[bulletbob]

I dunno .. Not sure I agree with your theory.. Most of the species you listed have preferred water temp in the mid 40' to low 50's.. All cold water species.. the water temp dropping down into say the upper 30's for a couple months isn't going to drive new fish into the area.. Years go when the ocean was full of Whiting/Ling/Flounder Mackerel, when the water temp in mid winter would drop under 40 degrees, the Ling/Whiting bite inshore got slower. I think the fish simply went further offshore out of reach in those days for most party boats. Back in the 70's I recall reading in NJ Fisherman, that 39 degrees was the "cut off point'. Once it got lower than 39 degrees, winter fishing slowed down.. Maybe , maybe not.. One thing I am sure of- a cold hard winter with very low water temps in winter is not going to magically bring in fish that simply don't exist any more come spring.. I think the reason we no longer have a good winter/early spring fishery is because the fish were killed and eaten. .. long ago... Colder water won't bring fish in that just aren't there any longer... Thats kind of blaming "climate change", and I won't comment on that debacle one way or another.

Yes, it might help winter ice fishermen, but personally, in hard hit lakes I welcome warm winters so that ice fishermen can't clean the fish out.. Get 50-60 fishermen out on a small lake every weekend day all winter, and they can put a big dent in populations of Panfish... Fish get hit harder every year, with ever improving access, baits,lures and electronics by more and more very efficient anglers, and could use a break once in a while...