Changing Fluke Patterns

[Billfish715]

Here are a few things that I've noticed about changing fluke patterns over the last few years. This is only my observations but some of you might have notices the same things.

This year, I've noticed that the stomach contents of fluke I've cleaned are absolutely empty. I could always count on finding some crabs or crustaceans or mussels or the skeletal remains of baitfish in many of the fluke. This year, I can honestly say that I've not found anything. I'm not sure what that means. They were not spitting anything on the deck or at the surface when they were being netted either. The river fluke are a different story. They were always well-fed and always had something in their stomachs.

Fluke used to bunch up before exiting the NY/NJ Bight. Ambrose channel used to be lined with them as they headed out and offshore. There was always a good shot at them for a week or so in late August or early September. Where are they now? The same could be said about the Reach or Sandy Hook Channels as well.

More and more fish are holding on rough bottom contours and over rocks and snags. Very few are caught on open bottom anymore. In the early fall, even into October, it was common to drift along the sandy bottom just off the Hook on south for a few miles. Those fish might still be dropping out of the river or bay in a few weeks, but we'll never know because the season is closed. The fluke fishing in the ocean is now located several miles off the beach especially out of Belmar and points south.

So, what is going on? Even now, there should have been many more fluke bunched up and ready for their migration. It seems they are all scattered or have moved even farther offshore. Are they moving out earlier? Are they following a different kind of baitfish? I'm just curious about what some of you have noticed over the last couple of years. I'm out of ideas. With just a few more days of fluke fishing for the season, I just hope I can stumble on a decent body of fish without chasing them out to the Mud Hole.

I'm with Captain Ron. I'll be bringing the clams along. I tried serious porgy fishing last year and was very satisfied with their sporty fighting ability and their sweet tasting fillets.

[NoLimit]

Same with winter flounder- supposedly they are staying deep too

[Skolmann]

Early in the season when I fished the Navesink, almost every keeper fluke we (my son or myself) caught had remnants of crabs-usually small blue claws.

When fishing the back bay in late June thru July—the fluke would be spitting up grass shrimp-so much that it made a mess on the deck.

I think part of the reason you don’t see fluke stack up in any of the channels in late summer is because they really have not entered the bay in force. Although I heard from a good source one of the creeks in the back bay is full of peanuts and the fluke are stacked just outside of it.

[fishunt]

i notice the same thing. i think their is more fluke migrating northward now. that said if the size limit was 17 inches it would of been a great season:(

[Skolmann]

Same with winter flounder- supposedly they are staying deep too

I think that ever since Sandy wiped out the clam beds on Romer Shoal, the False Hook Bar, the beds on Round Shoal and further west the flounder have stayed out of the bay due to lack of food. I also feel that the lack of clam beds is one of the reason the spring striper clam bite was significantly dropped off.

[RBC67]

Lets not forget beach restoration

[dales529]

Here are a few things that I've noticed about changing fluke patterns over the last few years. This is only my observations but some of you might have notices the same things.

This year, I've noticed that the stomach contents of fluke I've cleaned are absolutely empty. I could always count on finding some crabs or crustaceans or mussels or the skeletal remains of baitfish in many of the fluke. This year, I can honestly say that I've not found anything. I'm not sure what that means. They were not spitting anything on the deck or at the surface when they were being netted either. The river fluke are a different story. They were always well-fed and always had something in their stomachs.

Fluke used to bunch up before exiting the NY/NJ Bight. Ambrose channel used to be lined with them as they headed out and offshore. There was always a good shot at them for a week or so in late August or early September. Where are they now? The same could be said about the Reach or Sandy Hook Channels as well.

More and more fish are holding on rough bottom contours and over rocks and snags. Very few are caught on open bottom anymore. In the early fall, even into October, it was common to drift along the sandy bottom just off the Hook on south for a few miles. Those fish might still be dropping out of the river or bay in a few weeks, but we'll never know because the season is closed. The fluke fishing in the ocean is now located several miles off the beach especially out of Belmar and points south.

So, what is going on? Even now, there should have been many more fluke bunched up and ready for their migration. It seems they are all scattered or have moved even farther offshore. Are they moving out earlier? Are they following a different kind of baitfish? I'm just curious about what some of you have noticed over the last couple of years. I'm out of ideas. With just a few more days of fluke fishing for the season, I just hope I can stumble on a decent body of fish without chasing them out to the Mud Hole.

I'm with Captain Ron. I'll be bringing the clams along. I tried serious porgy fishing last year and was very satisfied with their sporty fighting ability and their sweet tasting fillets.

OCEAN Fluke: Depending on the area you fish I believe the fish stay to the snags in 60+because those are the only areas that hold the usual bait. MI south and even MI north to Long Branch all the inshore bait "holding areas" in 20 to 30 ft are covered since Sandy and /or changed via beach replenishment meaning that bait cant be trapped in holes, cuts, mussel beds etc as they dont exist. Same goes for the decline in surf fishing. It just is, if bait cant be trapped inshore the fish retreat to the habitat that holds the most bait which is snags / rocks etc in 40 to 60 ft plus. Not that the bait is prevalent but it still holds enough. Then we feed them gulp and so not so much to spit out. All in all been a decent Fluke year with sooo many fat 17" fat fish . limits on 18+ keepers and a bunch of quality fish 5 to 9 lbs for us.
Still going and glad the season is open into mid / late Sept in North NJ.
Granted We DID NOT OVERFISH FLUKE and EFFORT was small this year NOAA

[Aquaman 29]

Maybe the fluke population is not like years past and still declining

[Reel Class]

Fluke congregate where the bait is so that they can eat. Beach replenishment has destroyed miles upon miles of habitat where baitfish would migrate over sandy bottom (usually late summer it's squid) and the fluke would stack up in these areas. With the ocean still being unsettled (don't kid yourself - it is!) from the pumping sites, these fish had to go elsewhere to eat; namely reefs and rough bottom where there is some food around as opposed to the sandy bottom structure where the habitat has been wiped out.

[Reel Class]

Maybe the fluke population is not like years past and still declining

Winter draggers that fish the cholera area would disagree with you

[BT67]

In July, I caught at last 40 fluke in a few week period (all shorts) from the beach near Brick Beach. Then the sand filled in the deep water and that was it. Recent storm opened it up again so we'll see if anybodys home this week.

I also rent for the season in South Mantoloking and right now there I am catching many baby fluke right off our dock. Bottom is paved with the little ones.

[Blind Archer]

Just like the Raitan bay weakfish of lore, the fluke are not going to stack up where there is no food.The blues in the bay are cleaning out all the usual white bait, grass shrimp and now juvenile crabs. Your obsevation is correct that crabs were the last of the stomach contents to dissapear. Where you can find grass shrimp in the backwaters, there you'll find concentrations of fluke. that is until the little blues clean them out. Rough bottom offshore is the only place small forrage can exist. Winter flounder is a different story. Warmer waters have pushed most north. Our Raitan bay fishery was incredible until the Large daily boats started to target "Jumbo Bay Flounder" on the west end banks in the spring. The egg laden females that were once abundant were cleaned out in a couple of years. Commercial clamming there also took away their spring food souce. What the locals knew about for years ended very abruptly.