What is wrong???

[thefishermanmechanic]

My biggest fluke this year was hooked at the mud hole!

[Joey Dah Fish]

Well considering Mass NY and now NJ commercial fluke fishing is closed because of already reaching their quota I can't say there's a shortage off fish. Perhaps just their location has changed

[Ice Cream Bill]

Capt. John,

Your friend that fished up in MA last week is also my friend. I saw their pics and heard the same report as you. Insane fishing! One of the biggest reasons for the difference in the size of fluke between MA and NJ is the sheer numbers of boats/anglers out everyday in Raritan Bay versus Hyannis/Marshfield, MA.

I fished the PP Elks tournament last weekend in a NS boat out of the Neptune area. We had 13 keepers up to 5.7 lbs--not good enough for any money but still a "banner day" in 2017 for fluke fishing in NJ.

Bill

[SNAPS]

Originally Posted by Joey Dah Fish

Well considering Mass NY and now NJ commercial fluke fishing is closed because of already reaching their quota I can't say there's a shortage off fish. Perhaps just their location has changed

aa) comms got to em before we did, fish stayed deep, bc of cold water inshore, sponsors boat went deep had a couple good days for jersey.
bb) Majority of Biomass landed up north, my buddy and his 2 sons marthas vineyard, yes read the reports from up there.
cc) LOL yea fishery is in trouble, for us not the comms, they cleaned up huh on 14" fish eff.

cc) LOL yea fishery is in trouble, for us not the comms, they cleaned up huh on 14" fish eff.[/QUOTE]

Check their offloads, they aren't made up of 14" fish. The 14" fish were tossed back....DEAD. The size fish being brought to market are primarily all large females. Fish staged because of the cold water this year, highly concentrated and easy target for commercials.

Commercials are closed until September when their season reopens, just when fluke are once again highly concentrated migrating off shore and in the prime of their spawn. And fisheries management stands by and allows it to happen while the stock by their own admission is in trouble and recruitment tanking. Absolute absurdity.

[Capt Sal]

Originally Posted by Joey Dah Fish

Well considering Mass NY and now NJ commercial fluke fishing is closed because of already reaching their quota I can't say there's a shortage off fish. Perhaps just their location has changed

Exactly.If there are grass shrimp in Raritan the fluke will come in.When the Reach is hot the fluke spit up balls of grass shrimp when they hit the deck.spearing are also a major part of a flukes diet. No bait no fish along with other things.When the commercials are shut down for reaqching there quota i have seen the fluking turn around big time in the bay.