the "fire under water" thing

fire in the water is the phosphorous that glows in the water. you can see it on the beach when there is some wave action or you can see it "glow" as you are reeling your line in....

No, the fire on the water is cause by a species of microscopic algae (which is common). when something comes in contact with it or disturbs it, it lights us (bioluminesence).

Jeff

Longcast has it right.
When I would dive at night one neat thing would be to lay perfectly still, turn off the light and it would be pitch black.
As soon as I or anyone around me would move we would light up like a Christmas tree from the bioluminescence in the water.
The more you agitated the water the brighter the light.

AT NO-BONER DOCK A MONTH AGO CAPT JEFF WAS THROWING A CAST NET FOR PEANUTS AND EVERY PLACE HE THREW LOOKED LIKE THERE WAS LIGHT COMMING FROM UNDER WATER. THE LIGHT WAS NOT REAL BRIGHT BUT IT LOOKED LIKE A LIGHT. THIS LASTED AT EACH SPOT FOR ABOUT 20 TO 30 SECONDS THEN FADS AWAY.NATURALLY IT WAS AT LATEDUSK OR EARLY NIGHT.

thanks for your input fellas

We were catching fish last nite and it was so cool you could see the bass coming up to hit your "glow worm" pink zoom. When they were hooked up you could see the zig-zag patterns from them thrashing around. No keepers but a great night.

Anyone have a picture of this?

Originally posted by njvbass:
Anyone have a picture of this?

Click to expand...

We tried to grab a shot the other night,not sure how it came out. I will check with my Buddy Ron who took the picture...

I saw it for the first time this weekend and was mesmerized. There were schools of baitfish ripping thru the water - you could see them all. There were some big streaks down deep.

We were comming back from some night time fishing and the bow wake was glowing green - major cool. You have too see it to beleive it.

Click here for some interesting info.

im coming home from college this weekend, maybe i can get someone to go out to do some night fishing just so we could see some of this if it is still around, if not, i would still like to get out fishing. wheres a good spot to try, and possibly see this show? is this happening everwhere in jersey? if its happening at cisp, i would try fishing there

Jeff, question for you. It seems to me the typical "fire" that we see in the water is more of an individual flash (kinda like a firefly), not the dense "all glowing" algae bloom we have been experiencing of late.

Are the more typical "flashes of fire" the same as what we are now seeing, just not as condensed? Are they also algae, just a different type? Inquiring minds need to know.

Am I making any sense here.

This has anything and everything that moves glowing..The bunker schools were shining like lights in the sky,and the bass could be seen as plain as day.. And the trail that they left as they streaked through the water was unreal..
I never seen anything like it ever....

It's amazing to watch because you can see how the fish hold in the current and work the particular area you are fishing. My favorite part is watching the bass work the current.

Andy,
The individual flashs that you typically see, not the widespread stuff we are seeing now, are caused by ctenophores (comb jellys) not algae, which are common throughout the year.

Jeff

Fished the SJ rock piles last night. It was Wild ! The Fire was really going for it. The rocks looked like they were lit up from below. Unfortunately every thing you dragged through the water looked like it was a blaze - so it was a night for a very well lit Skunk
Fished the same rocks again this morning on the drop - saw some bait in the wash with some minor bird action but once again Skunk !
I'm starting to get a complex !
A-Jay

Don't feel bad, it is happening all over SNJ. You just have to be in the right place at the right time. Find the bait you will find fish. It has happened to me only once this year, but nothing to brag about.