Have New Fluke Regs Helped?

[Billfish715]

Fluke fishing has been spotty at best. Catches of keepers which many thought would have improved as a result of the new regulations have people scratching their collective heads and wondering. So, how much have the new regs. helped in improving the catch and/or increasing the fluke population?

[Tackle guy]

Ocean party boat fluking is not even half of what it was last year some guys do ok but only 1 or2. If not for new regs it would be total disaster.

[hammer4reel]

We were throwing back 19 and 20” fish today looking for slot fish .
Been that way all season .

NEW REGS SUCK.

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[Billfish715]

So, the beat goes on. 18”+ are showing up in the coolers, but fewer and fewer 17” fish are in the mix.I don’t know if that is widespread or localized to a few “sharpies” with good waypoints or not. But, despite the liberalized regulations, there does not seem like too many slots are filling too many coolers. It’s still a numbers game. There are fewer fluke spread up and down the shore but a few pockets of them in specific places. Find those places and you would never think there was a shortage of fluke. If you are off the mark by a few hundred yards you’ll go home frustrated. I’ll still chalk it up to a big decrease in fluke numbers of all sizes.

[emcjim]

This year, I have made 8 PM half-day trips on partyboat from AH. I think that more "slots" than "overs" have been kept. No "overs" have been thrown back because the boat limit is never filled. In previous years, a common cooler was used, w/ the fish marked, because there not many keepers. This year, no common cooler. bring your own, or use a pail furnished by the boat. So the number of fish kept is more than last year. Fishing was better in early June than it is now. On 6/3, I was one of 6 or 7 that had a limit. That is my only partyboat limit for this year, and the totals have been declining ever since.

[TerriMc223]

Personally, I have benefitted significantly by the ability to keep 17" fish especially since I fish most often in the bay. The slot also helps when I fish in the ocean but since there are more larger fish there, it is tough not being able to keep more than one 18"+ fish.
I have only gotten skunked once so far this season. On the whole the 2022 regs have been helpful.

[Rocky]

The new regs suck! Cant wait to see next years last minute reg mess.

What they are doing is short term managment with a long term future decline.

They have been doing their so called "management" of the fishery for many years now and look where they got us today.

Who here honestly thinks this fishery is going in the right direction?:confused:

[CODCHALY]

NOT ME ROCKY !!!

[frugalfisherman]

I was keeping 17 inch fluke last year so I don't notice any difference.

[hammer4reel]

Personally, I have benefitted significantly by the ability to keep 17" fish especially since I fish most often in the bay. The slot also helps when I fish in the ocean but since there are more larger fish there, it is tough not being able to keep more than one 18"+ fish.
I have only gotten skunked once so far this season. On the whole the 2022 regs have been helpful.

Curious How many of your slot fish have been between 17-17 1/2”

We have not had 1. Every slot fish we have caught has been between 17 1/2 to just under 18”..

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[Chrisper4694]

yeah, it's helped me eat less fluke haha. what's odd is in years past, I had the frustration of throwing back 17.5-17.75" fluke all day trying to get bigger ones and now i get my over and don't see another fish over 16.5" all damn day :confused:

[Duffman]

yeah, it's helped me eat less fluke haha. what's odd is in years past, I had the frustration of throwing back 17.5-17.75" fluke all day trying to get bigger ones and now i get my over and don't see another fish over 16.5" all damn day :confused:

X2!!! Amazing how many 17-17.999 fish I tossed back last year. In the last 2 weeks I haven’t seen one! They are all magically 16.99 and smaller or 18+.

[jmurr711]

3 over 18 shouldn't of changed but thankfully the pontoons got memorial day

[Detour66]

I would say in the bay it has helped and in the ocean later in the season no!