Questions on Fluke populations related to tournaments

[fin_s_guy]

I'm sure this is going to open a can of WTF...but I'm just wondering something.

This year saw a lower percentage of the 18" to 22" Fluke in my opinion. Bait was there, conditions were more or less favorable (minus dirty water in the deep) and there were more than a few weekends with the "west is best" winds.

There was also a fair amount of HUGE Fluke caught this year. More than I can remember in years past.

Now tournaments were run out of every port, every weekend from Memorial Day to Labor Day with most if not all tied to great causes that raise money for special needs or people with mounting medical bills...which are all awesome causes.

THAT SAID. "Research" shows that most Fluke over 5# are female. Average 200 boats a tournament with average 2 guys per boat...that's 400 people every weekend looking for "the one". Targeting big fish areas and keeping all larger fish, whereas if they were fishing for recreation those same guys might appreciate a larger fish for what it is (breeder female) and release the larger fish if caught unharmed and keep a few medium size fish for the table.

Just wondering if anyone else has thought about this angle to the fishery?


Popcorn is on the stove and ready to pop...

[Gerry Zagorski]

Picking up what you are laying down here Bobby....

Everyone likes the combined weight of 2, 3 or 4 fish and I do too. This reduces that game of chance where someone gets lucky (like my brother Joe's Flukasarus) and stumbles on one big fish but it also means they have to keep more larger fish.

I think it does make a difference and just maybe we should consider how these tournaments are run.

Pass the Pop Corn please

[tjd24]

I recall a the video of the commercial fisherman shoveling dead double digit fluke over the side that circulated a while ago. It was very disturbing and wasteful. I believe that is a huge factor in the decline of breeding stock.

[bassnblues]

I think most of the people who enter the tournaments would be going fishing anyway and Fluke have never been a big catch and release fish so I don't think it has much of an effect.

[bunker dunker]

I think this year was just an off year with lots of different thing that went on.
we had bad weather,cold water until late july,dirty water all season until the last 2 weeks and way to much south wind.another reason could be that they are in a down cycle.remember the late 70's and early 80's when we were going thru the same thing.the 1/2 boats were fishing for ling.

[Gerry Zagorski]

I think that it could have been an off year as well... However, if we are wrong, and the Fluke stock is in fact in trouble, wouldn't you want to:

a) Make sure we have the best science available to make a true assessment of the the stock

b) If the stock is in trouble, do your part to sustain the stock and encourage tournament committees to do the same?

That's where I'm at on this....

[bunker dunker]

behind you 100%,we should have up to date data regardless of how the stocks are.we should not have to put up a fight for these results as monies are given out so there are up to date records.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by bunker dunker

behind you 100%,we should have up to date data regardless of how the stocks are.we should not have to put up a fight for these results as monies are given out so there are up to date records.

I think we are on the same page here dunker but see my post up above on the Future of our Fluke Fishery and SSFFF update.

I've said before that I think NOAA with their 2015 5.5 Billion dollar budget should allocate some of that massive amount of our money to better science to assess our stocks.

Fact is, although their own Scientists agree that the Science is flawed, they claim they don't have the resources or funds to change it.

So as I mentioned in that same post I referenced above , " It's also thought that once we prime the pump with private funding, government funding will follow"

I hope that's a good bet but there are no guarantees...

I will bet you one thing.... If we do nothing, then nothing is going to change.

[hammer4reel]

Many of the guys who tourney fish didnt believe it was that bad a year IF you fished where the fish were.
Many of those boats had boat limits each weekend. BUT tourney or not they still would have caught the same fish.
Just because there isnt a tourney , doesnt mean those guys are going to stay home.
The are going fishing, and catching fish due to putting extra time into finding them and working those areas hard.

I know the guys I talk to all fish very hard, tourney day or not.
There were ALOT of fluke around. but NOT in the areas we are used to fishing.
Water quality in many areas really sucked for weeks in places that normally held fish.


The difference between tourney fisherman and some others is that tourney fisherman will put a little more time and miles looking for the right fish.
Many others keep their runs closer hoping to find a pay day, and accepting it if they dont find the fish.

[bunker dunker]

got ya Jerry and you are right about having to act.i just think that noaa is spending there money on lesser matters and should refocus on what is and needs to be done.