Snapper Slaughter

[Billfish715]

NOT! Check the bluefish regulations for this year.
https://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/pdf/2020/digmar20.pdf

If you pay to fish on a party boat or for hire vessel, you may keep 5 bluefish. If you fish from a private boat or rental or from shore or from a dock, you may keep 3 fish. That includes snappers! That's right. I guess that the snapper population is being decimated by hundreds of 10 year olds who are a threat to the survival of adult bluefish.

Is anyone tired of being told what to do and how to do it by a government bureaucracy? If you pay for them, you're entitled to more fish. If you don't pay, you get less. Hmmmm? Who decided on the bag limits? How were they decided?

No size limits on bluefish but size limits on everything else? Explain that please! I can keep three snapper bluefish but I can't keep a 16" fluke! The more the "scientists" profess their wisdom, the more they spotlight their lack of common sense. Maybe ti's not the scientists who show a lack of practicality or sense.

The governmental decision makers will always fall back on "scientific data" to guide them. The scientists present numbers from their mathematical calculations from data that is partially complete. They are the professionals and they should know, is the excuse the decision makers use to decide out fate.

Gerry might be on to something. The "fish police" will be so busy checking fishermen for social distancing and face mask violations that they won't have time or the effort to check size and bag limits for my catch.

[Jigman13]

I keep zero bluefish lol

[AndyS]

Make sure to sign up for the Saltwater Registry.

[Foul Hook]

How about when you get 10 or 12 of them in a cast net when trying to net spearing? I guess l'll have to cherry pick my best 3. F'ing ridiculous

[chrislars]

Ha, they will all just go way off shore like they have been the last few summers, never to be caught!

[Billfish715]

Maybe the question I want answered is: " If rebuilding the bluefish stocks to former levels is going to be based on the scientific theory that no size limits are necessary and that only using bag limits will do the trick: why can't the same theory be used for striped bass and fluke? If keeping three 12" snappers doesn't hurt the chances of a bluefish comeback, then, keeping a couple of 16" fluke shouldn't affect their recovery either. If only bag limits are used to restore the bluefish numbers, why wouldn't it work for striped bass too?

Something is really wrong with the science and how the science is used to regulate recreational fishing.We are encouraged to harvest the large female fluke so they can't spawn and expect the stocks to recover. We don't harvest the large female striped bass so they can spawn. We can keep any size bluefish and yet, they will still be back to the acceptable levels they once were.

[Capt. Debbie]

Same here! Catch and Release for fun.



I keep zero bluefish lol

[Hookmanski]

I keep zero bluefish lol

x2, they're super fun to catch but you couldn't pay me to eat one!

[RAMMFISH66]

Pound for pound, they are fun to catch..good fight and release for another day!!! I don't agree with the science of rebuilding the stock but o'well...

[reason162]

What other juvenile gamefish are you allowed to harvest, use as bait, or amuse children with?

I do agree that the limit should be constant regardless of private or charter/party boats. 3 is plenty across the board.

[porgylber]

x2, they're super fun to catch but you couldn't pay me to eat one!

Properly handled after catching (bled, iced, filleted, blood line removed), blues especially smaller ones are delicious. Without these steps, they get nasty.

[RescueDogger]

They're yummy with a good dose of lemon juice.

[Billfish715]

I don't want this to start another long gripe session about fluke fishing regulations so here is the bottom line. The advisors/scientists/mathematicians who gather and collate the data about saltwater fisheries programs and those who use that data to advise the voting members of the various regulatory agencies have to get on the same page.

The fluke recovery plan is in no way similar to the plan to help bluefish stocks recover; yet, the purpose of both plans is to increase the population of both species. The council members who vote for the regulations are completely inconsistent in their use of the data. They apparently think that the same three fish possession limit and no size restrictions will work to help the bluefish but not the fluke. If we limit the number of fluke we keep to three, we should be able to keep whatever size fluke we want just like we do for bluefish.

[reason162]

The advisors/scientists/mathematicians who gather and collate the data about saltwater fisheries programs and those who use that data to advise the voting members of the various regulatory agencies have to get on the same page.

And this inconsistency should lead you to the opposite conclusion: not that fluke size limits be abolished, but size limits be imposed on bluefish. However, the 3 fish limit for private anglers was already a compromise for not imposing size limits.

From Charles Witek's blog (http://oneanglersvoyage.blogspot.com/2019/11/conserving-bluefish.html):

...would require reducing the bag limit from 15 bluefish to 3.

Of course, there are other ways to achieve the needed reduction. At last Tuesday’s meeting of New York’s Marine Resources Advisory Council, a senior member of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation’s Marine Division mentioned that the bag limit could probably be increased to 5, if it was accompanied by a 19-inch minimum size.

The Monitoring Committee didn’t consider a size limit, noting that

“Size limit alternatives have been proposed but are not recommended due to angler preference to often harvest smaller fish since larger bluefish are deemed less desirable [as table fare],”

[Chrisper4694]

x2, they're super fun to catch but you couldn't pay me to eat one!

You need to be culinarily trained! They actually taste great if poached and if i made ‘fish cakes’ out of them, i could trick you into believing they are crab cakes!

[Charlie B]

You need to be culinarily trained! They actually taste great if poached and if i made ‘fish cakes’ out of them, i could trick you into believing they are crab cakes!

Agreed. And that is not the only way to make them taste good. The thing is proper preparation is key...Charlie

[dales529]

And this inconsistency should lead you to the opposite conclusion: not that fluke size limits be abolished, but size limits be imposed on bluefish. However, the 3 fish limit for private anglers was already a compromise for not imposing size limits.

From Charles Witek's blog (http://oneanglersvoyage.blogspot.com/2019/11/conserving-bluefish.html):

...would require reducing the bag limit from 15 bluefish to 3.

Of course, there are other ways to achieve the needed reduction. At last Tuesday’s meeting of New York’s Marine Resources Advisory Council, a senior member of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation’s Marine Division mentioned that the bag limit could probably be increased to 5, if it was accompanied by a 19-inch minimum size.

The Monitoring Committee didn’t consider a size limit, noting that

“Size limit alternatives have been proposed but are not recommended due to angler preference to often harvest smaller fish since larger bluefish are deemed less desirable [as table fare],”

Wow does this sound familiar! You are correct Size limits will be in the future but unfortunately with zero science behind it.

[dales529]

Agreed. And that is not the only way to make them taste good. The thing is proper preparation is key...Charlie

Billys Red room used to serve "fish of the day" sandwich or dinner, most thought it was flounder but it was Bluefish. he went a long way in prep from boat to plate and it sold!

[dales529]

Maybe the question I want answered is: " If rebuilding the bluefish stocks to former levels is going to be based on the scientific theory that no size limits are necessary and that only using bag limits will do the trick: why can't the same theory be used for striped bass and fluke? If keeping three 12" snappers doesn't hurt the chances of a bluefish comeback, then, keeping a couple of 16" fluke shouldn't affect their recovery either. If only bag limits are used to restore the bluefish numbers, why wouldn't it work for striped bass too?

Something is really wrong with the science and how the science is used to regulate recreational fishing.We are encouraged to harvest the large female fluke so they can't spawn and expect the stocks to recover. We don't harvest the large female striped bass so they can spawn. We can keep any size bluefish and yet, they will still be back to the acceptable levels they once were.

Welcome to the party albeit late. many have been doing this for YEARS.
Go to the MAMFC , ASMFC and NOAA websites. On there you will find the proposals to read and the council members tab. In the Council members tab their emails exist by moving your mouse over the name. Email them , some will answer your question but applying logic LOL

[Hookmanski]

You need to be culinarily trained! They actually taste great if poached and if i made ‘fish cakes’ out of them, i could trick you into believing they are crab cakes!

funny you mention that, a guy i was fishing near on Sunday was telling me how the only fish his daughter will eat is bluefish made into fish cakes... might have to give it a try sometime!

[Gumada]

They are also good poached and prepared like tuna salad. Clean out the dark meat, better than tuna !

[Gerry Zagorski]

Had a dock party a few years back and one of the guys made a plate of Bluefish sushi... It was amazingly good.

[Duffman]

better than tuna !

Umm.....what?

[Gumada]

Umm.....what?

Tuna salad...try it !

[shrimpman steve]

Surprised no one mentioned smoked blue fish. The high oil content makes it an excellent fish to smoke.

[Billfish715]

The smaller fish (3-4 lbs.) are the best. Bleed them immediately then quickly put them on ice. When you clean them, be sure to remove all or as much of the blood line as possible.

Bluefish tempura is always good. If you have access to a smoker, smoked bluefish, because of its oily texture, is a great appetizer. Served, with crackers on the side, the smoked bluefish is real crowd pleaser. There are lots of recipes out there besides the traditonal broiled ones including one that can be done on the grill using a basting of mayonnaise, horseradish, and grated cheese.