Get your fluking in

[Broad Bill]

Main body of fish headed out late last week when we got this most recent blow. Very very scattered pockets of fish is all that's remains, and they'll be gone after this nor'easter comes through. What fish are still around are 90% shorts so for all practical purposes the season is over and commercials are going to do what they do best which is kill all the shorts we've released the entire summer while harvesting larger age groups. Absolute atrocity how this stock is being managed.

[Duffman]

Originally Posted by Broad Bill

Very very scattered pockets of fish is all that's remains, and they'll be gone after this nor'easter comes through. What fish are still around are 90% shorts so for all practical purposes the season is over .

Agree and disagree. Yup main body of fish will move off but I can bet, according to what I've seen the last 3 seasons, there will be keepers to be had in spots.

Again, I can only specifically speak for the area I fish. But even tho the main body may move offshore, the guys fishing outside of every marina on the SH and Raritan know keepers will be there after this blow. Gorging on the bait pouring out.

I know this doesn't do squat for the head boats as its a small boat/kayak thing but the keeper fluke will be there.

[Broad Bill]

Duffman I don't disagree but the fishery as a whole is a shadow of what is should be. Hope you get your 3 fish limit tomorrow but this fishery is in a death spiral. As they say, even a broken watch is correct twice a day and some people will catch a few keepers and maybe their measly three fish limit but overall the fishery is in dire straits .

[dales529]

In speaking with a charter Capt I respect the main body of fish are still around but quite north of us and up.

Not saying anyone is right or wrong but why talk anglers out of fluke fishing until the season actually ends? Doesn't do much to support our for hire fleet here in NJ! Everyday out there is different. Once it ends then we can discuss the rest but in the meanwhile GO FLUKE FISHING to support what we have left as a fleet.

Having said that we did not find them yesterday except shorts and a few keepers but had a good day on bones. NOAA forecast off a bit LOL

[Duffman]

Originally Posted by Broad Bill

Duffman I don't disagree but the fishery as a whole is a shadow of what is should be. Hope you get your 3 fish limit tomorrow but this fishery is in a death spiral. As they say, even a broken watch is correct twice a day and some people will catch a few keepers and maybe their measly three fish limit but overall the fishery is in dire straits .

Its a shame to see that probably in my lifetime AHMH will have no headboats with the way its going. That to me is unreal.

[hammer4reel]

Lots of quality fish around still

Monday we were done by 930

Fish are still here but in tight patches

Find those patches they are chewing hard

[Duffman]

Originally Posted by hammer4reel

Lots of quality fish around still

Monday we were done by 930

Fish are still here but in tight patches

Find those patches they are chewing hard

This right here it was I'm talking about. Capt. Dan and countless other great fisherman are crushing it while regular rec guys are struggling.

[bulletbob]

We have that here as well. Certain fisheries basically in collapse, but a guide here or there that still catches fish and says the fishing is good IF you know when where, and how to catch the remnant... I have never thought that sort of scenario was an indicator of a good fishery.. Even when the Cod fishery in Canada and the Gulf of Maine was in a state of total collapse, and the stock was deemed "commercially extinct" there were still guys screaming about the closure and wanting to catch whatever was left, because they knew how to and where to catch them.. Human nature and all.. There are a lot of fishermen that would be all too happy to catch the last summer flounder in existence in the NY Bight if they could.... bob

[Broad Bill]

Originally Posted by Duffman

This right here it was I'm talking about. Capt. Dan and countless other great fisherman are crushing it while regular rec guys are struggling.

Fish are here but in tight patches. Find those patches and fish are chewing hard. Great fisherman are crushing it, regular recs are struggling! I agree with Dan but isn't that the red flag? Are party and charter boats crushing it? Just read the reports. If you were fishing in the late eighties you've been fishing long enough to remember what this fishery was like when we had 8 fish bag limits, the entire season was productive and not just the last month and September was off the charts great for two to three weeks every year. Compare that to today's fishery. It's a shadow of what it used to be and quite frankly it's only going to get worse if regulations aren't drastically changed.

This is September. The month for years fish schooled up over wide areas with more fish pouring out of the bays everyday. Best fishing month of the year bar none. Now it's sharpies who can find and work small patches in the hope of landing 3 keepers! What does that say about where this fishery is at?

I know I'm considered a wet blanket here. But I went further with NMFS, ASMFC and MAFMC trying to draw attention to these problems more than anyone else ever has. And with zero support from ASA or any of the more well known recreational fishing organizations. The only person who helped educating and guiding me concerning the process was Dave Daly (Dales529). I post what I do because we're losing this fishery just as many others have been lost. This one because of it's importance will more than sting. The consequences will reverberate throughout the recreational and commercial sectors and shore communities and small businesses will take it on the chin. Imagine a summer without fluke fishing, it can happen no different than a spring without winter flounder and the consequences that caused shore communities and small businesses let alone the recreational sector.

This'll be my final comment on the subject. You can't win if you don't fight and the recreational sector has become so accustomed to losing it's become our mantra. Fishery is in trouble and year in year out management does nothing and all we do is sit around talking about having the highest size minimums and most extended seasons, neither of which will help the sector or health of the stock. It'll actually hurt both.

[Broad Bill]

Duffman I don't disagree but the fishery as a whole is a shadow of what is should be. Hope you get your 3 fish limit tomorrow but this fishery is in a death spiral. As they say, even a broken watch is correct twice a day and some people will catch a few keepers and maybe their measly three fish limit but overall the fishery is in dire straits .