Fluke Supply

[Charlie B]

Originally Posted by Capt Sal

Wishful thinking.Most casual recreational fishermen donate a sum of $0.

So right you are. And until that changes don't expect any improvement...Charlie

[bulletbob]

I have a different take on this.. The problem is that people are happy paying insane prices for salt water fish.. The fresh water lakes of NJ nowadays are full of all kinds of good eating fish, and they grow big and are quite numerous depite heavy pressure on them year round.. the reason?.. They aren't sought after relentlessly by people that will pay any price to get their hands on them.. When a damn Fluke , Blackfish, or Sea Bass of quite average size will regularly sell for $25 or more, they will be persued relentlessly, right into extinction without controls... Last time I went out for Blackfish, the mate told me he regularly gets $25 each for a simple 16 -17 inch keeper size blackfish.. I regularly see sea bass of maybe 15 inches sell for $20.. Lord only knows what a fresh caught that day Fluke will sell for.
When a 1 pound Sea Bass sells for almost double what a 1 pound lobster sells for, we are in trouble, yet I see it every day..
The appetite for salt water fish these days is simply off the charts.. Maybe when 2 pounds of Flounder is $150 people will back off a little.. Until then, there is simply too much money to be made, REGARDLESS of the many commercial guys that are screaming poverty... bob

Saw crappie today in an Asian market, first time I've ever seen crappie in a market of any kind, for $16.99 /lb.! Fish were whole, not filleted. World demand in the health crazed world we live in is driving retail prices to historic levels but consumers are obviously paying these prices . Fish was probably caught from Lake Hopatcong with the HAB outbreak!