InTheBite

Salinity Could Be Deciding Factor to Fish Location Changes

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There are many variables that determine why fish are in one place one day and not the next. Hilton’s is continually seeking new data portals to provide the most information available in order to achieve the highest success ratios when fishing offshore. Hilton’s recently-launched SALINITY data portal provides “cloud free” imagery in addition to the ability to tweak the imagery to “focus” the data in the area you are interested in (similar to how you can tweak the sea surface temperatures).

Over the years, in the Gulf of Mexico with a different, static salinity portal, Hilton’s has received feedback that some subscribers were using salinity to target yellowfin tuna in areas that had mixed salinity—high salinity along with fresh water mixed together.

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New Hull — Appomattox is Coming to the Gulf

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Appomattox is Coming!

An update from Hilton’s Realtime-Navigator

Shell’s largest floating platform in the Gulf of Mexico will be arriving on site sometime in May 2018 in Mississippi Canyon Block 392. This is about 18 nm
ENE of NaKika and about 30 nm inshore of Independence Hub in about 7,400′ water depth.

Balder is currently onsite setting up the mooring spread in anticipation of Appomattox’ arrival next month. This structure is certainly a heck of a destination in itself to go fish!

To give you an idea of the size of Appomattox….

“Never Seen Before” Gulf Loop Activity In March

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Courtesy of Hilton’s Realtime- Navigator

March 29, 2017 : In the thirteen years since we launched Hilton’s Realtime-Navigator, I have never witnessed an event as I am currently seeing in the Gulf of Mexico;
The driving force for most all the surface currents on the Gulf of Mexico, the Loop Current, is practically non-existent this year.
What implications this even may have on the upcoming fishing season is unknown.
Below is a brief synopsis from March 28, 2013 to March 28, 2017 of how the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current and its resultant production of upwelling cyclones and downwelling warm core eddies affect Gulf-wide fishing conditions.
Thomas J. Hilton
RT-Nav.com

March 28, 2013 Analysis

March 28, 2014 Analysis

March 28, 2015 Analysis

March 28, 2016 Analysis

March 28, 2017 Analysis
Here you can see the Loop Current today – oh wait! Where is it? You can barely see it on the lower right corner of the image – it’s only reaching northward to 25 deg./30 min. N. That’s a full 180 nautical miles south of its northernmost position in this series from where it was in 2013. The entire region looks devoid of any meaningful currents, at least within fishing range. Fishermen know that they need current in order for the fish to feed – it will be interesting to see how this year’s fishing season plays out with this wild card being thrown at us by Mother Nature!
Keeping an eye on areas where there is decent current may be key to your fishing success this year. Contact me if you have any questions or issues using the service or nav app. 7-1-3-5-3-0-2-2-6-7 hilton@rt-nav.com www.RT-Nav.com
Good fishing!
Tom Hilton