ROFFS in the know for fish finding

Roffer’s Ocean Fishing Forecasting Service, Inc. (ROFFSâ„¢) is a scientific consulting company based in Miami, Florida (U.S.A.), founded in 1987 by Mitchell A. Roffer (Ph.D.). It provides a worldwide fisheries oceanographic consulting service, with expertise that combining fisheries oceanographic data with satellite and other oceanographic data to produce tactical and strategic fisheries forecasts.

The Oceanographic Fishing Analysis

ts principal product is the ROFFS Oceanographic Fishing Analysis, which is designed to allow fishing vessels to concentrate fishing effort in the most productive waters. The analysis incorporates numerous factors including: water temperature, water color, orientation of local currents, history of ocean fronts, bottom topography, biological quality of the water, forage preference of the target species, availability of forage, and habitat preference of the forage and target species.

Each analysis is composed of a map and a written forecast. The maps are derived from nautical charts, which are enhanced with high resolution bathymetry and navigational aids. Each map depicts oceanic frontal zones primarily derived from satellite derived sea surface temperature, as well as, from other sources of ocean environmental data. Specific locations are marked where the catchability of fish is greater than the surrounding areas. Additional information on current direction, water color and flotsam (weed concentrations, etc.) is often included. Different chart formats are provided for inshore, offshore and high-seas fishermen. The text portion of the ROFFS Oceanographic Fishing Analyses provides a diagnosis and forecast of the fishing conditions, including advice on fishing strategy to improve success rate. Navigational coordinates for the marked locations are included in the text. The analyses are updated several times daily using a combination of real-time satellite data, oceanographic monitoring stations, and field reports.

The company distributes the ROFFS Oceanographic Fishing Analyses primarily by telephone facsimile. We often fax our analyses directly to the fishing vessels over satellite communication systems and cellular phones. Our analyses can also be retrieved through electronic mail and on the internet via (www.roffs.com).

Its analyses have been used successfully by commercial, professional tournament, and recreational fishermen for a variety of fish species including tuna, swordfish, marlin, sailfish, dolphin, wahoo, shark, mackerel, sardine, anchovy, pilchard, herring, bluefish, cod, hake, and squid.

Fisheries Research and Consulting

ROFFSâ„¢ has worked on numerous projects including, marine mammal population surveys in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as, bluefin tuna population surveys in the Gulf of Maine, Gulf of Mexico and Bahamas. We have also conducted research on new fisheries development in the Azores, Oman, Libya, and South Africa. We have provided real-time ocean current information for oil drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico, and ship routing off the U.S. East Coast and Gulf of Mexico. We also provide consulting services on fishing gear and fishing techniques, as well as, weather satellite (geostationary and polar orbiting) image acquisition and processing systems for personal computers.

ROFFSâ„¢ has been invited to present seminars at universities, fishing companies, and fishing clubs on subjects ranging from satellite remote sensing to fisheries oceanography. The company remains active in both the scientific community and the governmental fisheries management community.

Providing comprehensive fishing forecasting analyses is an intensive process that requires expertise in a variety of scientific disciplines including fisheries biology, physical oceanography, satellite remote sensing, image analysis, and computer science to name a few. ROFFSâ„¢ has developed advanced image analysis techniques, particularly when dealing with water motion and clouds.

The company claims it has significant expertise in understanding how ocean conditions affect the daily distribution and catchability of fish. This allows us to provide reliable fishing analyses more often than our competitors. We do not limit our analyses to simple sea surface temperature contour maps or pretty color images. ROFFSâ„¢ Fisheries Oceanographic Forecasting Analysis is designed for fishing. ROFFS provide a full fishing forecasting analysis that has been interpreted by an expert fisheries oceanographer. Often a simple sea surface temperature map or pretty color image will only provide a combination of cloud cover and computer artifacts. It certainly will not allow you to understand the changes in the condition and motion of the ocean currents which are critical to fishing success.

The ROFFSâ„¢ Oceanographic Fishing Forecasting Analysis is composed of a map portion and a text portion that are designed to direct you to the fish. The map provides a facsimile of the ocean conditions that we expect you to find during your fishing trip. The analysis is the result of studying the ocean conditions for several days. The text portion is truly unique. ROFFS first provide an overall review of ocean conditions. Then, we furnish details on the locations and conditions we feel will be particularly productive or unproductive, based on our time-tested analysis techniques. Subtle changes in the ocean conditions often have great consequences when locating fish.

Some other services are providing colorized satellite images which are claimed to be equal or better than our fishing oceanographic analysis. In limited cases, some of the basic temperature information provided in color enhanced satellite images is the same as what ROFFSâ„¢ provides on the black and white map.

Colour images

However, in all cases the company has seen to date, its black and white ROFFSâ„¢ analysis contains more information than any color image product. ROFFS actually use 256 shades of grey and color to conduct our analyses. Images provided by other services including the internet do not provide such temperature resolution. Single satellite images can not provide the important information about water motion that is critical to forecasting fishing hot spots. Observing water motion from satellite imagery is not trivial. In addition, understanding satellite imagery by itself and relating it to fishing success is not as simple as it often is portrayed.

Learning to distinguish a cloud boundary from an ocean boundary usually requires studying several consecutive satellite images along with experience to interpret the features. ROFFSâ„¢ uses colorized satellite imagery, but provides an interpretation of the satellite data and integrates other oceanographic and meteorological data to provide a comprehensive fishing product which is unequaled.

ROFFSâ„¢ also claims it provides an inexpensive fishing forecasting analysis considering the quality of the product.

It says its clients tell them that they find fish most of the time at our suggested “hot spot” locations or on the way to our “hot spots”. When you consider the costs involved in searching for fish, the price of our analysis is well worth the savings in fuel and time, says ROFFS.

Having the confidence that ROFFSâ„¢ takes every step to make every fishing day a success is important! ROFFSâ„¢ has flexible pricing. You can buy fishing forecasting analyses for each trip, but you will receive substantial savings when you pay for a longer-term plan in advan