Elk's tournament

[Broad Bill]

Just looked up the results from last week's Elk's Tournament. Two co-winners at 6.4 lbs. To put that in perspective, from 2006 to 2021, not only would a 6.4 lb. fish not won, it wouldn't have made the board of the top seven heaviest fish weighed in over that entire 16-year period.

I know people don't want to hear it but this fishery is in deep trouble. I've posted the results for the last four years for further comparison. The super breeders of the stock have been wiped out and the spawning stock has been decimated. Regulations which target harvesting the spawning stock, primarily females, and the most productive breeders of the stock have killed this fishery. Absurd regulations and on-going wasteful and non-stop exploitation by the commercial sector year round have taken it's toll on the stock. It's unimaginable a fishery which means so much to not only this state but most Mid-Atlantic States is being managed for commerce and not the longevity and health of the stock.

[hartattack]

And the number of entries steadily declines each year too!

[Broad Bill]

Larry your correct, entries are on a decline but 125 boats with probably an average of 4 anglers per boat. 500 people fishing and twin 6.4 pounders winning the most prestigious fluke tournament is quite frankly unbelievable.

Yet the powers to be manage this fishery the same way even after having to reduce commercial quotas by 42% a few years ago with proportionate decreases recreationally. Here's the problem that creates. If commercial quotas are reduced by that much, what do you think commercial guys are going to do. They're going to catch even larger fish that bring higher values to compensate for the reduced quota which just exacerbates the problem. A higher percentage of the larger females are being harvested with a much higher rate of discard mortality. That's why the abundance of just sub legal fish every year never manifests itself in keepers the following year. The commercial winter fishery pounds the stock causing irreparable damage.

Unless these regulations are changed, it's a self-fulfilling prophecy that this fishery will disappear. I've been saying it for years, the data supports it, and we've been seeing the consequences over the last decade or two, in particular since 2018. If management doesn't stop using increased size limits to manage the recreational sector and doesn't do something with the unabated slaughter by the commercial fishery and doesn't address protection of the stock during the spawn, we'll be the last generation to enjoy this fishery. GUARANTEED.

[FISHGERE]

Bottom line commercial fishing is killing fluking I watch the tractor trailers loading up on channel drive in point pleasant . No C O or fish and game around

[frugalfisherman]

But make sure you throw those 17 1/2-inch fluke back!

[NoLimit]

Killing all the females - how dumb is that