Extended Winter Flounder Season?

[Reelron]

I think this may have been lost in all the talk about Summer Flounder/Fluke Regs.? There was an article in yesterday's (2/11/14) Asbury Park Press. In the article John Oswald stated 'the Atlantic States MArine Fisheries Commission's Winter Flounder Management Board set specifications for the 2014 recreational season, extending it from March 1 to December 31 for the Gulf of Maine and the Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic stocks with a two-fish limit at 12 inches. This si an expansion from the current 60-day recreational open season."

"How this change will affect New Jersey fishermen is up to the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Commission." "New Jersey can adopt the new specifications, stay with the current winter flounder season, or come up with a new option."

I don't know about the rest of you people but I fish for Ling quite a lot. During those trips we catch a good amount of big Flounder. It sure would be nice to take some flounder fillets home, with my Ling fillets, instead of having to toss those 3-4 pounders back!

I know, in the past, I have stated that I have given up on the system but I am willing to give it one more shot. The next meeting of the NJ MFC is March 6th., How about we get some letters out to the commission asking them to help alieve the pain of the fluke regs?

Sorry to say I couldn't come up with a working email but the regular mail address is: Bureau of Marine Fisheries, P.O. Box 418, Port Republic, NJ 08241