Can water be too salty?

[Eelman]

I went fishing out of Mooloolaba yesterday out to the beacon, and we only caught a few little reef fish, but when we got back, my neighbour, and skipper of the boat, spotted an unusually high amount of dry salt in the carpark and on the boat ramp and said that's why we didn't get anything, the water was too salty and the fish would have moved out to areas less salty. How does this statement seem to everyone? Does it seem feasible?8-)

[Triple]

I'd be more inclined to think that with the increase in boat traffic at the ramp due to school holidays and the high temps we have been having causing faster evaporation is causing the larger amount of dry salt in the carpark? Salinity levels can be too high.. But unsure what they currently are and what they should be at mooloolaba?

[Eelman]

Thanks Triple. I know there were only a few boats out yesterday, due to the rough water, and one boat that came in the same time as us didn't get anything either. I did scoop up a female muddy swimming on the surface near Old Woman Island. Think she may have been on holidays from the NT.

[tunaticer]

I don't think it is too salty currently. We just came through a very prolonged and profound drought and the salinity levels were right up then but the fishing was good, so no, salinity levels can not be too high currently with most streams still feeding fresh into the sea.

[Eelman]

Yeah tunaticer, that makes sense too. Maybe he was just looking for excuses for our poor performance!