Here are the analyses from Friday August 30, 2013 along with movies covering the time period of August 29-September 2, 2013 showing the conditions in the eastern Gulf of Mexico for the 2013 Labor Day Weekend.  Enjoy!

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ROFFS™ FISHERIES OCEANOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS FOR THE NORTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO OFFSHORE  AREA (LAT./LONG.)
UPDATED ON FRIDAY 30 AUGUST 2013 FOR FRIDAY P.M. & SATURDAY FISHING ONLY

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 were able to see the ocean conditions in this area relatively clearly again today and we were again able complete today’s analysis using a combination of high resolution SST imagery from this morning along with MODIS ocean color/chlorophyll imagery from yesterday evening which has allowed us to trace the major ocean features shown here and follow the overall ocean circulation in this area rather well on a day to day basis.  Westward, towards the Mississippi River Delta region we continue to confirm that there is an abundance of green (83.7°F-84.7°F) dirty water moving in an east/southeastward direction inshore of the Gulfport Valley and west of the Chandeleur Valley towards the Mississippi Canyon some of which appears to be moving southeastward east of the Dump Site and circulating in a counter-clockwise direction between the Double Nipple and the Chandeleur Valley as it blends with the surrounding waters.  This circulation, along with the elongated clockwise circulation of the blue water south of the De Soto Canyon between the Atwater Valley and the Lloyd Ridge appears to continue to drive the northern edges of the blue (85.1°F) water inshore towards the area west of the Unexploded Ordnance and over the Spur, westward over the Steps area and inshore towards the Alabama Alps and southwestward towards the area between the Viosca Knoll and the Whiting Dome area.  The edges of the cleaner (85.1°F) blue water are likely to increase your overall chances for fishing action in this area with relatively better chances for fishing action occurring in the areas where we observed favorable ocean conditions for up to four days now although the edges of the blended blue/blue-green (84.5°F-84.2°F) water are also likely to provide increased chances for fishing action again particularly where the ocean conditions have remained favorable for up to four days now. Please keep in mind that due to a combination of scattered cloud cover, haze and high levels of atmospheric moisture along with afternoon differential heating of the water masses that we continue to have a challenging time calibrating our SST.  Remember to look for relative rather than absolute SST while out on the water.

With this in mind, increased chances for fishing action occur on your way southward from the Pensacola area where we observed the eastern edge of the blue (85.1°F) water for the first time today west of the Unexploded Ordnance and southwestward towards the Spur area from 86°50’W & 29°41’N to 86°57’W & 29°26’N with relatively better chances for action occurring southeastward over the 240-300 fathom depths where we observed the northeastern edge of he same blue water and favorable ocean conditions for two days from 86°55’W & 29°21’N to 86°43’W & 29°15’N to 86°35’W & 29°04’N.  Inshore of the Spur and southwestward over the northern side of the Explosives Dumping Area, good chances for action also occur where we observed the north/northwestern edge of the blue water over the 200-250 fathom depths from 87°02’W & 29°32’N to 87°11’W & 29°25’N with increased chances for action occurring westward over the Steps and inshore towards the Alabama Alps where we observed similar ocean conditions for the first time today from 87°20’W & 29°24’N to 87°37’W & 29°24’N to 87°42’W & 29°27’N and southwestward over the 30-50 fathom depths from 87°49’W & 29°26’N to 87°58’W & 29°16-17’N. West of the Alabama Alps over the 20-50 fathom ledges good chances for action occur where we observed the northwestern edges of the blended blue/blue-green water and favorable conditions for three and four days from 87°53’W & 29°35-36’N to 88°03’W & 29°24’N to 88°10’W & 29°18’N.  Southwestward over the 200-400 fathom ledges towards the Virgo/Spirit Rigs and offshore southwestward towards the Viosca Knoll, the northwestern edge of the blue water is also likely to provide good overall chances for action particularly where the ocean conditions have remained favorable for two, three and four days now from 88°10’W & 29°11’N to 88°28’W & 29°00’N.  Eastward, towards the good bottom of the Ram Powell Rig (88°02’W & 29°05’N), the Marlin Rig (87°56’W & 29°06-07’N) and the Petronius Rig (87°46’W & 29°14’N) good action is also likely where we observed the boundary zone where the southern edge of the cleaner blue water meets the blended blue/blue-green water to the south and the ocean conditions have remained favorable for two and three days.  Offshore towards the Double Nipple area relatively good chances for action occur where we observed the northwestern edge of the offshore blended blue water and favorable ocean conditions for three days now near 87°39’W & 28°58’N with increased chances for action occurring southwestward over the good bottom areas of the Fink Dome, the Tuna Mountain and the Dauphin Dome where we observed favorable conditions for the first time today.  Continuing offshore towards the ENSCO 8506 Rig and southwestward, good chances for offshore tuna, dolphin and marlin action occur where we observed the west/northwestern edge of the clean dark blue water particularly where the ocean conditions have remained favorable for two and three days now over the 1350-1500 fathom depths from 87°39’W & 28°27’N to 87°44’W & 28°13’N.

Westward, east of the South Pass area, relatively good chances for tuna and wahoo and also perhaps dolphin and even marlin action occur where we observed the northwestern edge of the relatively warmer (84.5°F) blended blue/blue-green water and favorable ocean conditions for three and four days now over the 30-200 fathom depths from the Horseshoe Rigs area and southwestward west of the Viosca Knoll and inshore of the Redfish Valley from 88°31’W & 29°15’N to 88°43’W & 29°03’N to 88°49-50’W & 28°55’N with additional chances for action occurring southwestward towards the Cognac Rig where we observed similar conditions for two days near 89°02’W & 28°47’N.  Southwestward over the 300-400 fathom ledges of the Chandeleur Valley good chances for action also occur where we observed the western edge of the same blue-green water for two and three days now from 89°09’W & 28°31’N to 89°16’W & 28°22’N.  Westward towards the area west of the Innovator Rig and over the Mississippi Canyon area, we observed another wedge shaped pool of relatively warmer (85.1°F) blue-green water that may also increase your overall chances for fishing action where we observed its edges over the 100-400 fathom ledges particularly where we observed favorable conditions for two days near 89°42’W & 28°15’N and northwestward from 90°01’W & 28°24’N to 90°02-03’W & 28°30’N.  Offshore south/southeastward over the 300-500 fathom ledges south of the Innovator Rig and towards the Dump Site and the Mirage Titan Rig, better chances for fishing action occur where we observed the edges of the offshore dark blue (85.6°F) water particularly where the ocean conditions have remained favorable for four days from 89°41’W & 28°08’N to 89°30’W & 28°05’N. Southeast of the Dump Site, some good action is also likely to happen where the south/southeastern edge of this same blue water meets the cooler blue-green water again where the ocean conditions have remained favorable for up to four days now over the 800-1200 fathom depths and offshore towards the Sable Mound from 89°31’W & 27°15’N to 89°24’W & 27°33’N to 89°04’W & 27°43’N to 88°38’W & 27°46’N to 88°15’W & 27°48-49’N.

East of the Green Canyon area, good chances for fishing action occur where we observed the northern edge of the offshore dark blue (85.6°F) water particularly where the ocean conditions have remained favorable for two days now just offshore of the 500 fathom ledge between the Calumet Mound and the Front Runner Rig from 90°27’W & 27°43’N to 90°13’W & 27°41’N with increased chances for action occurring southward towards the Front Runner Rig (90°24’W & 27°37’N) and the Marco Polo Rig (90°10’W & 27°20’N) where we observed favorable conditions for the first time today.  Inshore of the Green Canyon from the Bullwinke area and northwestward southwest of the Ewing Bank and towards the Patterson Bank, good action is also likely to occur where we observed the northern edge of the blue (85.6°F) water and favorable conditions for two days now from 90°54’W & 27°53’N to 91°02-03’W & 27°58-59’N to 91°13-14’W & 28°00’N to 91°27-28’W & 27°54’N.  Offshore southward, good chances for action occur where we observed the northeastern edge of the same dark blue (85.6°F) water and favorable conditions for two days now from the Penchant Basin, over the area between the Harrison Basin and the Thibodeaux Basin and offshore towards the Discoverer Clear Leader Rig from 91°13-14’W & 27°40’N to 91°01’W & 27°30’N to 90°43-44’W & 27°19’N.

Eastward on your way west/southwestward from the Cape San Blas area, towards the Squiggles area and offshore towards the Pensacola South NOAA buoy, increased chances for fishing action occur where we observed the eastern edge of the relatively warmer and cleaner (84.5°F) blended blue/blue-green water over the 100-150 fathom depths from 86°26’W & 29°30’N to 86°14’W & 29°17’N to 86°06’W & 29°01’N to 86°00’W & 28°47’N.  South of the Pensacola South NOAA buoy, good chances for offshore action with tuna, wahoo, dolphin and billfish action occur where we observed the inshore northern edge of the blue (84.8°F) water for two and three days now over the 150-200 fathom depths from 85°44’W & 28°29’N to 86°04’W & 28°29-30’N with similar chances for action occurring offshore over the 300-500 fathom ledges southwestward where we observed the western edge of the same blue water for two days from 86°24-25’W & 28°27’N to 86°28’W & 28°08-09’N.  Continuing westward over the 300-400-500 fathom ledges, good action is also likely to happen where we observed the eastern edge of the relatively warmer cleaner blue water and favorable ocean conditions for two days now as well from 86°36’W & 28°36-37’N to 86°35’W & 28°22’N to 86°37’W & 28°13’N.  Northeast of the Lloyd Ridge area, good chances for action occur where we observed the western edge of the blue (85.1°F) water moving in a favorable inshore direction over the 1000-1500 fathom ledge and towards the 400-500 fathom ledges particularly where the ocean conditions have remained favorable for three days from 85°55’W & 27°48-49’N to 85°55’W & 27°58’N to 85°50’W & 28°04’N.  If fishing action is not satisfactory in these areas, good action is also likely to happen southeastward where we observed the northwestern edge of the cooler (83.9°F) blue water and favorable ocean conditions for two days now from 85°39’W & 27°40’N to 85°33’W & 27°54’N.

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