Fishing tips for beginners part 3 The Algae

The chemistry of sea water is a very complex mix of chemicals and compounds that are present in exact measurements depending upon where in the world you are. Many sea creatures absorb these chemicals to build there skeletons. Algea is one of the important organisms that grows depending upon many of these factors and it will effect your fishing methods and possible species.

Macro Algae

The stuff that we call seaweed is not a plant; in fact it’s a macro algae. The importance of macro algae to the angler is it creates a safe hiding and feeding environment for hundreds of crustaceans and other small sea creatures, which larger species feed on. I also provides a safe home, out of sight from hungry seals and anglers alike.

Micro Algae

The green hue, or slime you see is a micro algae. This belongs to a group known as phytoplankton, which zooplankton generally feed on. This is possibly the most important part of the food chain, with the likes of Sand eel feeding on the zooplankton, Mackerel feeding on the Sand eel, Bass then feed on the Joey Mackerel.

The growth of algae is largely equal to the amount of available sun light and water temperature. The summer months see an increase in both and you will see an increase in the quantity of algae and the species that depend upon the food chain it creates.

The sea bed also changes as you move around the coast line. Substrates commonly found are rock, reef, shale, sand, mud, pebble, boulder and mixtures referred to as broken ground . The differing sea beds change the algae and fish species found and this needs to be considered when you are fishing.