What is wrong???

[joetheplumber]

Went out on the OE yesterday. Caught this nice fluke!! However, there were about 40 people on board and only about 10 keepers!! Something is going on with the fluke.. Any ideas???

[Gerry Zagorski]

Fluke fishing hasn't been the best this year but this recent cold snap and 3 days of NE winds probably didn't help much either...

[Capt John]

Fluke fishing here in NJ has been terrible this year. Want to catch some real slobs??? fish boats going out to Nantucket. KIlling them out there. Why...? Who knows. Cleaner water, colder water it's anyone's guess but they sure as hell aren't here. Friend of mine fished for two days (15th and 16th) and hammered the fish. Throwing back 5-6 lb. fish. Pool winner was 14 lbs. His srew caught fish 9-12 lbs.....NJ fluke fishing su***!

[Mike K]

An acquaintance fished on a charter boat this week out of Point, well known to everyone on this board. 14 guys, 42 keepers. Go figure. Fishing's like that.

[Bass_Appeal]

i think this is what happens when new york keeps spewing out filthy sewage into the rivers and getting away with it !! seems like we are the only state that gets our beaches shut down for bacteria !

[FISHGERE]

capt john your right fluking sucks

[Blackfish Bobby]

Hey Joe.... Stop using blackfish rigs for fluke and you will catch more.
The other reason is the fish are right in your back yard in Raritan Bay.
With a 3 fish limit I need more guys in the boat !!!! Send me your number and maybe we can hook up for some light tackle fun. Leave those pool cue sticks home !!

[Capt John]

Originally Posted by Capt John

Fluke fishing here in NJ has been terrible this year. Want to catch some real slobs??? fish boats going out to Nantucket. KIlling them out there. Why...? Who knows. Cleaner water, colder water it's anyone's guess but they sure as hell aren't here. Friend of mine fished for two days (15th and 16th) and hammered the fish. Throwing back 5-6 lb. fish. Pool winner was 14 lbs. His srew caught fish 9-12 lbs.....NJ fluke fishing su***!

Allow me to clarify my previous post.....first off, are there fluke way back in Raritan Bay? Yes. Sandy Hook Bay?....yes a few. All of Raritan Bay...yes, if you can find some very small pods of barely legal fish.

Question then.....what the hell happened to the lights out "Raritan Reach" fishing of last year? Gone.

From what I'm reading and hearing, some boats are finding fish ocean side somewhat offshore (ling and black sea bass in their catches) speaks volumes. That's a hell of a ride in a small boat for 3 fish per man.

Good for them, but for the small boat owner, the rivers, bays and near shore fishing is what most can accomplish safely and good fluke fishing in those areas is just not happening this year "with any consistency"....remember those last three words please.

I got an email a few days ago from one of the best tournament winning fluke anglers I know and he's echoed the same evaluation as I....tough, tough fluke fishing and nothing to scream about with the spring Striper fishing either, so I'm not alone on this.

Something is wrong here. I can accept a drop off to a degree, but what I've seen has been a 360 degree turnaround from last year in our rivers, bays and the NY Bight area in general. I hate to use extreme adjectives, but collapse is not too far away for our area......very sad.

Remember the word "consistency".....sorry not this year.

As I stated in my previous post, my friends who drove "north" for a two day fluke fishing trip absolutely HAMMERED big fish. 9's, 10's and a 12 in the cooler and throwbacks were 5's and 6's....unreal fishing. Where the hell is that for our NJ fisherman?

[Detour66]

It could be the constant rain storms we have been getting has affected the salinity and water quality and this is keeping the Fluke out. I really doubt that there is a shortage or over fished. Or maybe it's just a bad year! It does happen.

[thefishermanmechanic]

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