don't underestimate eyes on the water experience.
> 
> Good luck!


 
Thanks. I get what you are saying. 

One rule maybe is once you get over 50 fathoms is to never run over good looking water where there is bait, flyers, birds, scattered grass, formed grass etc. without trying it in order to run further on to where you think there is a temp break...?


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

markw4321 said:


> that east to west line that runs generally from the south end of the elbow to the spur is what i was thinking...
> 
> 
> So if the current is coming out of the west and the wind has a westerly component does that mean that 'bait" is getting washed off the shelf that forms up the elbow into the deeper water?
> ...


O.K., I agree with your premise that is takes S.E. prevailing to make the Spur 'go off' and there is a reason. Basics are as follows: Bait gravitates to their favorite foods. That food is present in 'upwellings'. Things that have been dying and sinking to the bottom for long periods are nutrient rich. Currents that prevail from deep water and collide with any type of terrain change that has less depth. Almost all the classic bites in the world are based on this concept. This is, most likely, why the Nipple is going off. I'm always looking at the charts but this principal is inviolate. Bait will leave this area and stay with weed lines, or gravitate to rips where this nutrient accumulate but the upwellings are where it all starts.


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