Capt Frank, I combined both you're replies.
A longer season (as dictated by this past season) does not necessarily mean that you will get to fish & catch. This past year we got what everyone wanted, a longer season (and a larger bag limit) but in the grand scheme of things meant nothing once Irene showed up. 2 days prior to Irene was the last time we caught any signifigant amount of fish. Furthermore, the interest for fluke fishing dwindled... not only from lack of fish, but also from people recovering from the hurricane. So, just because you have a longer season, doesn't mean you'll actually get to utilize the alotted time. Grant it, hurricanes are rare but NE'ers and residual hurricane effects are not.
Also, it may be "most popular fish for targeting" but really the majority of the fluke clientle/business is from Memorial Day to Labor Day. I'm not saying that people like you and I (fisherman) wouldn't target them before or after, but from a business stand point that's when you're going to see most people (IMO).
I know you mentioned that this is a mild winter, and it's hard to imagine but, but alot can happen from now until late April.
Overall, I would just rather see more people go home with fish for dinner during the height of the season, than gamble on a longer season during two of the more unpredictable months of the year. When people go home with something to eat, it actually brings people back. It gives them hope.
