El Nino, which is the name of a current that warms the surface of the Pacific Ocean and causes significant weather changes, is a great opportunity for sport fishers to practice their skills. The oceanic phenomenon is well known for driving unique fish to the shorelines of California, including an increase in the number of albacore. Physical and biological changes that occur in the Pacific Ocean because of El Nino cause changes in fish distribution. El Nino and the Southern Oscillation (ENSO) have a reputation for specifically bringing albacore to sport fishers in 1998, 2002, and 2008. In part, this is caused by changes to sea-surface temperatures, changes in the vertical, thermal structure of the ocean, and altered coastal and upwelling currents. Researchers believe that the next El Nino could be greater than or equal to some of the past warm water temperatures and weather changes.
The oceanic changes impact the movement of cold water and warm water species in the Pacific Ocean. For example, during El Nino warm water species move north, which extends their range, and cold-water species move north into deeper water, which restricts their range. In general, surface fish move deeper in order to adjust to the warmer surface-level temperatures. The fish that stay in the affected area experienced overall reduced growth, reproduction, and survival.
Sports fishers see less cold-water species and more warm water species in the Pacific Ocean during El Nino. El Nino has brought a variety of rare fish, including, dorado, bluefin and yellowfin tuna. In addition, sport fishers off of the coast of California, Oregon, Washington, and in the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea reported higher captures of equatorial game fish during the 1997 El Nino. These captures included a higher number of mahi mahi, swordfish, striped marlin, and blue marlin in the northern states, as well as pacific bonito, and albacore along the southern coast. In addition to moving north, the fish also move inland after living approximately 100 miles off shore.
The shifting population of fish species has impacts for both sport and commercial fishermen. In 1997, the California coastline was impacted when squid moved to cooler waters in the north and away from commercially established fisheries. Sports fishers will see a change in the fish population and potentially have to adjust their skills and bait accordingly. Despite changing fish migrations, river and stream sports fishermen may also see an increase in salmon due to warming temperatures both in the ocean and on land.
