But scientists, and some marina operators, say the tale might just be a fish story. The salinity is up, so all the fish are in where the people fish for them. There's been almost no rain, it's been very warm, and we've had good southerly winds all spring. Sheppard said that DWF samples, taken as part of a finfish monitoring program, have shown some increases in the average size of speckled trout. But Sheppard said much of the difference could be traced to current environmental factors.
Big fish come to the beaches and inshore primarily to spawn.
If the salinity is real low, they don't come inside, and they're not available to recreational fishermen. If the salinity is high, they come inshore, where they're around for people to catch. The people out there who knew where to catch big fish have always caught big fish. Sheppard also credited a 12-inch size limit for specks and the state Legislature's banning of gill nets in 1995 with helping increase the size of trout. It has nothing to do with the nets themselves, it's just how many fish you crop off before they get to that size.