Where the heck are the Fluke?

[reason162]

Originally Posted by bulletbob

Yeah, I don't buy that for a second.

Bob, the scientists who sift through mountains of historical data, along with current catch data and tagging studies etc see a connection between rising temps and northward migrations...if that's true, it's true whether you buy it or not lol.

If you reject scientific conclusions out of hand, many things become mysterious. In this case, the disappearance of fluke from our local waters.

[Castaway]

Originally Posted by reason162

Bob, the scientists who sift through mountains of historical data, along with current catch data and tagging studies etc see a connection between rising temps and northward migrations...if that's true, it's true whether you buy it or not lol.

If you reject scientific conclusions out of hand, many things become mysterious. In this case, the disappearance of fluke from our local waters.

Would these happen to be the same scientists that have been telling us for years now that the seabass stocks are down?

[Canyonfish]

From many past discussions on this board alone over Fluke regulations regarding the season start, duration and stop ... given the choice of an early start in May or a later end in September many Fluke anglers preferred that the season end later since early catch size and frequency were spotty early compared to later when it got hot right when Fluke was going to close down.

Nothing scientific here, but in the many years of Fluking I have done in the waters in and around Sandy Hook ...... this has been the case.

The Fluke will show.....

[bulletbob]

Fluke in June has been a crap shoot as long as I have been fishing.. Some years great , other years dead.. If its this slow a month from now in mid July we can bitch.. Right now, let the water warm up a bit.. The rocky bottom from asbury to sea bright that so many guys like to fish for big fluke in july and august still has a a lot of ling and even some whiting around... Once the water warms up into the higher 60's the fluke should start showing in better numbers...
The water temp at Sandy hook was 64 as of tuesday. Things will pick up soon IF the fish show in good numbers.. they may not.. Some years the numbers just aren't there, for whatever reason.. After close to 60 years of salt water fishing, I have seen some terrible years when the fluke just weren't there.. 30-40 years ago global warming wasn't a "thing" so we didn't blame it for bad fishing .. We just said .. "man its bad fishing this year"... bob

[Billfish715]

Originally Posted by bulletbob

Fluke in June has been a crap shoot as long as I have been fishing.. Some years great , other years dead.. After close to 60 years of salt water fishing, I have seen some terrible years when the fluke just weren't there.. 30-40 years ago global warming wasn't a "thing" so we didn't blame it for bad fishing .. We just said .. "man its bad fishing this year"... bob

Exactly! All of us " Junior Fisheries Scientists " and professional scientists have theories about why the fishing isn't as good as we would like it to be. There has to be a scapegoat to blame for when fishing is poor. Our theories are as good as the more learned scientists who can point to their "data-driven" decisions as answers to any shortcomings in the fisheries. The current scapegoat is climate change. The fact is that many factors enter into why the fishing is good or bad. We all want reasons and scapegoats to explain away our shortcomings. Sometimes shtuff happens and we can't control it but it's not limited to any one factor.

What is more interesting is that we seldom hear theories from the scientists or many others about why the fishing is so good when it is. All I hear is crickets when it comes to explain the current excellent seabass fishing. Is the good fishing because of climate change as well?

I can almost bet that this board will light up with theories when the seabass fishery falls off. The scientists will be sure to post their data and many will point to climate change. Sometimes fishing is just bad.

[bulletbob]

Fluke are a species that has a wide range along the western atlantic.. some straglers as far north as the canadian maritimes, which i will never understand because there are very few to none in New Hampshire and Maine...

There are LOTS of them from maryland down to florida and they fish for them all year in the coastal florida rivers, along with southern anf gulf flounder which are similar but smaller. They LIKE warm water, and personally i have my doubts they are heading further north to find colder water.. it just makes no sense to me..

At 72 degrees in late summer the water in NJ is often stiff with them and they bite readily, but in the same areas in early summer/late spring at say 62 degrees, tey will be picky, slow to bite and seemingly MIA... So they want to go into a colder environment so they will be less active???.. Doesn't add up..

keep this in mind as well- Throughout ALL of nature, food availability trumps all other considerations in survival, and most fish WILL go out of preferred temp to go where their food is.. If we find in time that the bulk of whatever Fluke feed on most has shifted north, than I am on the bandwagon... However, I would bet right now there is plenty of them to eat right in the NY Bight.. I have heard there were huge masses of sandeels this year out on the sea bass grounds.. If Fluke are keying on them and staying more offshore??.. who knows??.. It might just be a late short season of good fluking.. Or not.. I just don't think they all packed their bags and moved to Montauk because the water there is a few degrees cooler.... bob

[reason162]

Originally Posted by Billfish715

All I hear is crickets when it comes to explain the current excellent seabass fishing. Is the good fishing because of climate change as well?

Pretty much, yes: https://youtu.be/pgrWEHfNV6Y

[bulletbob]

Originally Posted by reason162

Pretty much, yes: https://youtu.be/pgrWEHfNV6Y

Bullshit.. Sea Bass fishing in southern New England has been good for as long as I have been alive.. Its also good in virginia and the carolinas where the water is always warm.. they live as far south as Florida and the gulf of mexico, ALWAYS have, and as far north as Maine, always have..

Honestly, have you been watching the reports here for the past several years?.. Black sea Bass are very abundant here in the NY Bight, in southern NE where they are caught right alongside Hake, Cod and Haddock, and down the coast well into the carolinas where they are caught right alongside tropical Groupers and Snappers... Any fish with wide distribution , and big populations will expand range at times.. Whiting for decades were as far south as delaware.. Why? because they were abundant in the extreme, and expanded their range a bit.. When the population dropped off to nothing, they were no longer common in the southern part of their range, .. thats the way its always been.. Fluke and Black Sea Bass are not ""moving north""... bob

[Detour66]

The Fluke are here. You just have to know where and how. One of my friends has caught over 50 keepers and many shorts. They are just not in the traditional places we caught them in the past this time of year. I think once the water clears up from all the rain and warms up a bit it will be good fishing. Till then it's a waiting game!

[Joey Dah Fish]

Originally Posted by reason162

Pretty much, yes: https://youtu.be/pgrWEHfNV6Y

There is huge expansion in the population. Is that climate change or over regulation? Hmmmmmm