Some Comments on Fluke

[NoWorries]

Originally Posted by Gerry Zagorski

Exactly Dales.....

The way I look at this is we might not have had any Fluke season if organizations like the RFA and SSFFF and individuals like Adam, Fran and Tony who volunteer their time had not been involved.

Lastly, we are all on the same team. Do we have differing opinions on the options, sure...Would I have preffered option 2, yep but that does not does not mean I'm going to through my brother under the bus because he has minor difference of opinion to mine. We need to keep in mind the bigger picture here. Our rights to fish are under constant pressure and common sense tells me we would not be as effective if we tried to protect them individually. We need to do it as part of the team.

There is no "I" in TEAM and Together Everyone Accomplishes More. It's the big stuff we need to stay united on and we can't let the little things divide us.

I was at the meeting and while I agree with this . I also believe that poor attendance on the part of local north Jersey fluke fishermen led to this . Next year lets hope for a better turnout !

[Angler Paul]

The poll taken on this site may have showed 37% favoring option 2 compared to 31% favoring option 5 which may seem close when you first look at the numbers. In actuality though, about 61% of those polled favored the 18" size limit with some form of the longer season as compared to only about 33%who favored either the 17 1/2" or 17" option.

[Garone Custom Rods]

Originally Posted by Angler Paul

The poll taken on this site may have showed 37% favoring option 2 compared to 31% favoring option 5 which may seem close when you first look at the numbers. In actuality though, about 61% of those polled favored the 18" size limit with some form of the longer season as compared to only about 33%who favored either the 17 1/2" or 17" option.

Ding ding ding we have a winner.

[hammer4reel]

Originally Posted by Angler Paul

The poll taken on this site may have showed 37% favoring option 2 compared to 31% favoring option 5 which may seem close when you first look at the numbers. In actuality though, about 61% of those polled favored the 18" size limit with some form of the longer season as compared to only about 33%who favored either the 17 1/2" or 17" option.

While I voted for Option 2 just because of actually having something to fish for in October with the longer season, and feel the 1/2" decrease was not going to make much of a differnce because were still fishing within the same age class fish.

I think going by a poll on ANY fishing site and trying to bring credibility to the pole is silly.

There are a little over 5000 active members daily here, (which only 249 even voted on the poll) which is about 2 % of the salt water fisherman registered in NJ, , and who knows how many more are not even registered, since if they only fish on head boats they dont have to.

Those are the guys who have no idea fishing sites even exist, yet are the MAINSTAY to the party boat business, just looking to go have a fun day with friends and family, and possibly take home some fish.

I actually know quite a few guys who love to fish , yet only do it from the surf beause they cant afford to fish even on a half day boat.
maybe those guys will also get a few extra fish to take home.

Our board here is made up by guys who really take fishing to another level. there are MANY very good fisherman here, that are going to still catch way more fish per year than they need or their friends and family can consume.
Fishing isnt what we do , its WHO we are.

seems to me there are alot more guys who are going to be happy to get to keep an extra fish or two , that might actually drive them to be the type of fisherman you see post here everyday.

They are entitled to get that chance too


Yet what really makes me laugh is so many of us are saying WTH its only 1/2 and inch , yet if it had been a 1/2" increase in size we would be jumping up and down about it

[mickrazz]

Originally Posted by hammer4reel

While I voted for Option 2 just because of actually having something to fish for in October with the longer season, and feel the 1/2" decrease was not going to make much of a differnce because were still fishing within the same age class fish.

I think going by a poll on ANY fishing site and trying to bring credibility to the pole is silly.

There are a little over 5000 active members daily here, which is about 2 % of the salt water fisherman registered in NJ , and who knows how many more are not even registered, since if they only fish on head boats they dont have to.

Those are the guys who have no idea fishing sites even exist, yet are the MAINSTAY to the party boat business, just looking to go have a fun day with friends and family, and possibly take home some fish.

I actually know quite a few guys who love to fish , yet only do it from the surf beause they cant afford to fish even on a half day boat.
maybe those guys will also get a few extra fish to take home.

Our board here is made up by guys who really take fishing to another level. there are MANY very good fisherman here, that are going to still catch way more fish per year than they need or their friends and family can consume.
Fishing isnt what we do , its WHO we are.

seems to me there are alot more guys who are going to be happy to get to keep an extra fish or two , that might actually drive them to be the type of fisherman you see post here everyday.

They are entitled to get that chance too


Yet what really makes me laugh is so many of us are saying WTH its only 1/2 and inch , yet if it had been a 1/2" increase in size we would be jumping up and down about it

Now there is a man with some common sense.

[Sea Bear]

It's interesting how many people would rather fluke fish on October 20th in NE winds and 5-6 foot seas than would rather see a young kid on his or her first fishing trip take home a nice, fat, healthy, 17 3/4 inch fluke and be able to take pictures, show his friends, etcetera... and turn them into life long fisher(wo)men.

Seems the fluke "sharpies" out there are putting themselves before the "greater good".

If five keeper fluke isn't enough for you than you are probably fishing for all the wrong reasons anyway. It reminds of what a mate on a belmar party boat had to say about blackfisherman when the bag limit would change from 6 to 4 fish. Those same fisherman who would stop coming down to fish were the same guys who never caught more than 4 keepers anyway! No matter what the limit!

[mickrazz]

Originally Posted by buckfin732

The reason 5 Fluke is not enough.First off i spend my hard earned money to fluke fish,love to eat it year round and pack my freezer with it.Why are we giving up bag limit to a fishery the is rebuilt and then some i just dont get it.I dont want to hear how frozen fish sucks cause that is just opnion so you have no argument there.Second when is the last time you have seen a bag limit go except for last year with fluke and that was because we had to donate a butload of money to hire private people to debunk state science.At this point we will have to donate for every species that we fish for Save the Fluke,Flonder,Sea Bass,Porgies,Blackfish,Weakfish and anyhig else that swims in the water what a joke.Someone stated that with the price of a trip you could buy alot of fish in the store i like to catch my own all while relaxing on the water.That is the complacent attitude that gets the bag limit droped the "Thank God we still have a season for them " please.And if its just about the sport then maybe the party boats should put that on their signs at the boats so all the wally weekenders will know before they board.That will go over like a fart in church There is no guarantee for fish no matter what size limit there is.

So lets get this straight. You want to pack your freezer...ok..you tell me if its easier to pack the freezer with 5@ 17.5 or 8@ 18? Before you answer, when is the last time you caught 8@18? I know i haven't caught 8@18...EVER..I'm not the best fluker but I'm certainly not the worst either. I fish in my own boat mostly in the bay.

Do you realize how much money those "wally weekenders" spend on a headboat every spring and summer? Do you think that there are enough regulars to fill those boats every day during the season? I think not. They are the meat and potatoes of the summer fishing industry. No one said fluke fishing is about the sport...they aren't sport fish...they are meat fish.

Re read your last sentence. It just proves my point.

[broken bobber]

Mick and Gerry.... i guess its me... but try and understand my thinking on this.....

Its NOT, oh 5 fish is enough for anyone why complain about not keeping 8....

Its about what this could lead to when the People in charge of decisions claim we have now over fished this season so next year we HAVE TO GO TO 3 or possibly 2 fish in 2013/2014.....yea yea it sounds crazy right..... tell the guys in NY that after looking at the past practices.....

Honestly... would you be happy keeping only 2 or 3 fish at 17.5 inches this year.... come on

[CaptTB]

Originally Posted by broken bobber

Mick and Gerry.... i guess its me... but try and understand my thinking on this.....

Its NOT, oh 5 fish is enough for anyone why complain about not keeping 8....

Its about what this could lead to when the People in charge of decisions claim we have now over fished this season so next year we HAVE TO GO TO 3 or possibly 2 fish in 2013/2014.....yea yea it sounds crazy right..... tell the guys in NY that after looking at the past practices.....

Honestly... would you be happy keeping only 2 or 3 fish at 17.5 inches this year.... come on

We have another winner. Said many times, if you go to 5, next time you have to take a reduction where are you going to start from??

[Sea Bear]

Originally Posted by broken bobber

Honestly... would you be happy keeping only 2 or 3 fish at 17.5 inches this year.... come on

Yeah wouldn't bother me one bit actually. A couple keeper fluke to eat fresh and not frozen and enjoying a nice relaxing day on the water sounds like a pretty good recipe for "happy" to me!