Re: Terrible fluke season
 

I been getting them really good in the back of the raritan bay so no complaints here.

Re: Terrible fluke season
 

[QUOTE=hammer4reel;570557]While it’s easy to think that it’s not correct .
.
Even with the increased harvest they got this year of 5000 pounds a week .
With their season quota the 165000 recreational fisherman (sw registry not including all those unregistered fishing on for hire boats .)
If each just caught 1 fish for the season they caught twice what a commercial boat does for the year .


Fisherman numbers add up poundage quick .
If all fished and took home just a few fish the poundage goes up exponentially.
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.[/QUOTE There is no way that NJ recreational are taking 5000 lbs a week.

Re: Terrible fluke season
 

[QUOTE=NoLimit;570604]Your crazy , that’s 2500 small fluke .
There are 165000 registered salt water anglers , and that number doesn’t include possible as many as that that only fish for hire boats not needing the registry .

Let’s low ball it at 250000 total anglers .
That means only 1 out of every 100 anglers needs to catch a fluke .
I wouldn’t be afraid to bet our mortality exceeds 5000 pounds a week on throwbacks .

Re: Terrible fluke season
 

Still hard to believe how scarce the fluke are. Esp. after good recent years seems they vanished overnight. Pirate draggers?

Re: Terrible fluke season
 

That’s all accurate .

Except many boats that fished big fluke areas aren’t making the run when they can only keep a handful of fish above the 18” size limit . It’s just not worth it with the price of fuel .


Bait is starting to show up more this past week , so we should see a better pull of fish .

Sadly the season will be over as the fishing is the best .

.having the ocean fluke season before the end of June is just a total loss of those days .
Seasons should be split statewide to give everyone a fair shot at the body of fish .

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Re: Terrible fluke season
 

With a one fish limit 28-38" on stripers for a few short years seems to have worked. Striper fishing has been very good. You would think it was a learning opportunity on how to manage Fluke. Talking with some old friends in Sewaren and they are doing ok in Raritan Bay but not making the run to the sticky stuff in the Ocean because of the gas prices. Almost 14 miles from Sewaren to the point of Sandy hook then another 6- to the Rocks or other structure. Forty miles to catch fluke? If you are out of Manasquan this would be a Bluefin trip???

Re: Terrible fluke season
 

[QUOTE=hammer4reel;570610]No way - just look at the Atlantic Highlands fleet. Its the largest in the state and you mean to tell me that they are taking even 2000 or 1000 lbs of fluke a week? That is utterly impossible. And I was out last week. From Sandy Hook Bay to Breezy Point, there were perhaps 10 private boats fluking. So dont even go there with "Its the recreational fault"

Re: Terrible fluke season
 

Party boat fluking was ok in June so far July is a disaster.i go few times a week.heard all the excuses water temp. Moon groundswell wind..all nonsense .the fish ain't there. Captains doing their best but it ain't happening

Re: Terrible fluke season
 

Seems like they're stacked in the back and in shallow water where the massive shoals of peanuts are pouring out. Catching 18"+ isn't the problem this year. It's finding them 17 to 17.999" where I'm fishing.

Re: Terrible fluke season
 

Been the same for us down south, alot of 19 to 22 inch fish in 3 to 7 foot in the back.